The Hardest Truth From You | Book One ✔️

| Two |

| Two |

Jamie entered the apartment and closed the door, muttering in background. I couldn't see her since I was resting in the room after I cooked dinner. She came into the bedroom very casually. Her eyes looked like they were giving up. I could tell that she desperately wanted to sleep for working all day. "I'm exhausted right now."

I looked at the digital clock that was placed on the nightstand close to the bedside lamp, then looked at her funny. "It's only eight o'clock. We didn't even have homework today."

"I know." Jamie said, stripping off her shirt. "But I just want to rest so bad."

"I made macaroni and cheese with bacon bits. I know it's your favorite."

"Thank you." She smiled and pulled out a pair of black sweats and a t-shirt to change quickly into.

"How was work today?"

"Very busy. We had so much people today at the restaurant and it's not even close to Friday yet."

"Well, Underground Bar & Grill is well-known for their awesome steaks, you know. A lot of people love steaks, so they come there." I curled my lips to sympathize. I sometimes felt bad for Jamie because she constantly taking people's orders. But then again, what did she expect working as a waitress? "You look so stressed out."

"My manager didn't let me have any cigarette breaks to relax. So I'm not in the happiest mood right now."

"So take a break now."

Jamie shook her head and laid next to me on the bed, staring up into the ceiling. "I should quit smoking. But it's such a stress reliever for me. It's like all my problems goes away for a minute or two."

"But I don't want you to..." I hesitated for a moment. I hate saying it, especially to Jamie since I didn't want it to happen to her. "...die because of some rolled up stick, you know?"

"I know, but it's hard. It's addicting. I started since I was fourteen and I could never stop ever since. It's not that easy to just suddenly quit after four years of smoking."

"I could understand that, Jamie. But I'm afraid for you, you know. I think your too beautiful to do something like that. Can you at least try not to do it everyday for now on?"

Jamie furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know about for now on." Then she grinned, "But I'll consider it, at least for you."

"Thank you, babe." I reached over Jamie's cheek and kissed it lightly, "Oh. By the way, Riley said hey."

"What did you guys talk about?"

I told Jamie how Riley and I were sort of concerned about Jamie not talking to her adoptive parents. I wanted her to re-communicate with them again.

Jamie laid still for a few seconds, then said, "Well I don't want to!" She sat up straight, frustration etched on her face. "They don't care about me. They never had for lying to me and I bet they'll never will. So you know what, Rachael? They could go to hell."

"Jamie don't say that!"

"I mean it." Jamie said discernibly and stormed out of the room.

"Jamie, I know you don't mean that." Following her into the kitchen. "You know you love them."

"I said they could go to hell." Jamie took out a white plate from the cabinet and placed her macaroni on it.

"Jamie, you can't say your parents should go to hell. That's..." Shaking my head about what she said. I didn't know what they did to her so bad that she had to say that. "...just not right."