Shot in the Dark

JAMES POV

James POV THROW BACK

I could hear Seb speaking to one of our customers, I mean it wasn't hard with his Italian voice booming through the café this early in the morning.

I had started working in Lina's not long after I moved in with Alec as he managed to persuade the Boss to give me a job.

I was meant to have started my rugby career last year through BSCE, which was the top University that sponsored sighted players. That was until my parents went off travelling without signing any of my parental consent forms. They not only set off pursuing their own dreams, but they decided to take mine with them too. I think that's why it took me so long to accept my new life of being Alec's constant plus one.

I gave it a few months, hoping that they would reply to my calls in the hope of starting the course late. After these few months passed so did my hope. That's when I started Lina's. I came to love this place and the people that came with it. It gradually became my second home here.

It was also the place that allowed me to slowly take down Isabella. Lina's being the place for students to socialise after school gave me easy access to pass around rumours at the click of my fingers. At the time I think I was just using her as a release of the anger that I felt towards my parents.

I won't lie, at the time I felt satisfied knowing that I wasn't the only one hurting. That lasted until the day that I admit I took too far. Susan.

Surprisingly after everything that I had done to the princess, she was still naive enough to leave her phone vulnerable in her room. It was the day that I received a text from my parents saying that they were extending their trip and wouldn't be able to contact me at all, not that they had done previously anyway. I was blinded by rage, and attacked the first thing I saw. Her phone.

I remember the tears streaming down her face, but nothing prepared to the hurt in her eyes. The hurt that I had put in there. I had no one else to blame, I was the culprit for this mess. For some reason I didn't seem to stop.

I hadn't realised how much everyone at Lina's loved Isabella. I always worked on a Tuesday and I walked in one day to see that Seb and the chef were searching the kitchen head to toe. They had explained that there was a girl who came to Lina's every Wednesday for her carrot cake and hot chocolate fix and that they had misplaced some of the ingredients.

Seb had later explained that the girl he called 'Bella' was like Lina royalty, and was practically part of the family.

"You see Giovanotto, she's going through a rough time. We all know the rumours that spread around here, children these days are cruel. So, if I can make that Bella smile with a piece of carrot cake I'd spend all night to make sure there is one waiting for her when she comes in." He tapped my shoulder.

That Wednesday I offered to work, deciding I needed to find out who this so called 'Bella' was. Seb came rushing into the kitchen, and went straight for the carrot cake, cutting a slice that was definitely more that what the average customer would be given.

I grabbed my towel, going through the back door to the side of the café so that I could have a glimpse at the Lina royalty.

To my surprise the very own Princess stood at the front of the counter taking a bag of presents from Seb who had the biggest smile across his face. She placed the bag down to give him a hug before taking a seat in the far booth that was hidden at the back of the café.

I knew if Seb found out that I was the one that started those rumours my job at Lina's would be gone as quick as I had it, so I made sure to never work a Wednesday again.