Bookshop on Maple Street

Chapter Two

Aiden 

Despite being in the army and loving my job as a lieutenant sometimes quitting seems like the best option - more of a love hate relationship, I guess. Six months in an undisclosed location is a pain in my ass, the blood sweat and no tears that goes into this is brutal and don't even get me started on how annoying Jake has been, going on and on about his little sister and what she has been up to. I haven't seen Celia since she turned eighteen and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon. Being on deployment takes up most of my time so Jake, being the only guy I can give two shits about there, is the only guy I see outside of the military life. I prefer to be alone, away from the annoyance of civilisation and everything that comes with it. 

Rocking up to my now dust covered home, the one away from my true home, the military, just outside the forestry, I pull in the gate and park the old Harley off to the side. Taking off my helmet, I let my dirt blonde hair flow in whatever way it felt like it, I was going to shower later so what difference does personal tidiness make, especially when I never, ever, expect company; anyone who does decide to turn up out of the blue will end up with a bullet between his two psycho eyes. After getting pissed at my door for not opening the first time, I whack it with my steel toed boots, leaving dent in the bottom - probably not the smartest thing to date but I doubt anyone is going to come out this far just to break into a run down bungalow. Not even bothering to shut the door behind me, I trod straight past the living room to my bedroom where I face plant my bed and sigh in relief. They say sleeping on the floor is comfortable but I'm sure the only people saying that are those who have never slept on a bed this comfortable their entire life. 

I groan when the familiar ringtone set to 'Highway to Hell' begins playing through my phone - can I not get five minutes of peace before being disturbed once more? I swear to god if it is Jake I will kick his short ass all the way back to Brighton beach and then throw him out to sea. "What do you want and why?" I grumbled into the phone, unamused by the disturbance to my natural force of solitude, and yes that was both a reference to star wars and superman in the same sentence - I am on a roll, no surprise there. 

"Hey Flame, bro how are you doing back up in home town?" the booming voice of Jake, clearly either inebriated or he's fallen like a love sick puppy for another woman, rakes into my ear - either way. I'm not interested. 

"Cut the chit chat Jake, what do you want?" I ask coldly, I could already foreshadow how this conversation was going to go and I'm not sure I like the idea of it, whatever it is for that matter. 

"Ahh, Flame don't be so over dramatic!"  he whines and I mumble a 'dear god' before tuning back into what he could possibly reply with, "okay fine, maybe I have called for rather selfish reasons but it's not like last time I promise" I lay there, silently recounting the last time I did him a favour and that was the night he introduced me to strip clubs - never again will I be stepping foot in one of those.

"Fine, let's just get this over with, I don't have the ability to give two fucks about your problem's right now," I grouch a little before pulling myself into a sitting position. I already knew what was about to come. I grab my water and take a few sips. 

"Yeah, yeah I know, I just need you to keep an eye on Cece until I get up there next week, ever since Dahlia passed away, she's been closed off and I'd rather not have another family member six foot under with the worms crawling all over her," not even two seconds after this, I could feel the bile curdling in my throat just waiting to spew all over the bullshit Jake is so clearly full of. 

"So you want me on baby sitting duty?" I scowl, he might not be able to see my face but I hope he is picturing how unimpressed I am with his devotion to his little sister. 

"You may be a dickhead but you're the closest to her right now bearing in mind her bookshop is less than twenty minutes from your tiny little house." A roar of laughter erupts from Jake's end of the phone, making my ears bleed. 

"Doesn't mean I want to see her..." I grumbled into the phone, having had enough of this conversation already. 

"Flame, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't hugely concerned for her, ever since Dahlia -" I cut him off, not wanting to hear the whole sob story again. 

"Fine, fine I'll go to see her in the morning, now I'm going back to bed,"  I finalise this stupid conversation and hang up the phone, dropping it next to me on the bed. Getting back off my bed, I slump across the room to my bathroom and push the door open; the marks on the door from my last excursion with my throwing knives and a bottle of whiskey. Pulling open the shower door, I press the hottest setting and let the water slosh against the shower door. 

I step in, the cold water quickly turning burning hot, scorching my skin, punishing my demons for their repeated torture during my sleep. Ass holes, the lot of them. Wish they'd just fuck off. I lean against the wall, letting the soap wash down my body as my head falls back and my eyes close, god I was tired. 

 ~ 

The harsh sunlight cracks through my window, blinding me and already pissing me off for the day. I groan and turn my blumin' alarm off, turning over and sitting up. Practically crawling out of bed, I stumble over to my closet and throw on a semi- white shirt and  black jeans, not caring how I look - I don't exactly want to go see Jake's sister anyways. Pulling on my boots and grabbing my keys, I make a cup of coffee and down it before leaving my little shack of a home - I really should clean up at some point. I groan at the idea of cleaning. 

Locking my door, I shove the keys in my pocket and make my way down the steps to the Darcy (my Harley), I rev her sweet engine up until she purrs and then I drive off. I follow down the dirt path down to the country road and then press down on the accelerator, making Darcy purr louder. I drive through the lanes of trees and About twenty minutes later, I rock up to Autumn Tales bookshop, it's not like I have been stalking her anything, couldn't even if I wanted to because I've been on mission for the last six months. Turning off my engine and kicking down my stopper, I hop off. Running my hands through my hair once and then chewing some gum before opening the door to the book shop. 

My eyes scan the book store, my eyes finding her by what appears to be the mystery section. She's definitely grown since the last time I saw her, not that much taller than before. Her body is curvier and more full than before, she was gorgeous to say the least, not that I'd ever tell her that. Her short deep brown hair was in waves all the way down to her shoulder. Her jumper clearly oversized, draping down to her knees, her dark grey leggings reaching her ankles, the rest covered what appeared to be yellow converse - interesting choices for clothes. Instead, I walk over to one of the tables and lean on it, throw my gum in the bin on the way past before clearing my voice and grabbing her attention. 

"Hey trouble, long time no see," She turns around and stares at me, her jaw practically dropping to the floor, I knew I looked good but this was the perfect compliment. She was gorgeous, maybe not as annoying as she was when we were kids, maybe.