Flames

Chapter one

1 year ago

"Hey, babe!" Thea greets me as I walk through the door. "Hi T," I say with a small smile as I put on my apron.

'How you feelin' today Ev?" she asks in the same enthusiastic voice that she's had since the day I met her.

I met Thea the day that I started working at this bar about 7 months ago, and she has yet to be anything but the best friend I've ever had.

"Same as I am every day working in this shit-hole," I say with a fake grin.

She frowns at me softly and I immediately feel bad for dropping the attitude on her, even if my day started off worse than usual she didn't deserve that.

"Sorry Thea, it's just been a shit day. I shouldn't take it out on you," I tell her with a kiss on the cheek as I make my way behind the bar.

"I know baby, it's okay," she assures me. It's really not, but I accept it, being too tired to argue.

"So what happened," she asks "need me to beat some ass?" she says with a dead-serious look on her face. I chuckle at her and she just gives me a look that says 'im not fucking kidding.'

"No, it's just been one of those days." I lie. I got a letter this morning that said that I was gonna be evicted if I didn't pay my rent soon but this job doesn't make it easy to do that.

I didn't tell her because I know that she would be trying to give me money, and I don't want her to do that  because it would be even harder to pay her back no matter how many times she will tell me that I don't have too I always will.

"But thank you for offering to 'beat some ass' for me," I say giving her a smile as genuine as I could.

"You know you can always talk to me, ill always be here," she says while slightly tilting her head, the small smile still on her face. I'm beginning to think that it never leaves. I nod at her already feeling uncomfortable.

I always get uncomfortable voicing my feelings to people, I've just never been good at it. Thea knows this so she understands when I don't respond verbally. I change the subject as quickly as possible.

"So, how's it going with Niall?" I say raising and lowering my eyebrows with a smirk.

"Oh it's going so fucking well and I really like him, Ev, he's everything that I could ever want," she says looking like a lovesick puppy. I can practically see the hearts floating around her head when she talks about him.

I've met him once and from what I've seen he is a great guy. He's also funny as hell but I would never boost a man's ego like that.

"Good. you deserve someone like that honey" I say as I fill shots up for a bachelor party thats here tonight.

She tells me all about Niall and how happy she is with him, but the conversation gets interrupted by the bachelor party that has turned into them throwing bottles and glasses at each other.

I think I even heard something about one of the guys fucking the bachelor's soon-to-be wife, well probably not gonna be a wife anymore.

Yikes

It eventually gets taken outside and that's when I see the mess that I'm going to have to clean.

"Goddamn, we do not get paid enough for this shit," I say to Thea as I stare at the mess as if it will magically disappear if I look at it for long enough.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Thea announces as I make my way over to the broom so I can sweep up the broken glass that they left everywhere.

"I heard Niall talking to his friend harry whose mother is sick, and he was saying that he was going to get a caretaker for her. I thought you would be interested. I can talk to Niall about it and see if hell talk to harry if you want me to." she tells me.

"I appreciate it T, but I don't think I want to leave one low-paying shitty job for another." I let her know with an appreciative smile.

"Oh babe it's not gonna be low paying," she says with a smirk. "The guy is loaded," she says emphasizing loaded.

"I don't know, I don't even have any experience with being a caretaker," I tell her with a hesitant look on my face.

"Yes you do, you worked at that nursing home for a while!" she says with a hopeful grin.

I roll my eyes at her playfully. I am struggling for money right now.

"fine, you can ask him if the job is still open."