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I was restocking while Ida told me how she scheduled her and Jerry's kids to fly here for Thanksgiving. She wanted to introduce me to them when they did. Thanksgiving was not a topic I wanted to be reminded of, though. It was about two months away but I was trying to shove the thought far from my mind.

"So what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Going home?" Ida asked.

I didn't want to go home for Thanksgiving this year and I certainly didn't want to see my mom nor the empty house I left behind. My mom and her husband would do the things they did every year. They would go visit family and stay longer than the rest of the guests while I would be on the couch waiting for them to leave. It was hard to enjoy my family when all my mother did was brag about her 'top of the class' children. The children she knew nothing about other than what they got on their AP English paper or the after school activities they were in.

I bit my lip, "No."

"No, you're staying here? Well, do you have plans?"

I didn't have the money to fly back for Thanksgiving and Christmas and fly down to Ivy in Florida to meet her for spring break. So I picked Christmas and Florida. That way I could see Sadie and Ivy. I would just have to wait a little longer to see them- not that I minded spending more time away from my mom. So, no, I didn't have plans.

"No, but I'll find something to do."

The only person I was disappointed in not seeing was my sister. We'd gotten even closer now that we were not always in each other's faces.

"Oh, well, that's not too bad. But only a few months or so until you can see them for Christmas. If you like, you can spend Thanksgiving with Jerry and me"

In all honesty, I didn't mind being alone on the holidays. I didn't like them. I liked that when back in California, with all the tipsy aunts, uncles and, cousins around, I could hide and no one noticed but that was about it.  

"Thanks, but it's alright. I'll be fine." It would be wrong to intrude on their family time. I knew Ida was looking forward to spending time with her kids and grandkids.

I moved over to clear off a table after a customer left, he left a generous tip too. Ida was putting away clean cups and glasses behind the counter. She was humming a soft tune while Jerry sat in one of the booths eating a muffin, reading the paper, never setting the cup of coffee too far from his grasp. As I was finishing wiping down the booth, my phone began to ring in my back pocket.

I took it out and saw the number was my mom's. I thought about answering it but decided to let it ring a few more seconds before I declined the call and shoved my phone back in my pocket.

"You can answer calls, Valley. It's not like anyone is here for you to tend to," Jerry said, not taking his eyes off his paper.

"It wasn't important," I shrugged.

"That was your mother calling you," Ida said accusingly.

I spun around to look at her in shock. "How did you-"

"My hearing may be shot from too many front row concerts but my eyesight is still 20/20," she informed me.

Jerry chuckled in his seat. "You were wild, baby."

"Why wouldn't you answer your mother's call," Ida asked ignoring Jerry's comment as she usually did.

"It's complicated but I want her to think I'm in class right now." I turned around to grab the towel from the table. "I'll call her back later," I assured Ida.

"Are you supposed to be in class right now?"

"No- I- It's not something I want to talk about, Ida."

"But-"

"Ida," Jerry cut his wife off. This time instead of the teasing tone he usually had, his voice was low and carried finality. "The girl said she doesn't want to talk about it. Let her have her privacy."

I smiled appreciatively at Jerry who was trying to avoid his wife's pouting expression. While Jerry may have his moments of authority, I quickly learned he didn't have much resolve when it came to his wife.

"Fine," Ida huffed. "We won't talk about that. How about you and Wes? How was your night with him."

I snorted. "It wasn't 'my night with Wes,' it was a night spent with him and his friends."

"But you were his date," Ida insisted.

"No, I was just a friend," I laughed uncomfortably.

"Oh but, Valley, the other day he waited all morning for you. What if he wants to be more than friends?"

"Ida, stop. I'm not looking for that. I'm still settling in and I need to stick to myself. I don't need any distractions right now."

Is that what you really think, Vienna? Sure sounds like something mom would say to you. 'You don't need distractions' my ass. You need all that you can get.

The moment I thought that, my eyes darted over to the diner entrance to see Wes through the glass door, reaching to push it open. At the sound of the bells, both Ida and Jerry looked over to see him walk into the diner. When he noticed us standing in the empty diner staring at him, he halted his pace and looked at us with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry. Are you not open? I just wanted to talk to Val," Wes said, looking between Jerry and Ida, but Jerry and Ida looked to me for an answer. Wes looked at me curiously.

I rolled my eyes at them. "Yes, we're open."

"Great," Wes said smiling and sitting down in the booth I was near. "I'm going to steal you for a moment. If that's alright with you," he looked to Jerry and Ida for confirmation.

"Take her, keep her, we don't care," Jerry waved his hands as he got up from the table with a huff.

"Wow, thanks," I deadpanned.

"Come on, Ida love," Jerry smacked his newspaper against her backside. Ida followed behind him reluctantly, disappointed she didn't get to stay behind to blatantly listen to our conversation.

"You going to sit down?" Wes asked me.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" I asked, avoiding his offer to sit down.

"Sure," he sighed.

I walked over to the counter and poured him a cup of black coffee. "Do you want creamer?" I asked.

"Just a little."

I poured a bit of the creamer into the cup, watching as the thick cream swam with the dark coffee. I picked up the mug and walked it over to the table, setting it in front of Wes.

"You want to sit down with me now?" He asked expectantly before bringing the cup of coffee to his teasing lips. "Or are you going to stand there and watch me drink my coffee the whole time?"

"Yeah," I breathed, moving from my standing position at the end of the table to slide into the booth across from him. After a moment of silence, I spoke up. "So this is getting weird. Like, I hardly know you, yet you keep popping up to talk to me."

