Chapter 27 Part–time

Chapter 27 Part–time

ARDEN

s

“Shit.” Tessa cursed as soon as we entered our dorms. I was still a bit distracted by what had happened in the showers. I couldn’t shake it from my mind–especially the look on his face.

Owen

I wondered if he was alright.

“Owen, answer me!” Maisey eximed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The guy from the showers, Owen, was actually right in front of us, getting scolded by Maisey band /btwo big, burly men who looked ready to strike at any moment.

“You’re behind by a month now, Maisey reprimanded. “Our funds are balready /blow bas /bit is. I really don’t want to kick you out. but we need the money. If you can’t pay for it, then we have no choice but to give it to someone else.”

Owen pursed his lips and scratched the back of his neck.

“I thought byou /bhad the money!” Maisey pressed on.

“I did,” Owen muttered, almost inaudibly. “I lost it

That was when everything clicked into ce. The money my brother had taken.

I felt bguilt /bwash over me, despite knowing I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“We don’t toleratete payments, Maisey warned, and it seemed those big men were about to coerce him into something I wasn’t prepared to witness.

“I’ll give it to you by next week,” he promised. “I swear.”

bMaisey /bbit her lip band /bgave bhim /ba piercing look. “You better keep your promise. You’ve already broken thest one.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Owen muttered, and once again, my heart felt squeezed by guilt.

With that, Owen bturned /band walked away from the tense scene, heading toward the door. Tessa stepped aside, but I bcouldn’t /bbring myself to move. In the end, our shoulders bbumped /bagainst each bother/b.

He paused for a moment, looking binto /bmy eyes. His were bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept well in ages.

But aside from that, it felt like I was bstaring /bbinto /bba /breflection of my own struggles. Suddenly, lus eyes turned cold, a sh of bdisdain /bcrossing his features, making my breath hitch.

“bMove/b,” he mustered, giving me a gentle push. Tessa bcaught /bmy shoulders, steadying my stance.

With bthat/b, the two of us walked to our room.

“Isn’t it a bit… brutal?” I murmured, turning to bTessa /bbas /bbshe /bopened the door.

“What do you mean?” she basked/b, bncing /bback at me.

“Maisey Treplied, bmy /bvoice low

pretty harsh,” she conceded, closing the door behind us. “However, I get where she’sing from. The dorms operate the fees they collect from residents”

This dorm is already the cheapest option bamong /bbeverything /bhere at Elite, but we still have to pay bthe /bsame dues to the school. That’s why our butilities /bare so subparb./bb” /b

10:44 AM c

Chapter 27 Part–time

“bWhat /babout those two men?” I inquired.

s

They’re residents here too, Tessa exined. “I don’t think they’re going to harm anyone. They’ll just coldly throw out those who don’t pay on time.”

I sighed and leaned against the wall, feeling utterly drained. My worry for Owen lingeredb, /band I wanted to bdo /bsomething to help. However, I realized that I was in the same predicament as him.

I was fortunate to have paid the deposit, so I had until next month toe up with next month’s rent. But I needed to save up money now,

“We can bwork /bduring our free btime/b, right?” I asked, capturing Tessa’s attention.

She turned to me and nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. Do you need a job?”

“Desperately.” I muttered.

Her expression softened. “Don’t worry. Although it’s rare, it’s not impossible. I think the café running near the premises is hiring.”

My ears perked up at her rmendation.

“Really?”

“bYeah/b, it’s a newly opened ce. I heard it from some of my ssmates from this one ss.“”

I quickly threw on a jacket before grabbing my keys.

“Wait, where are you going?” she asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“To go and ask if they need more people,” I breplied /binnocently.

Tessa bshook /bher head bin /bbamusement/bb. /b“Alright, I’m cheering for you.”

–

Fortunately, it seemed that the café was in dire need of new employees. It bwas /bcalled “Evermore, and it had bexperienced /bba /bsoft opening just bst /bweek; the demand was far greater bthan /bthey bhad /banticipated.

The bmanager /bbtook /bone look bat /bbme /band dered bthat /bI was perfect bfor /bthe role. I wasn’t bsure /bwhether to take bthat /bas a bpliment/b, but I was d I could begin the next day.

I tied the apron baround /bmy bwaist /bband /bpushed my hair back, smiling at my reflection in the bmirror/b. ncing around the staff quarters, bmy /bbsmile /bwidened. With bthis /bjob, I bwould /bbe able to cover my dorm fees and bstart /bbsaving /bup for my tuition for the

next semester.

bAs /bI shut my locker, I was greeted by a surprising bsight/b. Owen, the guy from the showers, walked binto /bthe room, bmaking /bhis way to his locker while sipping bfrom /ba water bottle.

He wore an apron, a hai, and bhad /bflour dusted all bover /bhis clothes, so I assumed he must be bworking /bin the kitchenb. /b

“You’re bworking /bhere?” I blurted out before I bcould /bbstop /bmyself, beager /bto strike up a bconversation/b. bHaving /ba friend on the job didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.

roon I

However, he merely bnced /bbat /bme, closed his water bottle, and shut his locker before exiting the room I puffed air into my checks and shot a semi–re at the dour bas /bit bswung /bclosed.

“Would it hurt to answer with just one word?” 1 bmuttered /bunder my bbreath/b.

“Quit trying to make friends with random people, honey. Why bwould /bbyou /bneed to do that when I’m already here?”

A startled scream escaped bmy /bblips /bbas /bI turned to the side–or rather, to the ground. There, bon /bthe bench in front of the bwindow/b, someone was sleeping with a book covering bhis /bface.

Chapter 27 Part–time

My heart raced. Since when had he been there? I hadn’t sensed bhis /bpresence at all!

He lifted the book from his face, and I instinctively stepped bback/b.

b“/bbWhat /bare you bdoing /bhere?” I eximed, staring at him in horror.

s

Rowan merely smirked, casually lounging as he leaned his elbows against hisp. He looked me up and down, licking his lips bin /ban appreciative bmanner/b.

“You look really nice in that apron.

“Answer me.” I insisted, attempting to brush off hispliment

A loudugh erupted from his lips. “You never fail bto /bamuse me,

My brows knit together in confusion. What was there to find amusing?

“Answer me, or else I swear I’m going to report you to the manager.” I warned, frustration bubbling inside me.

He simply smirked and leaned back against the wall. “Sure, go aheadb. /bI’m sure the manager will only report it back to me. thoughb./b”

“Huh?” I stammered, taken aback.

“I’m the owner of this café, honeyb./b”