Abused Love (AL Series)

Chapter 3

Inara

This guy is just staring at me. I asked him if I could clear his finished dishes and yet he just kept staring at me. It's making me feel warm inside and I don't know why but I don't like it. My breathing starts to pick up as I watch him study me. Maybe I should walk away. Yea, I'll just walk away. Okay so let's go already, will you? Come on, start walking. No? Okay fine, then look away. Come on Inara, look away. Look away!!

'But you know you don't want to.'

I finally look away thinking I heard someone talk to me but there is no one around me.

The guy finally starts to talk which brings me back to him and his amazing jawline and his dirty blonde hair that allows his crazy gray eyes that almost look silver to shine like crazy. I notice he tilts his head a bit and looks confused. I shake my head to clear it of all thoughts.

"I'm sorry sir I must have missed your answer to my question. May I take your finished dishes?"

"Yes. You may. Oh, and can I ask for your name please."

I pause for a moment wondering if he's going to report me for not paying attention to him but I'm sure he can see my name on my name tag and just wants to know how to pronounce it.

"It’s Inara." I say with a smile on my face.

"Inara. That's a very lovely name. Thank you for cleaning my table."

Oh no. Why did he have to say my name like that and why did it make my heart rate pick up again? Yeah, it just shot through the damn roof! It sounds so incredible coming from his mouth. I have to be tomato red by now.

The more I look at him the more I want to go to him to kiss him, to bite him, to have his arms wrapped around me, and the biggest shock was to make love to him.

'To claim him as ours!'

I jump when I hear the same voice I heard before. Okay, I must be losing my mind or my subconscious trying to argue with itself. I know it's just him and I over here so it must be my subconscious. I must be going crazy. So I just smile at him and tell him your welcome and get the hell out of there.

While back in the kitchen I take a moment to get my breathing under control. I have no idea what is wrong with me. Why do I feel this way? I must be sick. I might need to go home early and I'm about to ask to leave when paying rent hits me.

Crap I need to pay the rent Saturday. I can't miss the few hours left of work. I need this money. I let my head hang back and I let out a frustrated sigh and started walking back to the Luna side of the restaurant to clean it up or do whatever is needed of me. But before I make it I hear voices I never wanted to hear at my job, my family. My eyes go wide.

I know my night just went to s**t right then and there. They don't know I work here. The only one who knows I work here is my oldest sister, their firstborn daughter. When she found out I had to beg her not to tell them. She promised as long I did as she said and didn't argue with her on it. I agreed because I need this job, it's not easy to find a new one that's willing to work around my crazy schedule. I just know Linda is behind this. She's mad about me not being home for dinner to cook and that I didn't order five-star takeout instead but I can't afford that.

I look through the door window and think of a way out of this and for them not to see me. But I can't think of anything so I slowly exit the door and try to stay as far away from their table as possible but after ten minutes I spot my dad who has already spotted me and when my mother notices that he's starting to stand up she looks the way she sees him staring and spots me too. The next thing I know I'm being pulled to the bathroom area by my dad and I can only imagine what's about to happen so I start to get my mind ready for what he is about to say or do to me.

"What on earth are you doing here?" He is red at this point and shaking.

"I... I... I work here." I replied, starting to become scared.

"You what!? How is it I do not know of this? Did you plan to keep this from me?" He starts to yell loud enough that a few workers look around the corner to see what's going on.

"N... N... no sir I... I... I needed another job to be able to go to college."

"Well is that so?" He said with a sinister smile slowly starting to work it's way up his face.

Oh no! I know that smile I'm not going to like what comes next.

"I guess you have more money than we thought. We are going to have to talk about raising the rent now aren't we?"

"But I need this money to pay for the rent and save some for college classes. If you raise the rent I'll never be able to go this semester." I say with my head hung low.

"That's not my fault. You should work harder to be able to go to college. Adults have to work to get what they want." He says this in a very serious tone and looks me dead in the eyes

"Now, now, don't look at me like that Inara. You know as well as I do that you keep trying to get the money I have set aside for MY girls. You should give up hope and start working harder. The jobs we give you are going to be where you stay for the rest of your life but maybe if I see you trying harder and not thinking of other jobs I would give you more pay. I am your father after all. I have to make sure you're okay after I leave this world."

"If that's true then please let me keep this job. Please!" I'm begging at this point. I know this is going to cost me but I don't care. Without this job everything is ruined. No money for rent. No money for college classes and a ton of punishment.

He gives me another crazy devil-like smile and smacks me hard across the face and I fall to the ground by the force of it.

"Fine. You can keep it but be ready to pay."

With that, he walks away and I'm left holding my tears back. I can feel them stinging my eyes so I go into the bathroom to take a second to calm down. As I look into the mirror I can see the red handprint on my face. I can't believe he smacked me on the face! Normally I'm hit somewhere that I can hide it.