Friends with Consequences Ch. 21-26

Is he sleeping? she wondered to herself, pacing back and forth. It's not that late... but maybe he fell asleep early.

Getting a little worried, Linda walked around, trying to catch a peek through a window. All the blinds were closed, but she could tell the lights were off.

When the worried young woman got to the bedroom window, she found an opening just big enough to notice a body under the covers of the bed. He's asleep, she whispered to herself. Then, a light bulb clicked on in her brain. He must have taken his medicine... I forgot how drowsy it makes him.

Fighting off the urge to wake him up, she pushed herself away from the window and slowly walked back to the van with a smile on her face. I hope he's not mad that I left him hanging... but he needs his rest. I can just go home and do the research for him myself. Then tomorrow, I'll be able to go over everything with him before he meets with the Johnsons.

Then, as the pretty brunette got back into the van and started her long journey back to her apartment, she chuckled as a memory popped into her mind. The last time I peeked through an opening, I caught Jake cheating on me. Now I'm just happy to see Max sleeping...

Unfortunately, as Linda compared the two situations, her mind started drifting back to her former boyfriend during the terrible time in her life. The smile on her face slowly disappeared and she drove in silence the rest of the way home, never bothering to turn the radio on.

**************

When Linda and Duke got back to her apartment, she immediately collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion. I'm so tired... she thought to herself, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

Closing her eyes, she began to recap her long and busy day. I've been working nonstop... The drive to Max's house isn't as convenient as I made it seem to him... I spent my entire lunch break calling his clients, hoping they would give him another chance... I'm also used to coming back home and relaxing after work, but now I work an even busier shift at the coffee shop... I deserve a little nap, don't I?

Duke suddenly startled the exhausted woman by licking her face. She sat up on her butt and smiled at the big Rottweiler before letting out a sigh. "You're right, Buddy... I have work to do..."

Linda grabbed the papers from Max's work bag and began sifting through them. With one hand petting her dog, and the other hand flipping through pages, she whispered to herself, "No time for sleep... Max needs me..."

****

Chapter 23

Ugh... Why do I feel this way? I'm pretending to be normal, like everything's okay, but my memory's still foggy and my head is throbbing. I just want to get back to normal, but I'm starting to wonder if this is my new reality. Even though Linda is driving me to work, and somehow booking showings for me, I just end up failing somehow.

Maybe the doctors were wrong about me recovering. Maybe I'm permanently damaged from the accident. I'm suffering and miserable now... and there seems to be no end.

The only time things seem normal... is after she knocks on my door.

*****

*Knock knock knock!*

As the door opened, Linda immediately noticed Max's exhausted eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... Why do you ask?"

"You look... worn out for some reason. Have you been sleeping okay?"

"Uh, yeah..." Max answered, letting her into the house. "Is everything okay with you?"

"Work has been pretty exhausting but I'm okay..." the young woman answered, before coming to a complete stop when she noticed papers scattered all over the floor. She then looked at Max and asked, "What happened?"

Scratching his head nervously, the young man looked at Linda and explained, "I guess I got frustrated... and threw my work bag across the room."

Not wanting to make things worse for the exhausted young man, Linda simply put her hand on his shoulder and tried to sympathize with him. "Everything's going to be okay," she said with a soft voice. "You're just getting back into the swing of things. There's no need to get frustrated."

"I guess it just bothers me that you worked so hard to get me all those showings and I still haven't been able to close on a house."

"Max... you're doing great. If anything, maybe it was my fault for pushing you back into work so soon."

"No..." the young man responded, settling down as he looked at the pretty brunette. "I think it's good for me to get back to any kind of normalcy I can find."

"Speaking of normalcy, have you been keeping a normal eating schedule?"

"Uh... I keep forgetting to eat..."

Growing worried for her childhood friend's health, Linda's face dropped. It bothered her knowing Max wasn't taking care of himself. "Hey... I know you're frustrated but you need to eat. It's part of your recovery process."

Wanting to take matters into her own hands, the brown-eyed girl opened up the pantry and found a box of instant mac and cheese. She then quickly boiled some water and cooked the macaroni in a pot. When everything was done, she placed the food on the table and expressed, "I know it's not much but you have to eat something."

