Chapter 9

Livi

My hand is on the doorknob, twisting it to leave the mansion on the lake when Alexa’s voice rings out. About half of the book club members have gone home, and it feels like a good time for me to leave, too.

“Livi, wait up!”

I turn around and adjusting my purse on my shoulder. I’m not trying to look freaked out, but my thoughts are on what happens after this night, when I no longer have a place to live. “Did I forget something?” I ask.

“No,” Alexa jogs up to me, out of breath. “I just want to walk you out.”

“Oh,” I say brightly. “That’s sweet of you.”

Alexa places a smooth hand on my shoulder. “Just seems like you need a friend.”

We step out into the fresh spring night where a faint breeze skirts across my skin, prickling it with chill bumps. Summer is right around the corner, but for now you still need a sweater when you go outside.

“My car is all the way at the end of the driveway,” I say, pointing toward my piece of crap car. “You don’t have to walk me that far down if you want to.”

“It’s okay with me,” Alexa says as she gazes up at the moon and clutches her shoulder wrap around her arms.

It’s right about now that the emotional turmoil I’ve been living in for the past few days bubbles to the surface and envelops me in unstoppable grief. The tears hit me before I can seal them into the tomb of my mind, and I choke back sobs.

Alexa notices immediately. She walks in front of me and stops me in my tracks, holding onto my arms.

“Livi?” She searches my facial features. “I knew something was wrong. What is it?”

I shake my head and wipe the sogginess from my eyes, sniffing in embarrassment. “I’m sorry…” I croak and trail off. There’s no way I’m going to tell her everything. I don’t need any more sympathy from my new friend.

“What’s wrong?” She whispers, her voice compassionate.

As much as I want to shake my head and say nothing at all is wrong, I decide to bite the bullet and just tell the truth, however pathetic it is. I’m already a total sobbing wreck as it is. I’ve already plunged over the deep end.

“Everything. Pretty much everything is wrong,” I cry and pull a tissue from my purse, dabbing it at my eyes.

“Start at the beginning,” Alexa says in a hushed voice, her hands still holding onto my arms.

I meet her gaze and the pain burns me to the core, igniting a fire inside of me that I have to release.

“I’m going to be homeless tomorrow,” I say. It’s the first time I’ve said the word out loud and it hurts like hell.

Alexa furrows her brow. “I thought you lived at your grandma’s place?”

I shake my head and scoff bitterly. “My uncle is kicking me out. He inherited the place and wants to rent it for more money than I can afford. Can you believe it?”

“No!” Alexa cries with horror. “The audacity! Why would he treat his niece that way?”

I laugh with contempt. “He’s a complete jerk who only cares about himself.”

We continue to stroll down to my car, walking at a snail’s pace as we discuss my crumbling situation.

“I’m so sorry to hear that Livi,” Alexa says, and glances at the ground.

“It’s okay,” I chuckle through my tears. “It’s not your fault. I’m sorry for ruining the night. I really did have fun and I’m glad you invited me.”

Alexa stops me again and gives me a fierce look. “Don’t say that! You didn’t ruin anything.”

“I hate to hash out my problems to you,” I say sheepishly as we approach my car. “I don’t have a job and my dad won’t let me move into his house. He claims he is traveling the country with little miss ‘new boobs.’”

I detail my hatred of the new wife with the use of air quotes. Alexa begins to look at me with something I fear more than homelessness…pity.

“We will think of something…just try to stay positive.” I know Alexa is just trying to help, but I’m becoming increasingly frustrated by the moment.

“I don’t even know what to do,” I whisper with defeat and prop myself up against the side of my car, leaning with despair. “The tides have turned so quickly it’s making my head spin in circles.”

Alexa rubs my arm again and does her best to soothe me, but I laugh at the irony of my situation. “I have money for a few hotel nights, but I guess I’ll have to be sleeping in my car after that.” I point to the backseat. “Thank goodness winter is over, so at least there’s a silver lining.”

Alexa’s eyes swim with empathy for me, and I feel grateful to have a friend like her to vent to in a time of need.

“My uncle is such an ass,” I say with a flare of reflective anger. “I can’t go home, and I can’t stay here. I don’t know who else to blame but him.”

Alexa’s eyes well with sympathy tears of her own. “I’m so sorry Livi. It’s so unfair.” She rubs my back and sniffs. “I hate the fact that I have a friend who’s hurting like this. It’s a really shitty situation.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” I say and give her my most feeble attempt at a smile.

“It’s so unfair, and you deserve so much better,” she affirms. “I have a couch you can crash on, but my place is really small and—”

“No,” I say, holding up my hand. “I’m not going to impose. That’s not why I told you. I just needed a friend. With Grandma gone, I’m completely useless.”

