Ιтѕ υѕ αgαιиѕт тнє ωσяℓ∂

Chapter 4

*JAMES- DAVE FRANCO*

*TRACY- COURTNEY COX*

Shea's P.O.V

Its been 3 months since i've seen Seth.

He never came after me.

He never tried to find me.

He never did anything.

I guess I should have seen that coming.

After everything I deserved it.

I'm sitting at the diner I've been going to every morning for the past 3 months since I left. Since he left.. Its the only place that's quiet and has a decent cup of home made coffee.

"Shea you want your usual?" The owner Tracy asks me as she walks over to me with her pen and pad of paper. I smile up at her.

"Of course I would!" I say happily as I hand her back the menu.

"You know we have more than just eggs and bacon right?" She laughs as she places my usual cup of coffee on the table.

"Of course I know that!" I laugh and she rolls her eyes playfully. I watch as she walks away and I then draw my attention to my laptop sitting on the table.

Email, after email, after email, my eyes quickly scanning the names they come from as I sit there and contemplate either reading or to just delete all these 6,128 emails I haven't opened. Just the usual spam, college's, coupons, and then one or two here and there from my mother.

I changed my phone number.

I cut off all contact from everyone.

I read the ones from my mom. Seths back at home, Lisa's doing great in school, and her and Brad are planning their wedding. Everything is happening without me and honestly it bothers me more than I ever thought it would, but going back now would make me feel like an idiot and im still hiding from the 2 wack jobs.

I feel a tear run down my cheek and I close my eyes, my small hand quickly wiping the tear as I go back to reading the email.

"Shea Butter!" I hear echo through the room as the diner door swings open and I feel my mouth instantly form a smile as two large arms snake around my neck from behind. I roll my eyes playfully and turn my head to the culprit behind me.

"Really James? Shea Butter!? Thats a fucking new one!" I laugh as he un-hugs me and then quickly sits in front of me.

James is Tracy's 20 year old son, who works at the diner with her. After Tracy's husband died, James came and filled in for his dad, and the past 3 months he's come up with a new name for me every single day.

"Reading another mom email?" He asks me as I take a deep breath.

"Unfortunately" I reply as I close out of the email and shut my computer.

"That bad..?" He asks with a furrowed forehead and a look of concern in his eyes.

I look at him and widen my eyes with a nod of my head. "They're all doing great without me." I whisper and I close my eyes as I feel them start to well up with more tears. I run a hand through my hair and then take a small sip of my coffee.

"Well we're doing amazing with you here." James says softy to me as he grabs my hand, comforting me.

He sits up and slowly pulls away his hand as Tracy comes over with my food. She places it in front of me and I smile up at her. "Thank you so much."

She smiles at me and then looks over at her son with a smile "James! Hunny! Go help Tony in the back would you please?"

"Of course! See ya soon Shea Butter." He smiles and winks at me and I giggle and roll my eyes at him.

Im surprised as Tracy sits across from me where James was, and she kinda looks a tad nervous. I raise my brow at her as i take a bite of my toast.

"Shea. I want you to work here for me.. I mean only if you want. We could use the extra help, and I know you dont have a job or a steady place to really live right now, and with everything with your family, I want to help you out" She says softly, as she looks at me with sincere eyes. "This is a family run restaurant, diner whatever you want to call it and you've been coming here so long and everyone loves you we all talked and we want you on the team."

I look at her in disbelief and I stand up to give her a hug, my eyes welling up with tears again as she rubs my back. "T-Thank you so much" I say as I cling tighter to her.

Yes I had a lot of money already.

Yes I didn't need a job.

But it was the fact she thought of me as family.

Its the fact they made me feel like family.

And its the fact my real family was doing fine without me.

This was the first time and 3 months that I felt important, that I felt somewhat at home, and thats all that matters to me.