Falling for Mr Callahan

Bad timing

Amelia's POV

I had exactly $25.50 left in my account, and by the end of today, I'd have to give Aria my share of the house rent.

Losing one job was definitely not an option right now.

I let out a groan while struggling to get out of bed.

Juggling three jobs and school was definitely not as easy as they made it seem in movies. Sleep had become a luxury I couldn't afford, and somehow, the money I earned was never enough. At this rate, I'd probably have to look for one more job.

"Hey, stranger, what time did you come in last night?" Aria, my roommate and best friend, asked after seeing me walk out of my room.

"I think around eleven or twelve," I replied while walking to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.

"That's late, and I'm pretty sure you didn't sleep immediately."

She raised her eyebrows, giving me that knowing look.

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, you're not entirely wrong. I had to finish the thesis Mr. Lockwood gave us. I ended up reading different articles just to put together a good paper. I think I slept sometime around four."

"You really need to rest, sweetheart. You know you'd have to wake up early this morning for your first part-time job at seven, and then you have class by twelve. I haven't even mentioned those other gigs you take up aside from your part-time jobs. You slept that late. You really need to take it easy, my love."

"Okay, mummy."

"I hate to bring this up right now, but I have no choice. You know the rent is due, and the landlord will be moving around to collect the money. You really need to send your share."

My stomach twisted.

Right.

Rent.

She said it carefully, trying not to hurt my feelings, but one thing she didn't know was that my feelings weren't hurt by her words but by the circumstances I had found myself in.

If only my mom had done the right thing that day, my dad probably wouldn't have…

I quickly pushed the thought away.

This wasn't the time to dwell on the past.

I looked towards Aria apologetically. She had been my greatest support. There were days when she took up responsibilities that we were both meant to share, not because she had it better, but because she was simply a good person.

"I promise to send the money before the end of today," I assured her.

She nodded and pulled me into a hug.

I took my bath hurriedly and quickly wore whatever my hands could grab at that moment, which happened to be a pair of denim trousers, a camisole, and an oversized jacket. I packed my hair into a ponytail and threw my thesis paper into my backpack since I'd be leaving for school straight from work.

"Aren't you going to eat something before leaving?" Aria asked when she heard my hurried footsteps.

"No... no, let me rephrase that. You are definitely eating before leaving this house today, Amelia Hart!" she commanded.

Once Aria entered mother mode, nothing you said could change her mind.

"Bossy," I muttered under my breath.

I pulled a chair, sat on it, and hurriedly ate the pancakes with syrup before gulping down the lemonade in one gulp.

"I've eaten now, Mom. Can I go?" I asked sarcastically.

She nodded.

"See you later in class! And do not stress yourself too much!"

Her voice followed me right out the door because I had already dashed out after checking my watch and realizing I had only thirty more minutes to get to work.

I checked my phone one last time.

$25.50.

By the end of today, that number had to change.

I tucked my phone back into my jacket pocket and quickened my pace.

~~

The morning air was chilly, but it did little to wake me up. My mind was already running through the rest of my day.

Work.

Class.

Tutoring.

Then my evening shift.

I was exhausted just thinking about it.

The streets were already coming alive. Cars filled the roads, people hurried along the sidewalks, and the aroma of freshly baked bread drifted from a nearby bakery.

A few minutes later, the familiar green-and-white sign of Bean & Brew came into view, and I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

I made it.

Barely.

Pushing open the door, the familiar scent of coffee and pastries greeted me.

I had officially survived another morning.

~~

I was attending to a customer at Bean & Brew when my boss, Stephen, interrupted.

"Amelia, please, can you do me a favor? I know you're meant to be leaving in the next five minutes to make it to class. I promise to double your pay for today."

Stephen was a handsome man, probably in his mid-forties. His hair was always kept short—a tight crop of walnut-brown curls. I still wondered how he never failed to keep it so neat.

"Okay, what is it? What do you need my help for?"

"One of our regulars placed a group order, and Cole just called to say he's stuck in traffic and won't make it in time for the delivery. Please, can you go for me? You can head to school from there."

Double pay.

My rent problems suddenly didn't seem so impossible.

"Alright, no problem. Give me the address."

I smiled at him.

He disappeared behind the counter, and after a bit of rustling, he came back with the address, a carton of coffee cups, and some cash for transportation.

"Thank you, Amelia. You're a lifesaver."

"I'll hold you to that double pay, Stephen."

He laughed.

"You have my word."

I quickly said my goodbyes and hurried out of the café.

I had less than fifteen minutes to deliver the coffee and get to class.

My eyes kept darting between my watch and the road.

Unfortunately, you can't multitask.

At least, that's what I knew now.

Thud.

I stumbled backward, nearly losing my grip on the carton.

Better yet, I had just walked straight into a wall.

No.

Not a wall.

A very broad back.

Citrus.

That was all I could perceive.

I looked up to apologize and nearly forgot my name. I could honestly say he was the prettiest man I had ever seen.

I mean, literally.

God had definitely taken His time sculpting this hunk of a man.

His black hair fell over his forehead, and I was tempted to move the strands away from his eyes.

And those eyes...

They were something between brown and black.

His shirt fit him perfectly, outlining the reward of all the workouts he must have been doing.

He looked and smelled expensive and carried an intimidating aura around him.

Great.

Just great.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized quickly.

"I was in a hurry and wasn't looking where I was going. I'm really sorry."

"Obviously, you weren't."

His voice was calm, but there was a certain coldness to it.

Not the response I was expecting.

I blinked.

"I just apologized."

"Well, I do not need your apology. All I need is for people to watch where they're going."

Okay.

Now I was getting annoyed.

"Well, if you hate people bumping into you, you probably shouldn't stand in the middle of the road like a brick wall."

I responded before my anger could stop me.

He furrowed his eyebrows.

I would've thought that was cute if I wasn't so irritated right now.

Before he could reply, I cut him off.

"I really don't have time for this. I've apologized, and you didn't sustain any injuries. I believe we're done here, Ice King."

I didn't wait for his response.

I simply walked away.

Because if I stayed any longer, I might actually end up being late for class.

And with only $25.50 left in my account, getting fired was the last thing I needed.