“Well, my couch is still available if you ever need it,” she says.

“I’m scared for the future,” I admit for the first time out loud.

A spark of brilliance shines in Alexa’s eyes and glows under the light of the moonlight. “You know what, Livi?”

“What?” I ask and wipe my nose again on my tissue, staring up at her.

“It’s fate that brought you here tonight,” she says confidently.

I laugh. “Do you really think so?”

“Absolutely!” Alexa nods. “It’s special because I had a gut feeling last night. Call it intuition or a pull from the universe…hell…I don’t know. I just knew I needed to invite you but I didn’t know why.”

Now Alexa is waving her arms around and pacing the length of my car. “Think about it,” she jabs my arm with playful lightheartedness. “I followed my instincts and it’s paid off.”

“I don’t see how,” I ask and shake my head, not clearly following the direction she’s leading me in.

“A little voice inside my head told me to seek you out on Facebook after you came into the bakery on Friday. I felt compelled to invite you to book club and you know what? I’m really freaking glad I did.”

Alexa folds her arms across her chest with friendly yet smug satisfaction, as if she’s proud of herself and is full of knowledge that I don’t understand yet.

“I appreciate the invite…” I respond and trail off again.

“I have a way of reading people,” Alexa confesses. “Not only that, but my subconscious always knows the way to insight.”

“That’s nice,” I say.

“It’s great!” she says and gives me an empathetic smile. “The fact that you are here tonight in spite of your difficulties proves just how strong you are underneath it all.”

“Do you really think so?” I ask, unconvinced of my own superhero capabilities.

“Yes,” she nods firmly. “Not only that, but your open honesty of your situation doesn’t have to end with grief or homelessness. I think I can help you.”

My shoulders sigh with relief, instantly feeling the weight of the world release. “Oh, Alexa…thank you. Anything at all you could do to help me would be wonderful.” I wipe my eyes.

Alexa becomes all business, chatting vibrantly. “I can probably get you a job at Sweets.”

I stare at her as gratitude seeps into my pores. “Really?” Perhaps there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Yes,” Alexa nods and then adds, “I can only pay you about ten dollars an hour though.”

I sigh with relief. “You don’t know how much that means to me. Ten dollars an hour is better than no job at zero dollars an hour.” I chuckle at my own diminutive joke.

“Exactly!” Alexa gestures with enthusiasm, giving me a playful little toss of her hand. “I need someone to run the front of the store for me. I’ve been meaning to hire someone for months. You have such a fun-loving personality, and I know you’ll be perfect for the job.”

I blush in the darkness, relishing in my new friend’s showering of compliments. “I’d love to help you hold down the fort in the front of the store. I’ll do whatever you need.”

Alexa makes a tiny hop in the air and claps her hands together. “Excellent! I think it will be a blast getting to work with you.”

My tears dry up almost instantly. It’s not a home, but it’s a job, and a job is one step closer to getting a home. Maybe I can find a super cheap motel to get me through until pay day. Plus, working with Alexa will be a dream because her bakery is so cute and fun and she’s the nicest person ever.

“When can I get started?” I ask.

“As soon as you want,” she beams.

I reach in to hug Alexa and she has the familiar, cozy smell of sugar and sweet, the perfect blend to comfort me in this time of hardship. Fresh tears sting my eyes again but this time they are tinged with happiness.

“Thank you,” I whisper into her shoulder, and she squeezes me a little tighter.

When I pull away, I clear my throat and take a deep breath as Alexa gives me a warm smile. “I’m happy to help you get back on your feet,” she says.

“Now all I need is a cheap apartment or a room to rent and I’ll be good,” I say, turning my gaze up to the stars as if my answer is up there. “Then maybe one day I can figure out what I’m supposed to do with my life.

“Oh my God.” Alexa’s face lights up like a Christmas tree, as if an actual lightbulb is getting switched on in her mind. “I have an idea,” she blurts out, covering her mouth with her hands.

“What is it?” I ask. “Are you friends with a landlord?”

Alexa beams at me. “Sort of. But he doesn’t know he’s a landlord yet. It’s the perfect place for you to stay. Meet me at the bakery at eight o’clock tomorrow morning and I’ll give you all the details. I just need to work it out myself first.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Okay…”

“Trust me,” she says, her eyes flashing with enthusiasm. It’s the same look she gets when she’s icing a cupcake. “Eight o’clock tomorrow. I’ll have a place for you to rent.”

“Okay then,” I say, reaching for my car keys. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

I smile on the drive back to Grandma’s house, where I’ll spend my last night in my old bedroom. Things are shitty and falling apart, but maybe, just maybe, they’ll get put back together again soon.