From Ashes

WAKING UP EARLY, I slipped out the door and went for a walk. After Tyler had helped me calm down yesterday from the shock of my mom taking all the money my dad had left me, I’d put on a brave face like I always do and went to enjoy my birthday di

I don’t know if it was because I felt like he was getting a glimpse of how heartless my mom could be, or if her cruel texts had finally pushed me over the edge. Whatever the reason, I’d cried, and he held me in his arms, comforting me. If Ty hadn’t called me back, I would have stayed in Gage’s arms all day. I hadn’t felt so whole since Dad died, and I never wanted the feeling to end. But it did, and last night Gage went back to not speaking to me again.

I asked probably too frequently, and Ty was now saying that Gage was begi

This whole flirting, then avoiding me thing was wearing on me, and you can’t imagine how often I wished I didn’t feel the electricity between us; it would have made my life so much easier. I knew when he was in the same room with me now; the hairs on the back of my neck would stand up before I could even hear him, and it drove me nuts. It also didn’t help that he was by far the sexiest guy I’d ever seen, or that when we would talk . . . he was incredibly sweet. That whole Southern-charm nonsense? Dear. Lord. So hot. It wasn’t like he tried to be a gentleman; it just came naturally for him. It made me laugh when he let a cuss word slip and he’d realize I was around; his eyes would go big and I swear sometimes he flinched. The fact that he was always worried his “mama” was go

I loved everything about him.

I loved him.

I just didn’t know what I was going to do about him. At least when Tyler and I would have our talks, his reminders of how much of a nuisance I was for Gage usually kept my head on straight when I was around Gage for the next day or so. But after that I’d start letting myself get too comfortable around him, and then things like yesterday happened.

Looking up, I saw Starbucks was only a block away and decided to sit in there for a while, trying to figure out what I was going to do now that my backup had fallen through. Opening up my wallet, I saw I had a whole ten dollars to my name. Awesome. I knew Tyler would give me anything I wanted or needed, but I’d already been living off his parents and Gage for the past month, and I didn’t want to continue. Glancing at my wallet again, I decided. Ten dollars or not, I needed an indulgence.

I walked up to the counter and waited while the barista switched out the coffee. Just as she was turning around to me, a person I guessed was the manager walked up in a huff.

“I don’t believe this. Victoria and Cody just quit! I’ve been calling them like crazy all morning, and they finally answered and said they wouldn’t be back.” She slapped the cordless phone onto the counter, picking it back up quickly to make sure she hadn’t broken anything.

“Are you serious?” the barista asked, her face blanching.

“That’s half my morning crew. No one else can work mornings here! Everyone has too many early classes.”

“Excuse me?”

They both jumped like they’d forgotten I was standing there. The manager’s face instantly went into a bright smile. “Welcome! What can we get for you?”

“Well, how about an application?”

“I’m sorry, honey, but I just can’t afford to hire any more students. I need full-time employees.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I have absolutely nothing to do all day, every day,” I said with a smile so she didn’t think I was being rude.

“I need someone to open Monday through Saturday,” she said, challenging me, “six hours on the weekdays, four hours on Saturday.”

“Perfect! I’m a morning person,” I lied.

The manager gave me a once-over, her eyebrow quirked. “Have you ever worked for Starbucks or another coffee shop before?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Have you ever had a job before?”

“No, but I’m dedicated and pour myself into everything I do.” Pun so not intended.

“If I considered this, when would you be able to start training?”

“Right now.”

Her smile widened again and she nodded her head toward the back door she’d just come through. “Let’s go talk.”

WE ENDED UP talking and had a formal interview in the back room for almost an hour, and after telling me the uniform I would need to go buy, she told me to come back in five hours for my first day of training. After the week of training and two classes, I started opening six days a week, just like she said.

The boys were thrilled that I was doing something, but Tyler started grumbling soon after I started about never waking up next to me anymore. I’d rolled my eyes at him. I hadn’t been aware that waking up next to each other had become a favorite part of his day. Especially since he fell right back asleep, and I would go to the kitchen to hang out with Gage. But Tyler was my best friend; if he wanted to grumble about something like that, then I would let him. As for Gage, we didn’t get to drink coffee together but I still got my morning hug from him. Only now it was as I was jumping out of his truck when he dropped me off in the mornings.

I had protested at first, but he usually woke up anywhere from quarter ’til to five, so waking up the extra thirty minutes early wasn’t a big deal, according to him. Honestly, I think he and Ty were just terrified thinking of my walking the mile and a half to work in the dark, because they let me walk home every day. Not like they had a choice; they’d both be in class unless it was Saturday.

So that’s how we were now: Gage would drop me off in the morning, I would come home and fall asleep for a few hours while they were in classes, and then I’d make di

“Wake up, darlin’.” My eyes flew open when Gage’s deep voice drawled in my ear.