Saving Quinn

Blue eyes haunt my dreams constantly, the horror and fear in them as their owner falls to his doom and all I do is stand there and watch with a small smile of satisfaction before he disappears over the cliff altogether and out of my sight then I wake in a puddle of my own sweat. It has been 4 years since I lost the love of my life, my best friend and my brother and I still can’t move past it. I live and breath that day over and over in my head and I let it take me down every damn time. I know it wasn’t my fault, but I sure could have helped. I have been consumed with guilt every single day since then. No amount of therapy or medication can fix this. I have steered away from people as best as I can so not to get close to anyone and bring them into my own living hell.

I was 16, I had snuck out with my boyfriend Ace to a party one night. Ace was my brother’s best friend; they had been on the same basketball team since they were little and had been inseparable. Where Charlie was, sure enough Ace was not far behind. He wasn’t an overly good-looking guy, but he had piercing blue eyes that resembled a waterfall and had a killer body. We had been together for about 6 months by then, much to my brother’s disgrace.

We were having a great time, dancing and laughing with a few other guys from the team but my brother was no where to be found that night…. he showed up right at the wrong time. I will always regret sneaking out of the house that night but there is nothing I can change about that, what is done...is done.

So now I live alone, no family and no friends. My boss Even is probably the only person I really talk to, but I am hesitant in saying too much to him, I don’t want him involved with me, I am bad luck.

My name is Quinn Paisley, I am a 20-year-old loner with no real desire to live but I also can’t bring myself to end it.

As I open the door to the store room and go to enter to start my shift, I see Mandy and oh, what is his name again? Oh right – Dagger, making out against an empty shelf right beside the door and blocking me from moving further. With a huff, I abruptly push past them and walk to the front of the store to greet Evan, I hear scoff and a faint mumble of “what a mole, what’s her problem?” behind me but I ignore it and continue walking.

I spot Evan at the counter serving a cute little old lady who is currently counting out her pennies to pay for her coffee, a small smile of adoration plays across his lips before he glances up toward me and he smiles genuinely “ Hey Kiddo, good to see your smiling face again today” he says with a slight chuckle. He has said this every day for the last 3 years and I still find it endearing but never give in to him with a smile, they are reserved for the customers, even if it is mostly fake.

I give him a glare and head to the bench to grab my pad and pen before I head out into the café and start serving customers. The café is a little dead today, only 2 couples, one younger and the other older and a man sitting on his lonesome in the back corner, his head down and never looking up or dare to make eye contact with anyone. I have seen him a few times and every time he goes to that table and sits just like that, Evan has always been at the register when he pays the check so I don’t even know what he looks like but I have to admit, he smells mighty fine.

I decide to serve the older couple first and take their order to Jo, our ‘chef’ before heading back towards the younger couple and doing the same.

I flatten my hair down and make sure my buttons are done up properly before I head to serve Mr. Lonely. “ Hi, I’m Quinn. What can I getcha handsome?” I drawl out in my fake southern accent that Evan makes me do, “ its character building” he says…hmph!

It feels strange calling a man handsome when I have never even seen his face but hey, a job is a job.

He shifts slightly to browse the menu further before he tips his head up and is then looking directly into my eyes as he replies “ Black coffee, Big Brekkie with hashbrowns” a twinkle in his eye catches my attention as he speaks and before I know it I am staring at him “ are you ok, Quinn was it?” he asks, breaking me out of my daydream and making me blush.

I lick my lips in embarrassment and I see his eyes darken just slightly, so slight that if I wasn’t still staring, I would have missed it.

I give him a sweet smile and turn and walk fast back towards Jo, almost tripping over my own feet as I do but make it safely somehow and hand over the order to Jo. I sigh in relief and turn and I bump into a hard chest, my eyes closed out of instinct at his smell, it was intoxicating. A red blush heated my cheeks before I stumbled back a little so I can see him properly “I’m sorry sir, having an off day today. Ow can I help ya hun?”

He smirked and raised an eyebrow as his Blue eyes twinkled again and I almost found myself getting lost in them again but his voice kept me focused “ Please make sure my eggs are over easy will you hun?” he says, his voice is smooth like silk. Its deep and masculine but soft at the same time and I felt my insides tighten.

“ss.sure.” I stuttered and quickly turned back around towards Jo but I tripped over my own damn feet and soon I was falling head first towards the floor. I felt strong hands grab my stomach and break my fall, before pulling me up on my feet again and brushing a few stray hairs behind my ear gently, my body buzzed with electricity at his touch and I shuddered a little. This did not go unnoticed by Mr. Blue eyes as his breath hitched before he quickly turned and waked back to await his meal, his head back down and eyes cast to the floor or table – wherever he was looking.

I was still getting my bearings back when Evan came rushing to me “ Geez kiddo, are you ok? What’s with you today? You’re never clumsy, especially not around men” he said with a knowing smile. Oh god, what the hell just happened? I gave him the bird “ I’m having a break, be back in 10” I announced as I sauntered towards the door “ make it 20, you need to check yourself girl” he laughed at my retreating figure.