Collateral Damage (bxb)

3. Providence

By now, I must have checked my phone a thousand times and never paid attention to the large digital display. I have to check again. Almost 2 PM. I texted Jess a while ago, and she still hasn't read it. She must be busy. Jack has sent me about seven messages and I ignored 2 of his calls. He doesn't know about the new job I took and I hope he doesn't find out, but I guess he was sent home early. I asked for specific days and hours so I could always be home before him, but my plans were destroyed before they were even in motion.

I set my elbows on the counter and lean against them. This is a slow day. There have been a few customers in the last hour but nothing major. My thoughts drift to that guy with a scar on his cheek. Why didn't I see his aura? Can some holders be immune to my gift? If there are holders like that, then what could they do?

Checking the message sent to Jess, I see that she has read it and my eyes widen in surprise as I receive a call from her. "Where are you, Ian?" Her tone is very worrisome and sends the correct message. Jack must have bombed her phone as well. I know her all too well.

"Hey, Jess... H-How are things?" She must hear how anxious I am. Bruno looks at me and waves for me to go in the back. I thank him with a smile and a subtle nod before I move to the back of the shop, away from the customers.

She sighs into the microphone. "I assume you have a damn good reason for Jack to send a dozen texts." She tries not to sound like a mother who is disappointed in her child but fails.

"Yeah. Well..." I want to answer her question, but I pause before I finish. Something has to come first. "What did you tell him?" I tried to hide the worry in my voice and forced a smile in this dim employee room.

For a bit, she stays quiet, and her voice is more distant. Jess must have moved further away from the microphone. "Yeah. All good. He is with me. Left his phone in the other room. Watching a movie. Don't worry." Her voice is monotone as she read, what I presume, are text message exchanges.

A sigh of relief escapes my lungs, and I can finally breathe without the tension in my chest. "Thanks for covering my ass." My voice returns to normal, as anxiety escapes my body.

"I am still waiting. What have you done to piss him off?" I take a breath to start explaining, but Jess rephrases her question before I could. "No. What are you hiding from him?"

Jess knows me all too well. We have been friends since childhood, and she has always had my back through highschool breakups, and college life, and the subsequent and abrupt dropout. I still wonder why she has stuck by my side. "I went behind his back..." I told her in a quiet tone, almost like Jack is in the other room.

She stays silent and then perks up. "So, you still want to go behind his back after all of that? You better have a good reason to."

"Jess, I took a part-time job in a local coffee joint. He'll be pissed as all Hell if he finds out," I state with haste. This situation is absurd, and I still don't get it. Why can't Jack just let me do this?

She giggles on the other end. "My favorite barista is back in business!" True, I make the best coffee. That is objective, and nothing will change my mind. "But, if we are serious, you didn't discuss this with him, and you didn't tell me?!" I could hear her almost yell into the phone.

"I don't want to rely on him..." I mumble it out.

"What was that?" She answers inquisitively.

I get this lump in my throat when talking about this. I almost have to force the words out. "Jess, I don't want to rely on him, I don't want to live his life or a life that anyone forces onto me!" This came out loud but I don't care, I have to say this, or I won't ever get a chance to say it again. I am sick of his bullshit.