Chapter 22
Blake
After giving the keys to the guy I just finished the oil change for. I stretched, that is the seventh one today. Apparently word has been going around that I'm fast so a lot more people have been coming. I just think it's because there were only two workers here and the wait list is two months long. With me thrown in and only doing two things. People that only need that don't have to wait and are booking with me. It's good we can get more people in. I'm just about to go to lunch when I see Katie's car driving up. I see it has a donut on the front right tire. Making a u turn I head straight for her. I hope Rose is with her but even if she's not i don't mind changing her tire. Just as they pull up and park I see Rose in the passenger side. She looks disheveled. I hurry to her side to see if everything is ok. Before I get to the door she's getting out. That's when I saw it, blood all over her. I was by her side in seconds.
"Are you ok? Why aren't you in the hospital? Where are you bleeding?" i'm talking so fast and checking her over. She doesn't have a chance to speak. All of a sudden I was grabbed and made to stand still looking at her face.
"I'm ok this isn't mine everything is ok. This is just from work. Come on let Katie go talk to mike about getting a new tire. Have you had lunch yet? " I took a deep breath i didn't know i was holding my breath.
"No not yet and you can tell me everything that happened." She smiles at me and turns back to the truck. She comes back a moment letter with her lunch I packed for her. We head to the brake room. As I'm walking out I notice that Katie is talking happily with Mike. She has pink sparking like crazy. Mike only has a little but I can tell he has feelings for her too. I think he's trying to hide it even from himself. O this is going to be fun he keeps picking on me about Rose. It's time to return the favor. When we get to the break room I take our food and heat it up. We sat and ate. She told me all about the two guys and everything that happened. She looks so happy and free right now just like when I first met her. She has completely forgotten about the stalker. I can't wait for her to always be like this. I have been noticing more and more pink around her. I'm so happy I want to yell from the roof top but I can't. I still might if we ever get together. Sadly my guilt is getting worse and worse. She told me her secret but i cant tell her mine. I thought I could take it to my grave, and never tell her. It's eating me up inside. She has opened her heart to me and trusted me with her secrets. I made up my mind right there after we got him that I would tell her everything. If she don't want anything to do with me after words then I won't do anything. I will just leave. I can't do it right now because if she thinks I'm a monster after. I won't be able to protect her from him. So I will keep my mouth shut for now.
"So it looked like Katie may like Mike a little bit" I teased her.
"You can tell too?"
"What, like it's hard? With the way she looks at him. I'm surprised she doesn't have little hearts coming out of them"
"Right, it is so cute but I can't tell if Mike likes her or not. He's heard to tell."
"I think he does but I don't think he thinks he's good enough for her."
"That's ridiculous. All she wants is someone who will love her and share a life with her. We need to do something. I don't want him or her to miss out, over something stupid like that" me and her planned how to get them to at least go on a date with one another. We finished eating. I pull out the cheese cake. There are only two pieces left that I told everyone they couldn't have. I plate them up for use. The plan was to eat one now and have one for when I got home but I guess I will share.
"O hay my friend is going to be moving down here some time soon." I don't want to give her a time frame just in case something happens and it takes longer for him to get her. She looks up at me with concern and a hint of green in her colors. Ok i have to stop whatever thoughts are going through that pretty little head of hers.
"That's nice, what are they like?" she tries to ask nonchalantly.
"He's a cool guy. However he's a night owl though. Plus he doesn't do well with people. He's really nice but he can come off as an ass. We met on the streets when I was a kid. When I got taken in I helped him whenever I could. He's really smart with computers. He kinda started his own business fixing them." I try to give her as much info as I can without telling her the bad parts. Thankfully the green leaves but the orange comes in its place.
"That's the friend you called to track the guy?"
"Yes that's him"
"Why is he coming down here? If you don't mind me asking"
" I saw something bad happen and I ran. He helped me as much as he could. I told him when I got somewhere far away I would call him and he would meet me there. So now that I found somewhere he's headed down there. He really can't be left to his own devices. He will get into coding and forgets to eat and sleep for days. He also won't leave the house at all if he doesn't have to. And please don't ask me what i saw or why i ran. I will tell you when the time comes and I feel comfortable telling you ok. I am sorry" i see bad i cant tell her but now isn't the right time for that conversation either. She looks like she has so much she wants to ask me. She finally opens her mouth. I brace myself for what she's about to say.
"Ok so we are going to have to take turns going over there to make sure he's eating and bathing. We can try to make him sleep but that might be hard. O we can take his internet from him if he doesn't go to sleep, and we are going to have to make him come outside once a week. He needs to get fresh air and vitamin d at least once a week. It's non-negotiable." I can't help myself. I burst out laughing.
"Ok ok we will work out a custody schedule for him." Just as I stopped laughing, Mike walks in. He looks at Rose and tells her.
"The car is ready. Katie asked if you were ready?"
"Ok i'm coming" she takes her last bite and stands up. I leave mine there and follow them out. Katie is by her truck not looking to be in a rush at all. Coming get us must have been mikes idle. I opened the door for her. She jumps in.
"Is there anything that you really want tomorrow for lunch?" she giggles
"I was just about to ask you that. Can we do tacos or something like that?"
"Ya i can make that and how about a cherry pie?"
"I got you" Katie gets in and decides to join our conversation.
"When we get home right , a list of all the stuff you need and while you are showing i will go get it as long as i get to have some of this food." She looks right at me. "She made food for everyone here and you only made enough for her. I was hurt you know "I smiled at her.
"I'm sorry I will make you some too." She pulls out two $20s and hands them to me.
"This is for my portion this week i will give you more next week"
"You don't have to give me anything."
"No sirry if I'm going to be getting food from you i will be paying."
"I can see you two are best friends. Now I feel bad I'm not giving yall money for the desserts." Rose steps in now.
"You can start paying into it later when you get back on your feet, deal? Later we can get us a card that we all put money into and use it to shop for food only with it. How does that sound?" me and Katie both agree. Once this is all over, me and her can go shopping together every week. I'm looking forward to it. I feel sad watching her drive away. Why does our time together fly by so fast?