Max looked up, staring into the woman's soft eyes. As he grabbed a spoon, he stopped and asked, "Have you been eating?"

The look of frustration dropped from Linda's face as she was forced to admit she wasn't doing a great job of taking care of herself, either. "No... Sometimes I get so busy that I just forget..."

Feeling bad for the woman who was working so hard for him, Max pushed the pot of mac and cheese to the middle of the table and offered her a spoon. They sat together, eating from the same pot, enjoying the somber moment despite the awkward quietness.

Eventually, Linda's dog, Duke, approached the table and stared at the pot while licking his lips. Max glanced at him before spoon feeding him some of the macaroni.

"Uh, please don't do that," Linda said, putting her hand out.

Max looked at the worried brunette before quickly putting the spoon down. "Oh, sorry... I should have asked you before I did that."

Noticing a slight smile on Max's face, Linda realized how much he enjoyed feeding her dog. She then let off a little smile as she explained, "Just not too much, okay? I don't want Duke liking you more than me."

"I promise not to give him too much," the young man said with a chuckle, before giving another piece to the dog. "I'm glad you two found each other. Duke seems like such a good boy."

"Yeah, he's been great..."

After hearing Linda pause, Max looked at her for a moment and remembered why she got him in the first place. "How are you doing, by the way? I'm sorry for not asking more often."

"I'm fine," the brunette woman responded, taken aback by the question. "I mean... I think I'm doing okay."

Though he really wanted to ask if Linda was still having suicidal thoughts, Max knew he needed to formulate the question in a different way. "Is it insensitive if I ask if you're still doing therapy?"

"It's not insensitive... I still am... My therapist, Michelle, has helped me a lot. I'm in a much better place right now but... it's not like anything bad has happened to me lately. I don't want to judge myself without facing any real issues first."

"You seem like you're doing better. Are you enjoying therapy?"

"I am, actually... Michelle is great. It feels like I'm just talking to her like a friend sometimes. I don't even realize we're in a therapy session... That's what makes her so great..."

With a bitter smile, Linda paused as she thought about her therapist. "We still message back and forth, but I've been a little too busy to see her lately. I hope she doesn't think I'm just blowing her off."

"I don't mean to pry... but what has helped you the most?" Max asked, with a curious tone.

"Just a lot of little things... Things that I didn't even realize were mental health related. Getting a job was good for me. Also, having a routine to keep me from drugs has been helpful too"

Max's eyes lit up, as he was pleasantly surprised to hear his neighbor's progress. "You haven't been doing any drugs at all?"

"It's been a long time," Linda responded, gently nodding her head. "I've gained some weight back since getting healthy... but I'm still pretty skinny from the drugs and depression..."

After taking a quick look at Linda's body, the young man hoped he wouldn't sound like a creep when he responded, "I think you look good..."

Suddenly, Linda could feel her cheeks getting warm. Trying not to blush or smile in front of her former love interest, she shook her head and turned away. "Sorry... I didn't mean to make this about me..."

"Oh, it's okay... I wanted to know..."

"I should probably start heading out now. I need to get to the coffee shop, anyway. Umm... do you need anything before I leave?"

"Uh... are you coming back tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Oh, sorry... I don't know why I assumed..."

"Yeah, I can come back tomorrow," Linda interrupted, nodding her head. "I should probably get you groceries... and I can help you with your work stuff."

Max didn't understand why, but he felt relieved knowing the young woman would return the next day. Hoping to do her a favor for once, he came up with an offer. "I can order breakfast... or lunch... You know... whatever's appropriate for the time you show up..."

With a little chuckle, Linda stared at the floor and replied, "That would be nice... but you don't have to... only if you want to..."

After agreeing on breakfast and awkwardly saying their goodbyes, Linda took Duke and headed out. Once she got into the van, she paused for a second and looked into her mirror.

"I don't look that good..." Linda said, twirling her hair as she stared at herself. A little smile came over her face and her cheeks became red as she continued talking to herself. "He probably didn't even mean anything by it!"

