Healing Her Heart {Trilogy}

Chapter 9

"Fiona are you listening to me at all?" Her mother's sharp, scolding voice snapped Fiona out of her thoughts. She turned to her mother and blinked.

"What?" Fiona asked, frowning at her in question as she stopped tracing the top of her coffee mug with her pinky and placed her hand on the table by the pile of college applications.

Her mother glared at her. "Honestly, Fiona," she snapped, her jaw clenched in noticeable annoyance at her daughter, "you've been so distracted lately. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing's going on with me," Fiona retorted, twisting the end of her pencil into the table-mat halfheartedly.

Fiona knew she had uttered a complete lie, because there was definitely something going on with her. She hadn't realized it until the day she and Garrett had shoveled her driveway.. that's when it really hit her. Before that, she thought it was just some silly crush. Fiona knew the feeling of being in love, she felt it with Martie. So the surprise of feeling it around Garrett had hit her like a soccer ball right in the middle of her chest.

The pencil was ripped from her hand suddenly, causing the led to graze across her palm at the random aggressive removal of the object. Fiona whipped her hand towards her and looked at it, thankfully it seemed to avoid any wounding.

She turned and stared at her mother who slammed the pencil down beside her and crossed her arms. "Fiona, I'm serious. You've been half out of it for days. Now, I expect you to tell me what on earth is going on."

"Mom," Fiona said, trying to keep the animal from unleashing in the pit of her stomach. Irritation, defiance. "When I say there's nothing going on, I mean it alright? So get off my back!"

"Watch it," her mother warned, narrowing her eyes in challenge. "Your behavior might just get you-"

"Grounded?" Fiona placed her palms on the wooden dining table and pushed her chair back, standing up. As the chair was forced back on the wood floor, it made a low, groaning sound as if in pain. "I'm eighteen."

"Young lady-"

"Mom, just stop please," Fiona begged her, not able to keep her fury down any longer. "You're not helping, alright? Why are you suddenly concerned about my well-being? You didn't seem to care where I disappeared to the few days after Martie broke up with me, except the first day. After that, you just.. stopped caring."

Fiona was pleased to see the roll of shock cross her mother's face at her statement. Her mother's face flushed with shame as she uttered an excuse that Fiona didn't pay attention to, mainly because she just didn't care anymore. She snatched her keys from the hook by the stain glass door and stormed out.

—

The old cafe greeted her like an old friend when she approached it. The old, worn out dirty windows. The dusty bricks that lined up to make the building what it is. It all made Fiona feel like this was her home, not her house where she's lived all her life. She grasped the many times used door handle and jerked the door open, smiling to herself. Instantly, a warm wave of air hit her face, bringing the scent of coffee and freshly baked bread. She smiled even wider as she stepped inside the building, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Ooh!" A familiar voice chortled, making Fiona snap her head to the source. Her blue eyes scanned the area for the possible source, landing on Rowan who was waving at her and grinning weirdly as she picked up coffee mugs from tables. "Hey there!"

Fiona held back a laugh at her friend's expression and waved back, taking her coat off and placing it on the coat rack by the door.

"Just a moment, lemme take these to the kitchen!" Rowan told her cheerfully, skipping to the kitchen with the filled tray. She returned moments later, hands wiping on her apron. "Alright.." she said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I'm good."

Fiona laughed and shook her head. "You sure? Do you need a moment?"

"Nah I got it." Rowan leaned forward, a cheeky expression on her freckled face. "The usual?"

"Yup."

Rowan tapped a few things on the cash register as Fiona searched for her wallet from her coat. With a pang of annoyance she remembered she left it in her room at home. "Crap."

Rowan blinked at Fiona and tapped the counter. "Everything alright?"

"Forgot my wallet," Fiona mumbled, shaking her head. "Forget about the tea."

"Actually," another familiar voice said from behind Fiona, holding out his credit card. "I'll buy it."

Fiona flushed red when she saw Garrett send her a teasing wink as Rowan took the credit card, eyeing the two knowingly with a smirk.

"What are you doing?" Fiona asked scolding, her hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Consider it a repayment for the time you bought my coffee," Garrett said to her, taking the credit card back and stuffing it in his brown leather wallet.

Fiona couldn't help but smile a bit at the memory, when they met. It's only been months since then, but it's felt like so long..

"Well, thank you," Fiona said, curtsying him with an amused grin towards Garrett.

Garrett laughed and took her hand, spinning her around before spinning her back and wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek which caused her face to heat up flame up with shyness.

Garrett stepped away with a slight smile and gestured to the area around the two. Rowan was gone, most likely getting the two's orders. "Would you like to sit with me, m'lady?"

Fiona did a little bow, her hand waving in front of her. "Why yes, kind sir, I'd love to."

Laughing quietly, the two go and sit on the love seat next to each other. They spend the whole day talking..and without even realizing, flirting.