Read Online Three Days of Rain by Christine Hughes - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christine Hughes
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the end of her shift when Billy came and sat down across from her in the booth. She barely looked up as he dropped a bowl of pretzels on the table. “Hey, Billy.”
“How you doing, Lil? You have everything you need?”
“Yeah. Of course. Business seems to be going well. At least the tips are good.”
She finished counting and put the money in her apron. She reached for the glass of water in front of her, stared at a bowl of pretzels, and debated about getting something to eat.
“Yeah. Yeah. Business has always been steady,” Billy agreed. “Mostly townsfolk, some tourists from up the road. How was your run this morning?”
“Good. It’s nice to breathe in the sea air. Makes me feel, I don’t know, energized.”
“How’s Jake?”
She looked at him for a minute before answering. She knew he had told her to keep her distance, as he had told Jake to stay away from her. She couldn’t figure out why, but she knew for Billy to become so protective there had to be a good reason, even if she didn’t listen to his advice.
Giving in to the rumble in her belly, she reached for a pretzel. “What’s the deal with you and Jake? Why can’t I talk to him?”
“Jake’s a good kid.”
“He’s twenty-eight. Hardly a kid.”
His laugh was forced. “Well, when you’ve been around as long as me, anyone under thirty is a kid.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Look, like a said, Jake’s a good kid. He’s just had some issues dealing with his past. I don’t think he’d be good for anyone right now, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Why would I get hurt? It’s not like he and I are gonna start dating. I’m leaving at the end of August, anyway. That would give us two months to develop something. Not gonna happen.”
“You’re a smart girl. Jake’s just haunted, for lack of a better word, by the memories of a girl who took his heart and tossed it into the ocean. He walks around like a shell of who he once was. I can see it in his eyes, and until he learns to deal with it, he’s not gonna be able to move forward. Like I said, he wouldn’t be good for you. He’s not even good for himself.”
“I don’t understand. What did she do that was so horrible?”
“You should ask him that.”
She took a large gulp of water. “I did.”
Billy lifted an eyebrow at her. “And?”
Lily shrugged her shoulders. “He got a little mad and walked away.”
“Well, there you go. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“But if he’s hurting that bad, doesn’t he need to?”
Billy leaned back in the booth, his eyes clouded over. “Sure he does, Lily. But you can’t make someone talk about something they don’t want to.”
“I just want to be his friend. He looks so sad. No. Not sad. Something else. Like he’s empty.”
“Lily, if you want to be his friend. Go right ahead. You’re old enough and smart enough to make your own decisions. Just be careful. He has a history of snapping.”
“Snapping? Like you think he would hurt me, like physically?” Lily didn’t think that sounded at all like the Jake she barely knew. But that was the key word—barely.
“Oh goodness, no. At least I don’t think so. But I gotta tell you, I am sure Maddie pushed him to the point where he sure as hell wanted to hurt her. She was sneaky. She was a liar and she was no good for anyone. It’s a shame, too. She comes from a good family, and she was one of the prettiest things I ever saw. What she did to him, however, was unforgiveable, if you ask me.”
Lily’s curiosity was peaked. What on earth could someone do that was so awful? She was lucky enough in her life to be surrounded by good people, good friends, and a solid family. Maybe she was naïve in matters of heartbreak and disrespect. “I am sure she had her reasons, whatever she did.”
“Lily, listen to me. Madison Olsen did everything she did for selfish reasons. She never once thought of anyone but herself. She never once did anything to
“How you doing, Lil? You have everything you need?”
“Yeah. Of course. Business seems to be going well. At least the tips are good.”
She finished counting and put the money in her apron. She reached for the glass of water in front of her, stared at a bowl of pretzels, and debated about getting something to eat.
“Yeah. Yeah. Business has always been steady,” Billy agreed. “Mostly townsfolk, some tourists from up the road. How was your run this morning?”
“Good. It’s nice to breathe in the sea air. Makes me feel, I don’t know, energized.”
“How’s Jake?”
She looked at him for a minute before answering. She knew he had told her to keep her distance, as he had told Jake to stay away from her. She couldn’t figure out why, but she knew for Billy to become so protective there had to be a good reason, even if she didn’t listen to his advice.
Giving in to the rumble in her belly, she reached for a pretzel. “What’s the deal with you and Jake? Why can’t I talk to him?”
“Jake’s a good kid.”
“He’s twenty-eight. Hardly a kid.”
His laugh was forced. “Well, when you’ve been around as long as me, anyone under thirty is a kid.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Look, like a said, Jake’s a good kid. He’s just had some issues dealing with his past. I don’t think he’d be good for anyone right now, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Why would I get hurt? It’s not like he and I are gonna start dating. I’m leaving at the end of August, anyway. That would give us two months to develop something. Not gonna happen.”
“You’re a smart girl. Jake’s just haunted, for lack of a better word, by the memories of a girl who took his heart and tossed it into the ocean. He walks around like a shell of who he once was. I can see it in his eyes, and until he learns to deal with it, he’s not gonna be able to move forward. Like I said, he wouldn’t be good for you. He’s not even good for himself.”
“I don’t understand. What did she do that was so horrible?”
“You should ask him that.”
She took a large gulp of water. “I did.”
Billy lifted an eyebrow at her. “And?”
Lily shrugged her shoulders. “He got a little mad and walked away.”
“Well, there you go. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“But if he’s hurting that bad, doesn’t he need to?”
Billy leaned back in the booth, his eyes clouded over. “Sure he does, Lily. But you can’t make someone talk about something they don’t want to.”
“I just want to be his friend. He looks so sad. No. Not sad. Something else. Like he’s empty.”
“Lily, if you want to be his friend. Go right ahead. You’re old enough and smart enough to make your own decisions. Just be careful. He has a history of snapping.”
“Snapping? Like you think he would hurt me, like physically?” Lily didn’t think that sounded at all like the Jake she barely knew. But that was the key word—barely.
“Oh goodness, no. At least I don’t think so. But I gotta tell you, I am sure Maddie pushed him to the point where he sure as hell wanted to hurt her. She was sneaky. She was a liar and she was no good for anyone. It’s a shame, too. She comes from a good family, and she was one of the prettiest things I ever saw. What she did to him, however, was unforgiveable, if you ask me.”
Lily’s curiosity was peaked. What on earth could someone do that was so awful? She was lucky enough in her life to be surrounded by good people, good friends, and a solid family. Maybe she was naïve in matters of heartbreak and disrespect. “I am sure she had her reasons, whatever she did.”
“Lily, listen to me. Madison Olsen did everything she did for selfish reasons. She never once thought of anyone but herself. She never once did anything to
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