Nothing Wrong With Loving

Chapter 16: Decisions

I barely spoke on our way back home. To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. Luckily, Tobias stopped by the diner on our way back home and Frankie was there.

He was serving, it was supposed to be Ceci's shift and he was working those because he hadn't found anyone yet. There weren't enough employees to cover all the shifts and it was safe to say that I no longer worked there anymore.

For a moment I thought maybe he wasn't going to serve me, he was going to turn around and call for someone to come do it instead.

I wanted to walk out. Suddenly, I wasn't hungry anymore.

However, when Frankie looked up, a huge smile took over his face, his eyes were focused on my brother as he walked around the counter and opened his arms wide as he laughed and with two steps he had my brother wrapped around his arms.

"Why didn't you say you were coming?" Frankie laughed happily, when he moved back to take a good look at Tobias, he said, "Shit mate, you look big."

"Gym does that to you," Tobias laughed, it was a genuine laugh.

It wasn't unusual, I mean Tobias did live here before he left and Frankie was like two years older than him, they probably met during high school or something and yet seeing my manager so carefree and so... human-with-an-actual-life-outside-of-work was sort of weird. It was stupid but I just didn't think of Frankie as a person... just as my manager.

Frankie then turned to me and my anxiety grew to then quickly vanish when his smile didn't fade away. He didn't hug me and I was glad because that would've been pretty awkward but the fact that he didn't act like I was the biggest scum of the earth was enough for me.

"Tell me you've come to get your job back?" He asked me, a smile on his face. I shook my head.

"Actually, we were just passing by, you would not believe how much I missed these milkshakes," Tobias spoke a bit too loudly as he took a seat at the counter, Frankie went back to his working place and asked us what we wanted. Tobias ordered a vanilla milkshake with chocolate cookies and mint. I ordered chocolate with coffee.

Tobias and Frankie caught up with each other and when asked about his relationship status, Tobias freely spoke about this boy he was seeing but had to end it because it just wasn't right. To my surprise, Frankie didn't bat an eye.

"It's life, man," Frankie said, resting his elbows on the counter, "If it's meant to be, it'll be, right? Just don't let anyone mess you about."

Everything was going fine, perfectly fine until Jake walked through the doors, laughing at something he saw on his phone, making me shift uncomfortably on my seat.

I thought maybe he hadn't seen me, maybe he was just going to sit at some booth and I wouldn't have to worry about him but when he walked over at the counter and stood right next to me, my body froze with anger.

"Hey, Frankie, I called earlier?" Jake asked, not looking away from his phone. It took all I had in me not to make a scene.

"I had them ready for you," Frankie sighed, tapping away on the computer, getting Jake's order through.

It was then when he turned around and saw me. I didn't look back at him, he didn't seem to notice that I had company. I don't blame him, he probably didn't even recognise Tobias anymore.

"Hey Nina," he smirked, he rested his elbow on the counter and turned his body to me. He stank of sweat and cigarettes. He was probably working with his father. "How're you doing?"

"Better than you judging by the smell."

"Ha," he laughed, I clenched my jaw, "You're funny. Anyway, you're wearing the same clothes as you were wearing yesterday at church, your mum kicked you out yet? I think someone recorded it, that slap? Your mum's wild."