This wasn’t just about Brennan because she hadn’t even known she was weakening around him. This was about Garrett, too. He was just so incredibly nice, and she hadn’t met anyone quite like him. They had spent more and more time together, staying up to watch Netflix late at night after they had gotten off work, laughing about the absurd hours of their jobs, and marveling in their shared love of dessert. How many times in the past week had she wanted to tell Garrett? She had held her tongue, but the more comfortable she got, the more she wanted someone to know.
Devon bit her lip and tried to hold in all her emotions. She had to deal with Hadley first.
After her conversation with Brennan, who had immediately made himself scarce, Hadley approached her.
“Can we talk…in private?” Hadley asked, obviously still unsure about it all.
“Yeah,” Devon said. “Let me just tell Amy that I’m taking a break.”
HADLEY AND DEVON sat in the break room in the back of Jenn’s. Devon missed her friend, and it was in that moment that she fully realized it. She wished she could unload all her problems on Hadley and have her put them all together in the right order, but Hadley already had too much to deal with. She couldn’t also suffer from Devon’s issues.
“So…” Hadley said.
Devon nodded. “So…”
“I see you have a job at Jenn’s.”
“Yep,” Devon said. She didn’t know what Hadley wanted to say, and she thought it was best to allow her to direct the conversation.
“How did that happen?”
“Brennan helped me out when I couldn’t find anything else.”
“He’s a nice guy, that one,” Hadley said absentmindedly.
“So it seems.” Devon said.
“I guess I’ll just go ahead and say it. I’m pretty pissed at you, and it’s not going to get better right away,” Hadley said. “You violated my trust, not to mention my hospitality. It’s going to take a while before I start to trust you again.”
Devon nodded slowly, not sure what to say. That much was true.
“But…I know that I violated your trust, too. I’m not going to talk to you about my problems. They’re mine. When I’m ready, we’ll figure it out, but until then, I don’t want you to interfere.”
“Hadley,” Devon interrupted. Hadley had to be reasonable.
“No,” she said, holding up her hand as she stood. “They’re my issues. I’m not begging you to tell me yours, and I know you have some. I’ve always known, but it’s your business.”
“I think you need help, Hadley,” Devon said softly, feeling like a hypocrite.
“I think you don’t know everything about what I’m going through. All I’m saying now,” Hadley said, taking a step toward the door, “is that I’m tired of tiptoeing through my life. I’ll come and go as I please. I’ll be at the apartment and Jenn’s. Brennan has a gig coming up soon, and I’ll be at that, too. I’m sure you’ll be there, and I’m tired of it being awkward. Let’s just go from there. We’ll let the trust rebuild naturally.”
“Hadley, please,” Devon said, desperate to reach her friend. “I am sorry about what happened.” She choked on her words, wishing that it could all go back to the way it was.
“It’s too late,” Hadley said, reaching for the door. “The damage is already done,” she muttered before exiting.
Devon stared at the closed door. She was beyond frustrated. Was this what it was like for people to deal with her? No. Nobody knew what her problem was. Maybe that made it even more frustrating. She didn’t know. She just didn’t know.
All she knew was that Hadley was using, and likely, she was using more than she was before. She was irritable and uncompromising. Devon wasn’t sure how she could reach her, but she would try however Hadley let her.
Chapter Twelve - The Runaway
IT WAS WELL past closing time. Jenn had been complaining about their work, and Devon was tired of hearing about it. So, she took extra care in cleaning the restaurant. Each table was sprayed down and scrubbed clean. Then, she moved on to the chairs and booths. She mopped the floors and cleared away any excess dust from behind the bar. Brennan had soaked down the bar, so she didn’t have to touch his area.
Moving out of the main dining room to the kitchen, she set to work on washing the piles of plates, cups, and silverware in the sink. After putting them back where they belonged, she mopped the floor in the back and then cleaned the countertops of any additional residue. The kitchen staff was pretty good at wiping down the counters, but Devon put extra effort into it anyway. She rearranged the cleaning supplies in the closet, and then she closed the door with a satisfied grunt.
Jenn wouldn’t have any complaints in the morning, at least not about the cleanliness of the restaurant. Devon had made sure of that.
Locking up, Devon turned around and began walking toward the nearby L station. Even late at night, she was getting accustomed to the walk. Brennan typically waited and walked with her. He had some intuitive knowledge that she didn’t like to walk in the streets at night by herself, but then again, he didn’t think it was safe for her to be here by herself. He was probably right. She wasn’t sure what he was doing tonight. She wished he had stayed.
Taking the first right, she headed down the dark street, holding her purse close to her side. It would be just her luck if someone mugged her on her way home. She should have asked Brennan to stay. That would have been smart.
She walked for a while, her paranoia getting the better of her. She knew that Chicago wasn’t all that safe, but the area near Jenn’s was pretty nice. Plus, it was less than a ten-minute walk to the L station. She knew cleaning had taken her longer than normal, but she hadn’t realized how much more deserted that would make the streets.
She didn’t like it. The feeling was unnerving. She increased her pace in an effort to reach the train quickly, so she could get back to the apartment. There was no reason to be out on the streets longer than necessary.
The faster she walked, the slower it seemed like she was moving. The buildings seemed to stretch farther and farther down the street until she wasn’t making any progress at all. She checked over her shoulder to see if she was just imagining things, but the buildings in front and behind her were unbelievably long…impossibly long.