Better If He Goes (Always You #1) - Allie Everhart Page 0,89
fit our culture. April, get your things and leave."
The room is silent, all the other stylists staring at April, looking scared they might be next. Kandace and Kari have been here less than an hour and are already bullying everyone into submission. I feel like I'm back in junior high when Kari turned everyone against me.
"Don't let them do this," I yell from the back of the room. "Don't be bullied by them. There are other places to work. You don't have to do this."
I wait for someone to walk out the door, or at least say something, but they don't. They're too afraid of not having a job. I'm afraid too, but I'll find something else. Anything is better than this.
"Let's go," Brad says to me as he holds open the door to the break room.
"Wait." I run over to April, who's quietly crying. I put my arm around her. "C'mon. Let's get out of here."
Everyone watches as I walk her out of the salon.
When we're in the break room, I give April a hug. "It'll be okay. You'll find something else."
She sniffles. "None of the salons in town are hiring."
"Then you'll find some other job. Or you'll cut hair out of your house. A lot of stylists do that."
"I live in a tiny, crappy apartment. Nobody will go there." She sobs on my shoulder.
"April, you'll find a job. I know you will. Everything will work out. It always does."
Brad's standing behind her and smiles. "Good advice."
I smile back. "I heard it from this guy. He's really smart."
"You need to pack anything up?" he asks. "We should probably get out of here."
"Um, no, I just need to grab my purse." I pull back from April. "You need to get anything?"
"Yes, but I don't want to go back in there."
"I'll do it," Brad says. "What do you need?"
She tells him, and he returns to the salon, then comes back with just her purse.
"Where's all my hair stuff?" April asks.
"They wouldn't let me take it," Brad says. "Kandace said it's salon property."
"But I bought some of that stuff myself."
"I'll get it." I start to leave, but Brad pulls me back.
"Forget it," he says. "It's not worth the fight. I'll buy her what they took."
"Brad, you don't have to do that," April says.
"Let's just get out of here." He goes to the back door and holds it open for us.
We walk April to her car, a rusted-out hatchback that constantly breaks down. She really needed that job, and now she doesn't have it because of me.
"I'm sorry, April," I tell her.
"It's not your fault. And what you said in there? You're right. I don't want to work for those people. I wouldn't have lasted a week."
"You okay to drive?" I ask.
"Yeah. I'll go home and start looking for jobs."
"I'll call you later, okay?"
She nods and gets in her car. We watch as she drives off.
"Guess I'll go home." I turn and head to my truck.
"Riley, wait." Brad comes up beside me. "Are you mad at me? For going out with her?"
"No. I'm just in shock. I can't believe they're the new owners. And I can't believe you dated her."
"It wasn't a date. I didn't like her from the moment I met her. Nate didn't either, but he put up with her because he really liked her friend. If either of us had known she was the girl who bullied you back when you were a kid we never would've went out with them." He takes my hands in his. "I'm sorry. About all of it."
"Like you always say, it'll work out. It has to, right?"
"Right." He smiles. "Let me take you somewhere. Get your mind off all this."
"I can't. I have to go find my mom and make sure she's not doing something stupid."
"You think she went home?"
"I don't know, but I'll start there."
"After you check on her, we're going out. Wherever you want to go." He opens the door to my truck. "Take this thing home. I'll meet you there and we'll take mine."
I stop before getting in. "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"What Kari said in there. That stuff about me not being right for you. It's true. I don't make sense with you. So why are you dating me?"
"Why are you listening to Kari? It doesn't matter what she thinks."
"But I want to know. Why are you dating me? You could have anyone. A girl with money. A college degree. A future."