THAT FIRST BREAK (Broken Redemption Prequel 1)

Chapter 8

Emilia

"There you are." Her high-pitched voice cuts through the din of the busy dining room and as if on cue, everything goes quiet.

With an apologetic grin, I place Mr. Souder's lunch in front of him and ask, "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, my dear, I'm all set." Over my shoulder, he addresses my pain-in-the-ass best friend. "Well hello there, Miss Jennifer."

"Hi, Mr. Souder." It's incredible how her voice can go from shrill and scathing one minute to small-town sweetness the next. "How have you been?"

"Great. I'm healthy as a horse and wise as an old fella. Can't get much better than that." He gives her a grandfatherly smile before cupping a hand to his mouth like he's telling her a secret. "Now you go easy on Miss Emilia. Whatever she's done, I can't imagine she meant any harm."

"Oh, I'll do my very best, Mr. Souder." When she looks at me with her fake angelic smile, my stomach drops. As if I didn't have enough to worry about, now I've got an angry best friend on my hands.

With a final nod, I leave Mr. Souder to enjoy his food. Knowing this conversation requires privacy, I weave my way through the lunchtime crowd. Rosie's Diner is packed with the familiar faces of Ruby Creek residents and a few others I don't recognize. My aunt and uncle opened this place when they first married, and since then it's become a well-known icon that pulls tourists from surrounding towns.

What makes it special aside from the food is the feel. Walking through the door is like you're transported back in time. Black and white checkerboard tiles line the floors. The bright red accents mixed in with paraphernalia from days of old go a long way toward making the illusion complete. My favorite touch is the red and white pinstripe waitressing uniforms, which look the part of what a server in the 1950s would have worn.

Walking past the registers, I let Aunt Rosie know that I'm taking a quick break, then I walk past the kitchen, through the hall that leads to the back office. I can feel Jen's angry eyes on my back, which is how I know she's following close behind.

"So, this is how you're spending your summer now?" She starts the minute she makes it over the threshold.

Closing the door, I turn to face my angry friend. "Yes. I'm working, earning money. Developing life skills which I hear come highly recommended."

"Don't you dare take that condescending tone with me, Emilia Jane Barette. It was a legitimate question, given that we were sitting in your room four days ago talking about our summer plans. Not once did you mention you'd be working at the diner."

She's right. Working the summer away wasn't part of the plan, but after the fight with Lucas and everything that's happened since, I needed a break. A distraction. Something to occupy my time and take my mind off the mess my life has suddenly become.

"I had to do something, Jen." I throw my hands up in frustration. "My mom hates me, which was fine when she wasn't around, but since the cookout, she hasn't left. My dad, who pretended our family wasn't on the brink of collapse for months, has picked up where he left off as if her absence never happened. And then there's this thing between Lucas and Parker." I shake my head and take a breath. "I needed a break, Jen. For once in my life, I needed to do something that was for me."

When her eyes soften, she flings her arms around me, before quickly pulling away and tugging me to sit next to her on the couch.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know about your mom coming back. So that's what this is about? A way to be out of the house and away from her?"