🎼 Reflection by Vicente Avella 🎼

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Soon, the bar was empty, and Davi's was closed for the night, well, the morning. It was two a.m, and the girls were almost finished cleaning up.

Cleaning in silence was typically, especially since Isla-Rose didn't talk much.

Usually, Selene and Brie would talk, but the young mother had been mute since what transpired with the rowdy table. Though she hadn't said anything, the tension radiating off her was evident.

Isla-Rose didn't pay much attention to it since her intention wasn't to be rude, but it was hard for Selene to ignore. She looked between the two, desperate for one of them to say something - anything.

But neither of them did.

It wasn't until Brie left early to tuck her daughters into bed that the tension left with her.

"Don't mind, Brie," Selene said, counting the money in the cash register. "Deep down, she's grateful. She's just used to men treating her however they want."

"Yeah, I know. I haven't gotten much sleep since I moved here. They get into it every night. I'm expecting Diego to be drunk and raging by the time I get home."

Selene paused in her counting. "Why don't you move?"

Isla-Rose shrugs, "I got used to it, I guess. I know what time things usually die down. I just sleep then."

Selene frowns, "so you can just lay there listening and not feel anything or say anything?"

With a slight scoff, Isla-Rose looks at her. She felt herself get offended until she saw the sincere look on her co-worker's face. She wasn't judging her, just curious.

"Honestly, I've thought about saying something a few times. Especially seeing her daughters have to run away from their own home in the middle of the night. But I'm not her friend, and it's really none of my business. It seems everyone else has gotten used to it. So, I've just fallen in line."

Selene shakes her head; guilt was apparent in her eyes.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up," Isla-Rose resumed sweeping. "Abuse can be addicting, especially when you're married to the person."

"Are you talking from experience?"

"No. I've never been married. But in all the towns I've stopped in, there's always a Brie and Diego."

"What happens to them?"

"I don't know," Isla-Rose shrugs. "I don't stay long enough to see the end. Though it could only be one or two things. One of them left, or one of them ended up -"

"Yeah, I know," Selene quickly stopped her. The thought of things ending deadly for Brie or her children scared her. "I've tried telling her, but she just ... makes excuses."

Selene tries to put her attention back on the money but lost her count. "Shit," she sighed in frustration.

"Hey, why don't you call it a night?" Isla-Rose offers. "I'll do count and finish up everything else."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah, get out of here."

Selene contemplated for a moment. After an eventful night and the growing worry she had for her best friend, all she wanted to do was go home and eat the rocky road ice cream in her freezer.

"Thanks," she grabbed her purse and jacket. "I owe you one."

"No, you don't, seriously," Isla-Rose only shrugged.

"Right," Selene begins to leave but stops at the door. "It's you, not us or the town, right?" '

"What do you mean?" Isla-Rose didn't look up as she swept the dirt into the dustpan.

"I mean, it's been a month, and no one in this town knows anything about you. Next thing we know, you're pulling a knife out on some douchebag. It was badass, I'll admit. But I know I'm not the only one who's become more interested in who you are - what your story is."

"Right," Isla-Rose emptied the dustpan in the trash.

Selene nodded, not taking her lack of response to heart. "You won't be here long, so no point in making friends."

"Yep," Isla-Rose went to the cash register. "It's me."

"Right, well, if you ever feel like you need a friend or just somebody . . . I'm here."

"Thanks for the offer. Good night."

"Night," Selene says in a whisper, leaving out.

Isla-Rose clears her throat, lifting her shoulders in an attempt to shrug off the guilt she felt for being so elusive. Most of Sedona's locals have proven to be persistent and friendly.

It made her feel like an asshole. She felt the urge to pack up and leave again but ignored it as she counted the money.

Isla-Rose had been so focused, she was frightened when Davien came from his office. She forgot he was still there.

"I uh, told Selene I'd finish cleaning," she informed him as she kept counting.

"I heard," Davien came behind the bar, standing beside her.

Isla-Rose cleared her throat, constantly flustered whenever she was in his presence alone, something she was successful at not making a reoccurring thing.

It was even harder to be evasive toward her boss when he was so damn attractive. Lucky for her, she had a resting bitch face, so Davien couldn't see how crazy he made her on the inside.

"Your check," he set the envelope down on the counter.

"Thanks," Isla-Rose didn't look at him.

She tensed up as he casually leaned on the counter beside her. "I uh, also heard you're not looking to make any friends while you're here."

"Yep," she answered with a shrug as she mentally kept counting. "There's no point when I'll be leaving in a few months. Maybe sooner."

"Hm," Davien nodded thoughtfully. "Doesn't seem like the healthiest way to live - alone, isolated, I mean."

"Well, some of us aren't living just . . . being . . ." Isla-Rose spoke her feelings mindlessly. Shocked at her unusual vulnerability, she avoided his intense gaze, trying to continue counting. It was no use, though.

"Shit," she curses. "I lost count."

"It's alright, I'll count it," Davien holds out a hand. "Why don't you call it a night?"

Feeling the need to bolt, she lets him take over without complaint.

After she grabbed her purse, she turned to Davien with an annoyed sigh. "I didn't mean - I just -"

"No need to explain," he assures her.

Isla-Rose rolled her eyes at herself for feeling like she even needed to explain herself. She didn't owe Davien or anyone else an explanation about anything that pertained to her life or feelings.

"Besides, you'll tell me everything in due time."

"I will?" she arched an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," he shuffled through the money. "I have a feeling you and I are gonna end up being really close."

Davien sends her a wink that makes her smile.

Isla-Rose clears her throat, lessening her leer. "How are you so sure?" she was curious.

"I'm persistent."

"Well, I'm stubborn," she said honestly rather than pridefully.

"Then I'll definitely win you over," Davien was sure.