He played with his coffee cup, dragging his finger around the rim of the cup. "Well," he cleared his throat. "I came to ask you for a favor..."

I sighed.

I thought the night I ran into him at the party would be the last night I saw him. I cleaned up his mess and got out of there. There was no need to think about it anymore. It was a moment of weakness that I didn't plan to dwell on. That was until I saw him again outside of the student commons on campus. The dinner was fine, but again, I thought that would be the end of it. A spontaneous party and dinner were enough for me, I didn't need him showing up at my job screwing up my plans to get over my past by wiggling his way into my life.

"You mean another favor," I corrected him.

Wes scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yeah," he chuckled. "So should I still ask or have you already decided it's a no?" He asked, nervously.

I shook my head, "Ask."

"Well, I know you think we're all assholes but-"

I laughed at him. "No, just you. You seem to be the only ass."

He gave me a cocky smile, "You like me better than the other two, though, right?"

I wasn't comfortable answering that question so I gave him a look of warning to ask his favor before I stood up and left. "Ask your question, Artwood."

"Right, I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a hike?"

I stared at him. "You hike?" I asked skeptically.

"No, but Belinda does. She want's to go on a hike but Aidan doesn't like that kind of stuff so he's making me suffer with him."

"So you thought you'd make me suffer too?"

"No, you'd make it better."

I scrunch up my face. "How?"

"Well, Belinda straight up pisses me off and if you're there it will be more fun."

She wasn't bad at all. Belinda seemed like a nice girl.

"I think she likes to piss me off, though, and we all know Aidan only stays with her because she's hot and she's probably a great fuck."

I cringed. This conversation was getting off topic. "So why would I go on this hike? I already did you a favor. I'm pretty sure you owe me now."

"Then I'll owe you some more."

"What about Flynn? Isn't he going?"

"Not this time," Wes smiled.

I didn't understand this kid. He spoke to me once at a party I didn't even belong at and now I couldn't get rid of him. It wasn't like this situation was at all normal. People didn't just run into each other and then keep showing up like they're best friends.

"Why do you keep coming to me, Wes?"

"I hope you're not fishing for compliments, Val, because you're not getting any yet," he smirked, teasingly.

I shook my head. "I'm not. I'm trying to figure out what your angle is. So, why me?" I asked again, with more conviction.

There's always an angle, something they want from you.

Wes sighed defeatedly. "There's no angle, Val. I just think you're cool and I like hanging out with you. You intrigue me."

I tried not to scowl at that.

He's trying to figure you out, Vienna. He's trying to dig.

"And you don't seem like one of those crazy girls,"

"Don't give me that shit like it means something. There are plenty of girls like me and you don't even know what I am."

"Haven't met too many like you."

There was something in his voice I couldn't quite place, but it was like he was trying to get me to say more than he knew I was willing to give.

I dropped his irksome comments and continued to the point of the conversation. "So you're really asking to drag me out to defuse this girl's bitch bomb?

He laughed, "Yeah."

"She didn't even seem that bad. And her southern accent is nice"

"You don't know her, Val."

Fight.

I breathed out a heavy breath as I rested my right elbow on the table and my chin on my fist. "Yeah. Alright, what day?"

"When do you get off this Saturday?"

"At eleven."

"Okay, so I'll pick you up at eleven?"

"No. I have to go back and change and-" I think for a moment, "I won't be ready until about 12:30."

"Okay, I'll call you around 12:30 to pick you up."

"Cool," I mumbled, looking down at his coffee cup, watching his fingertips tracing the rim.

Wes was following my gaze but he stopped half way between my face and my gaze. He looked back up at me in shock. "Is that-" He looked down at my arm on the table.

Panicking, I followed his gaze to my arm. Before I could process what was happening, Wes was reaching for my arm and I was flinching away from him. But he was too quick. He grabbed my forearm gently- as to not hurt me- but pulled it towards him firmly. He looked at me startled for a moment but slid up the sleeve of my t-shirt to further inspect my arm. "It's a-"

I ripped my arm from his grasp and moved out of the booth, taking several steps back from him. He sat back in his seat, retreating, but not letting the subject drop yet. "A bird?"

I pulled at my shirt sleeve adjusting it so the tattoo wasn't as visible. "It's just a tattoo," I said, detached and walked away.

He stood up too. "Alright," he said, running a hand through his hair, only to have it fall back in his face. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah." I grabbed a towel to busy myself.

"You can't back out either," he warned, obviously concerned I might.

"Mhm," I hummed as he turned towards the door with a nod.

When the door closed behind him, Ida, who was eavesdropping the entire time, came and plopped herself on the stool in front of me. "You got a date?"

"Still not a date," I rolled my eyes.

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"You're going on a hike with them?" Ivy asked through the phone speaker.

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

"Wes asked me to tag along."

"Just because?"

"He said it's because they don't want to stick with some Belinda girl. He and she have problems or something."

"What kind of problems?"

"Like they don't like each other problems," I told her as I sat in the corner booth of the diner.

"Is it a jealousy thing? Is he trying to make her jealous by taking you?"

I had thought of that but it made my stomach turn so I tried not to dwell on it.

It would make sense. Why else would he be asking you along?

But he truly seemed appalled by her presence at the dinner for Aidan.

"I don't think that's it. It seems like a genuine dislike of each other."

"Hmm," she hummed, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. "So do you think he likes you?"

"No," I said, shaking my head, trying to rid myself of the blush and the eruption of wings in my stomach.

Don't you dare start, Vienna!

You know you won't so shut up.

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, again.

"Shut up, Ivy."

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a/n

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