the biker boy (completed)

four

chapter four:

"Is she going to call you?" Bryan asked Jasper with a hint of glee in his voice.

"She doesn't have my number, remember? She gave me hers."

"Oh, right. It has been... a day? Since you last saw her, I mean." Bryan questioned Jasper as he reached for the freshly boiled kettle of water.

"Yeah. Should I wait a little longer?" Jasper asked and continued pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

"Do you want to go meet her? I know where she works, Jasper. We're friends, remember?"

"Really? You'd do that?" Jasper answered immediately with excitement in his eyes. "But isn't that creepy? That this random dude just appears at your workplace?"

"It's a café, Jasper. As long as you purchase your own damn beverage, you can sit there as long as you'd like." Bryan rolled his eyes at how intimidated his best friend seemed.

Whilst Jasper was having jitters about meeting or bumping into Carmen at her workplace, Carmen was at the back of the café sorting her apron out. She glanced at the little purple bruise and a few minor cuts on her cheek. She sighed immediately at the sight of it.

"You alright?" Andy asked with concern.

"Never better," she replied almost too quickly and decided to divert his attention. "I'm on cashier duty, right?"

"Yeap," he said while popping the p's.

Carmen fixed her hair neatly and walked towards the cashier. She arranged the cakes, pastries, cookies and pies on display beautifully because she was a neat freak. Who would buy food if it was placed messily and all over the place anyway?

The bell around the door handle to the café rung as Jasper and Bryan walked in.

"Welcome to..." Carmen said and stopped. "Hey, Jasper, right?"

"Y-yeah." He noticed the little marks and bruise on her face she was trying to cover up by constantly facing down.

"Did I just become invisible all of a sudden? Hello?" Bryan hollered.

"Hello to you too, Bryan. What can I get for you guys today?" She smiled sweetly.

"Earl grey tea for me and a cappuccino for him," Bryan said and took his wallet out. "What happened to your cheeks?"

"Bumped into the lamppost yesterday on my way home. Silly me!" She chuckled and told them both to keep their money as she was paying it for them.

After debating for a few minutes, Carmen told them to pay for the next round of their own drinks. They gladly agreed but Jasper still couldn't keep his eyes away from her cheeks. He wanted to brush them lightly with his thumbs and make the pain go away. There was no fucking way she would get scratches by bumping into a lamppost. Even if she did bump into a lamppost, it would be her forehead that got bruised.

As the lads left Carmen to do her job, they walked to their table with their drinks. Bryan couldn't help but notice how odd Jasper was acting.

"Earth to Jasper, Earth to Jasper. Captain Bryan speaking!"

"Bryan, does she have an abusive boyfriend?"

"What? No. She always had clean break ups, well, she only had two boyfriends before... and they were all in junior year." Bryan answered, clearly startled at Jasper's sudden question.

"I don't believe she got that bruise from bumping into a fucking lamppost, Bryan. I just don't."

"How would you know?"

"My mum was abused by my dad too many times, Bryan. I think I can recognise an abuse bruise when I see one."

"Wait, what? Your parents?"

"Yes, Bryan. Not all happy families are actually happy."