Isla-Rose crosses her arms over her chest, "how so?"

"Persistence is often motivated by faith and stubbornness, fear or inadequacy. I like to think that one trumps the latter."

Isla-Rose opens her mouth to speak but finds herself speechless and nervous. Davien had hit a nerve, and from how calm he was, didn't know it. Or he was acting as if he didn't know it.

Isla-Rose cleared her throat, keeping her composure. "Do you always flirt with your employees?"

Smirking, Davien lowers his tone, leaning close to her. "Last time I checked, you were off the clock."

Isla-Rose licks her lips, ignoring the chill slithering down her spine. "Good night, Davien," was all she could say.

Grinning, he briefly watched her walk from behind the bar before putting his attention back on the money. Getting a thought, he stops her just as she approached the door.

"Can you at least tell me how you got the guts to pull a knife out on a guy in front of an entire bar?"

Isla-Rose smirks, "my father. He, uh, practically made it mandatory that my brothers and I know how to protect ourselves. Me, especially. He always said it was redundant to complain about how dangerous the world can be for women and not encourage them to fight against those same dangers. If anything ever happened to me, he wanted to make sure I went out fighting."

"Smart guy."

"Yeah," she smiled sadly. "I could be wrong, but I think women wouldn't have so much trouble if we didn't mind knocking in some heads every now and again. I mean, physically men are stronger but -"

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Davien agreed. "I think you made that asshole shit himself."

"Yeah, well, I don't normally go around trying to make guys shit themselves," she felt the need to say.

"And I always ensure that my waitresses are treated well and safe," Davien felt the need to share too.

"I know," Isla-Rose nodded.

"If it was Selene, she would have said something but Brie -"

"Brie's a special case," she said, taking mental note of his worried countenance. "Good night."

"Good night," Davien watched her go with a thoughtful squint and lingering smile. 

 __________

For once, Diego and Brianna didn't spend the night arguing and fighting. Unfortunately, still, Isla-Rose barely slept a wink. Davien was on her mind, and no matter how hard she fought, he stayed put in her thoughts.

As if him being attractive wasn't bad enough, he was a good guy. He always wore a smile and was kind to everyone who walked into the bar. Even the way he treated her and the girls. He'd always ask if they were okay and if they needed anything.

Isla-Rose gave him nothing, but that never stopped him from approaching and treating her better than the bitch she could come off as due to her evasiveness.

Usually, she could ignore and be downright unimpressed by any advances or encounters with the opposite sex, but Davien - he was different.

Meeting him started a war in herself. One side was saying jump ship, and the other was telling her that Sedona might be it. Even if she hadn't been looking for it - she might have found a home. Maybe even love, though she wasn't sure how she felt about being into her boss yet.

When the sun started to rise, Isla-Rose managed to fall asleep. It felt like she'd just closed her eyes when there was a knock on her door suddenly. She woke up full of attitude as she checked her phone.

It was five minutes to noon.

"You gotta be kidding . . . " she flipped over, pressing her pillow over her hears.

Unfortunately, whoever was at the door was relentless as the knocking became louder and more frequent.

Sucking her teeth, Isla-Rose grumbled as she got out of bed. She whipped open the door, coming face to face with Brianna.

Brie was a little caught off guard; Isla-Rose stood before her in a tank top and laced cheeky underwear. With no bra on, her nipples poked through her white ribbed top.

"What?" Isla-Rose could care less, the heat pouring in from outside only making her madder.

"Sorry for waking you up," Brianna had just as much of an attitude. Though hers was toward Isla-Rose.

"Here," she hands her an orange envelope. "Nina wants you to come to her birthday party on Sunday. It's happening here in front of the house."

Isla-Rose's attitude simmered down as she ripped open the envelope and pulled out the ghost-shaped invitation.

"It's October, so of course she wanted a costume party. Villians only. There will be face-painting, pizza, candy - you know party things."

"Yeah," Isla-Rose chuckles. "Villians only? Unusual for a seven-year-old."

"I uh, told her not to get her hopes up," Brie ignores her comment. "Since you obviously have no intention of really getting to know anybody."

The glare in Brie's eyes made her shade all the more apparent. Isla-Rose would have been offended, but she knew Brianna's attitude was about what happened at the bar last night.

"Look, Brie, I wasn't trying to show you up or something last night. I apologize that what I said came out -"

"Judgemental?" Brie arched a brow. "For someone who made it clear she minds her business, you said a lot about mine in so few words."

Isla-Rose chuckles, taking her spiteful words a bit personally. "You know what's funny?"

Brianna crossed her arms over her chest, poking her hip out.

"For an entire month, I've listened to you let your asshole of a husband run you over in every way possible. Yet you stand here, giving me shit that you should be giving him."

Brianna's mouth fell into an 'o' as she struggled to find words.

"Now, I'm gonna tell you this because we're not friends, and I don't have anything to lose, unlike those who love you and worry about you. Those like Selene, Davien, Dawn. If you don't get away soon, Diego is going to kill you. Especially if you don't lose it and kill him first."

Brie scoffed in disbelief. "Are you telling me to murder the father of my children?"

"I'm telling you to get out while you can. Your girls deserve better, and though I don't know much about you, I know you haven't done anything to deserve the way he treats you."

Clearing her throat, Brie opened her mouth to speak. But still, she couldn't find a rebuttal.

"I'll be at the party," is the last thing Isla-Rose said before closing the door. She stood there for a moment, listening to Brie begin to cry.

She sighs, keeping her own feelings at bay.

It wasn't until one of the girls called Brie's name that she walked away from the door.

Isla-Rose tosses the invitation down on the table and goes to lay down though she had no intentions of going back to sleep. 

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Hello, my loves! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the first four chapters. I would love to hear your thoughts, so comment and let me know what you think!

xoxoxo