********

Chapter 24

"Linda! Is everything okay?"

"Yeah... Why do you ask?"

"You've missed the last three sessions and it's been pretty difficult to get you on the phone. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh, I'm sorry... I'm okay... I've just been busy..."

"You don't have to apologize. I kind of expected this to happen when you moved out there. I even suggested you find a therapist closer to you. Maybe that idea sounds a little more convenient now?"

"I really want to stay with you, Michelle. You've helped me so much, and I don't trust anyone else the way I trust you."

"It's okay if you're busy. I'll keep working with you as long as you need me. Just promise me you're doing okay."

"I promise I'm okay, Michelle. Thank you for checking up on me."

"No problem, Sweetie. By the way, are you still coming to speak to my class next week?"

"Oh, shi... I mean, yeah! I totally didn't forget about that... What day was it again?"

****

The young woman woke up abruptly to a loud slurping noise invading her ear. Opening her eyes from her restless sleep, she realized it was her dog licking her face.

"Duke!" she squealed, as she quickly sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around before petting her dog. "Ugh, I feel like shit... What time is it?"

After finding her phone, Linda noticed the time, causing her to groan. "It's already six... Ugh, I hate waking up early."

Tossing her phone aside, the exhausted woman laid her head back down and closed her eyes. How did I survive staying up so late during college? she asked herself. Then, a grimace came over her face as she remembered, Oh, yeah... I would just skip class and sleep in...

Growing frustrated by the situation, Linda kicked her legs before rolling onto her side to get more comfortable. I never get to sleep in like I used to... so I deserve to stay in bed a little longer this one time.

Despite her attempts to forget the past, memories flashed through her mind, replaying the terrible decisions she used to make. With all the drugs and alcohol she did with Jake at the late night parties, she always had a built-in excuse to be useless and grumpy during the day.

Suddenly, her eyes popped wide open and she sprung herself back up. Shaking her head, she tried to snap out of her groggy state before climbing out of bed.

"I'm not that person anymore... I have things to do..."

****

As Linda pulled into Max's driveway, she noticed the flag on his mailbox standing up. He must have mail she thought to herself, stepping out of the van. I'll just grab it for him.

When she pulled the mail from the box, her eyes were drawn to an envelope with "Warning" written in red. This looks important... and it's from a mortgage company...

Fearing that Max could be in some sort of trouble, she decided to dig a little deeper. He has let me open his mail before... I'm sure he won't mind if I look into this.

Linda could feel the anxiety building up inside her as she read the letter out loud. "We did not receive your mortgage payment on the due date. Pay now to avoid delinquency."

After reflecting on the tumultuous past few weeks Max had endured, the young woman could feel herself shaking on the inside. He probably can't pay this... because he hasn't sold any houses...

As she walked towards Max's door, a depressing little frown came over her face. After all Max had been through, she didn't want to have to deliver further bad news. He's been so down on himself... This is going to make things even worse...

All of a sudden, the pretty brunette's eyes popped open as an idea popped into her head. What if I just pay this bill? He'll probably never even notice, and we can pretend it never happened when he pays next month... Yeah, that would make things so much better for him.

After pulling out her phone, she went to her bank account app and realized her plan was actually possible. In an excited voice, she started whispering her plan to herself. "I have just enough! That'll leave me with no money but... I'll make up for it at the coffee shop... Yeah! Everything will work out perfectly!"

Suddenly, Linda was startled by the sound of the front door opening. As she looked up, the man that she came to take care of was standing in the door frame, staring at her in confusion.

"Linda?"

"Oh, hey... How are you?"

"I'm okay... I was just about to check the mail."

"I already got it!" the pretty brunette cheerfully replied. While handing over the stack of envelopes, she secretly slid the mortgage bill into her jacket. "Here you go!"

"Oh, thanks," Max responded, noticing the overly happy smile on Linda's face. "Come on in."

***

Later that day, Linda arrived at the coffee shop, feeling more determined than ever. Not only was she intent on helping Patricia and her family, she now desperately needed the extra cash after unexpectedly paying the mortgage bill.

