The Echo of Abuse and Love

Chapter Nine

Luke

Shea took my hand when I offered it to help her out of the car, and she didn't pull away from me when I kept ahold of her as we headed into my Aunt's old diner. When Eva and I were children, my other used to bring us here all of the time. Any time we went shopping at the big outlet malls or took a day trip to the zoo we always swing by her sister's diner on the way home. 

When my mom died three years ago, Ev and I still made it a habit to come out here as much as we could. As soon as we got our licenses almost every weekend we would come to have Sunday lunch with Aunt Rosie. Her diner felt like an extension of home, but almost always left me feeling a little sad. Right after mom died, and Eva and I would come, I could almost imagine hearing my mother sitting at the bar, gossiping with Aunt Rosie about family drama or the people that showed up in the diner. 

Right after Shea and I sat down at the high top bar my phone started to ring. I pulled it from my pocket and saw that it was Tiffany calling me. I felt kind of bad that I had ditched her without warning, but she should understand that my friend needed me. I decided now was not a good time to answer her call, and I'd just call her back in the morning, so I declined the call. I glanced at Shea who was watching me closely, but she looked away as soon as we made eye contact. 

A minute later my phone started to buzz, and I looked at it absently, thinking it might be Eva asking me if things were okay. There were 5 unread text messages from Tiffany

Luke, where r you? Why did you leave so suddenly?

Eva said you left with Shea, call me.

BB, r you OK?

Jacob is saying you were in one of the bedrooms with Shea most of the evening did I miss something?

WTF Luke?

As soon as I finished reading the texts, my phone started to ring again. The picture that Tiffany had put as her profile picture a few months ago popped up on the screen. Unease filled my stomach, Jacob was saying that I had taken Shea to a room? Shit...

"-and whatever Shea wants." I walked quickly toward the door, clicking the button to accept the call as I stepped into the cold night air.

"Luke, WHere the FuuCk are yhu?" Tiffany yells drunkenly as soon as I get the phone to my ear. 

"Tiff, calm down."

"DoonOt Tell me TO Calm DOWN!!" 

I let out an exasperated sigh, I can hear the muffled sound of music and laughter echoing in the background of her call. "Okay," I say slowly, measuring my tone, and bringing my voice down an octave. "I'm sorry."

"What were yhu doing upstairs with Shea? I mean HONESTLY! Yhu had just been dancing with me, how dare yhu go somewhere like that with ANOTHER GIRL!" Tiffany's words are slurred, and I have to struggle to maintain my own control. I hate dealing with her when she's like this. 

"Tiff, will you please listen to me?" I can feel my patience starting to wear thin. I will have to deal with Jacob on Monday at school, this ridiculous rumor was already too much. "I didn't go up there with Shea," I say as calmly as I can. "I went up there to find a bathroom and found her. She was upset. She had a rough night."

"That's not what people are saying! AND they saw you leave with her!" I hear a door close through the phone, and most of the noise in the background of the call quiets. "You made me look like s**t, everyone's saying you left with her too! Do you know how caught off guard I was? I mean shit... Luke, given her reputation, it looks terrible."

"I was her ride there, who else was going to take her home?"

"I don't care!" Tiffany says indignantly. "This was supposed to be a night for us to be together."

I exhale, trying really hard to keep my temper in check. I glance back into the window to where Shea and my Aunt are talking. "Tiff, I promise I will make it up to you. Just try and understand."

"I really don't understand." She said drily. "I want to, but I don't. I don't trust her."

"She is not a problem Tiff. I'm just taking her home because she had a rough night." I look back through the window, watching Shea, since we came to the diner, it really seems like maybe she is doing better. There's a small smile pulling at the corners of her full lips. Her skin, devoid of makeup, looks like it's regained some of its color. Her eyes scan the empty diner, and there is a hint of curiosity. 

"Well..." Tiffany sighs. "Maybe you can come over tomorrow?"

"I'll text you about it," I say shortly. "Go back to the party, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay." She pauses a moment. "What am I supposed to tell people when they ask where you are?"

"Be truthful." I deadpan. "I'm helping my friend."

I can hear her pouty sigh on the other end of the phone. "Whatever." She says.

I hang up without saying anything else. Tiffany has no right to be mad or jealous, we've barely been talking for more than a month. And it's not like anything is going to happen between Shea and me, no matter my fantasies. Shea is so obviously not interested in me or anyone in general. 

Tonight I really did mean it when I said I was just helping a friend. She looked like she needed someone, and I don't know who else would have offered. 

I walk back inside. Shea turns when she hears the bells above the door, and a small smile lights up her features. I clear my throat, trying to push down the foreign feelings stirring in my chest. 

"Everything okay?" She asks. 

"Yeah, Tiff was just wondering where I went," I say honestly. "She just wanted to make sure everything was okay." For some reason, I decide not to tell her about what Jacob has been saying, and I don't mention Tiffany's actual opinion about everything. It seems counterproductive to tell her any of it. I don't know what Jacob said to her, but she was shaken. 

Shea nods but says nothing. She doesn't ask any questions or want an explanation. I'm thankful for that.

"Here's your food you two!" Aunt Rosie walks proudly from the back, balancing huge burgers, a basket of fries, and two perfect-looking milkshakes, in metal containers. 

"Shea," My aunt says, giving her a knowing smile. "I made your shake extra special." She sets the rich creamy liquid down in front of her. 

Shea smiles, looking at the contents of the shake. One look and I know exactly what my aunt has done. When Eva and I were children, and we'd go through rough or shitty times, my aunt would always give us a milkshake with literally everything mixed inside. Every possible ice cream topping, syrup, and flavor. She said it symbolized the ups and downs of life. Sometimes you get a taste of chocolate, and sometimes you got a taste of licorice, malt powder and strawberry may seem like a terrible combination, but when you look at it as a whole, all the unique flavors actually make the most amazing milkshake ever. 

I watch Shea take a sip of it, closing her eyes and savoring for a minute. As her face registers all of the different aspects of what she just consumed, I can't help but admire the way she looks. Her skin is pale, but her cheeks are no longer ashy in color, her dark lashes rest against her cheeks where a small patch of freckles sit. Her dark hair is a little unruly after the evening, but the midnight blue hue brings out the ivory color of her skin, and when she opens her eyes the contrast of their lightness momentarily causes my breath to catch in the back of my throat. 

"This is amazing." She smiles at my aunt who gives her a knowing look. 

"You looked like you needed a little taste of life." My aunt says plainly, topping off her coffee cup with fresh hot coffee.

Shea's face is quizzical. I start eating, knowing my aunt will explain what she means, but I never get tired of hearing her say it. When my mom died, I remember Rosie bringing the milkshakes to the funeral, she didn't say anything when she handed them to us, but we knew. 

"Taste of life?" Shea asks?

"Yes, a little of everything. Sometimes the weirdest combinations make the best flavors. You need a little of everything to experience life at its best. You can't just expect to have the good stuff all of the time, sometimes you need the lows and the hard, and the pain to appreciate the smoothness of the good things."

Shea nods, taking another big sip. Her expression is unreadable, but something in her eyes sparkles with another light. 

"Okay, now you two eat up, it's getting late." Rosie pats both of our hands and steps into the back again, yelling at Steve about who knows what.