Hoping to pick up some extra shifts, she looked for an opportunity to speak with Patricia's mother. Unfortunately, both Patricia and her mom looked physically and mentally exhausted.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Linda asked, once the crowd had died down.

In a low voice, Patricia answered, "Not exactly."

"What's wrong?"

Patricia's mother stepped in with a disappointed look on her face. Placing her hand on Linda's shoulder, she explained, "I had a meeting with the bank, and I might lose the coffee shop."

"Why?!" Linda asked, as she felt a sinking feeling inside her.

"I don't want to bore you with the logistics, but basically the store has been going through a rough patch, so I wasn't able to refinance to a lower interest rate like I needed to."

"That sounds terrible... I really thought business was picking up."

"It kind of is, but... unfortunately, we can't afford to pay any of our employees for a while. I appreciate you coming in and trying to help, but Patricia and I will just have to work here every day until we get this figured out."

Growing teary-eyed, Linda placed her hand over her heart and took a deep breath. Unable to stand still and watch the fragile woman lose her business, she responded, "I'll work for free."

Patricia and her mother stared at each other for a moment before turning back to the exhausted brunette. "You can't work here for free..."

"Yes, I can... Just give me a chance and I'll help you out... I can be here almost every day... After everything Patricia did for me, I refuse to stand by when I know I can help!"

Tears started to form in the store owner's eyes. Though she didn't know if this would actually save her business, she was just moved to tears, knowing someone was willing to help her.

With a big hug, Patricia and her mother both exclaimed, "We can't thank you enough!"

"Don't worry about it. Patricia was always there when I needed her... Now that she needs me... well... here I am..."

After discussing their scheduling plans and how they could run the business efficiently, Linda proposed an idea. "If possible, all three of us should be here. We want the customers to get familiar with our faces so they'll feel inclined to come back. And since none of us are taking a paycheck, it's not like we have to be efficient with wages."

Patricia and her mother both agreed, but it only left them with one question. "How many days can you actually make it?"

After pondering all the possibilities, the determined woman came up with an idea. "I can be here most days... but for the days I can't make it, I think I know someone who can."

***

"Jesse!" Linda squealed, entering her best friend's dorm room.

After squeezing each other tightly in a loving embrace, Jesse began poking her longtime friend in the stomach. Giggling, she teased, "So how are things with Max?! Are you two in looooove yet?!"

"Oh stop..." the pretty brunette responded while blushing. "I'm just helping him... Not dating him..."

Jesse took a seat on her bed and began kicking her legs like the giddy girl she was. With a big smile on her face, she winked at her best friend replied, "Suuuuure!"

"I'm serious!" Linda argued, growing redder by the second. Hoping to change the subject, she gave an update on Max's life. "He's doing much better, though. He's having some issues at work, but I think he'll get it figured out. I've been driving him to his showings and helping him with the real estate documents."

"Wait... Since when do you know how to fill out real estate documents?"

"Umm... I don't... It's just that Max has had some issues with paperwork since he had the concussion... I figured I could help him relearn some of that stuff, so I've been looking over his paperwork at night and studying what it means."

"You're studying?!" Jesse asked, almost laughing as she leaned forward. "And you're trying to tell me you're not in love with him? You HATE studying!"

"Jesse..."

"I understand... but it sounds like you have a full schedule and you look exhausted. Are you getting enough sleep, Babe?"

"Uh... I'm not sleeping that much... but I get to sleep on the weekends... Well... I used to sleep on the weekends..."

"You used to? What do you mean by that?"

"Well... Patricia's mom might lose her coffee shop, so I offered to work for free," Linda explained with worry written all over her face. "But since I'm not getting paid... and some unexpected bills came up... I'm going to be picking up some extra shifts at the dealership."

Jesse stared at the exhausted woman for a second before hesitantly responding, "That sounds... like... a lot..."

"Ummm... Yeah, it is a lot... and that's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

With her ears perked up, Jesse stopped swinging her legs as she waited to hear her best friend's issue.

"I can't make it there every day. Some days I need to drive Max to his showings, and some days I have to work overtime. Also, next Saturday I'm speaking to Michelle's psychology class... so I was wondering if you could help out at the coffee shop when I'm not there."