BREAKTHROUGH (Love's Not Easy Series Book 2) (16 page)

Aimee closed the lid and stood, taking her bag and to go things.  “LJ, I am not going out with you anymore.”

He stood and looked at her. If people could have steam coming out of their head, she was pretty sure it would be pouring from his.  “What do you mean?”

“I am breaking up with you.  I am sorry, I never should have agreed to be your girlfriend.”

He grabbed her arm and she placed her food on the table.  She was jerking, trying to get free from him.  He was inches from her face.  She thought, by being in public, he would not do this.  “What I am hearing, is you found out your precious roommate is single and you want him, just like Ava said.”

“No!  What brought this on, is how you treated me at mini golf, on the phone, in the parking lot at my flat, and right now, I am no MAN’S punching bag, so let go of me.”

“No!”

“LJ, people are looking at us.  Let go before they call the police or something.”

He released her arm, but shoved her in her chair.  “Let them.”  He slapped her face.

“NO WOMAN SPEAKS TO ME LIKE THAT.”

She could feel the blood trickling down her chin.  He busted her lip, at the very least. The next thing she knew, he had her by the arm, dragging her across the patio away from the others. She was screaming for help and he turned and hit her in the face with a closed fist, knocking her nearly to the ground.  No one offered to help.  So much for humanity.

The rest of what happen was a blur. Some man came out of nowhere and sacked LJ.  He wrestled LJ to the ground and held him there.  He was shouting things at LJ, but Aimee couldn’t hear him.  She was leaning against a table and a woman put something cold on her face.  She wanted to find her purse, she needed her cell, but her vision was too blurry, she couldn’t make anything out.

LJ got up and the guy walked him to his car.  He came back to Aimee and looked at her.  “Are you ok, honey?”

“Yeah.” Her vision was clear now.

“Don’t try to stand just yet.”  He reached behind him, Aimee could see a silhouette of the woman handing him a cup.

“Drink this tea.”

“Thanks.”  Aimee sipped on the best tea she had ever tasted.  “This is delicious.”

“It is an old family recipe.  Did you drive yourself here?”

“I walked.  My flat is four blocks away.”

“You don’t need to walk back alone.  Do you have someone to call?”

“Yeah.”  Aimee dialed Lexi’s number, she did not want James or Aiden here.  “My friend Lexi is on her way.”

“Good.  We will wait here with you till someone shows up.”

The waitress came running over to her.  “When I heard someone say they seen an injured girl near the bushes, I knew it was you.”

“Thanks for coming.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Where did he go?”  Aimee was looking around.

“Who?”

“He left.  The gentleman…” Aimee turned to her right, but he was gone.  “I don’t know where he went, but some man came out of nowhere sacked LJ to the ground.  He yelled at him.  I couldn’t make it out and then he ran off.”

“Did the man leave you?”

“No.  He was right here.  Him and his wife.  She put this ice bag on my face and got me this tea. It is very good I would love to know how to make it.”

“We only serve regular brewed tea and I don’t see a cup or an ice bag.”

“Ok, anyway, they stayed here with me. He told me it wasn’t safe to walk back to my flat and to call a friend to come and get me.”

“I don’t know how to say this, but he hit you pretty hard.  The people who found you, said you were alone and talking to yourself.”

“So, you think I am as crazy as LJ?”

“No.  I am saying he hit you hard.  He must have knocked you out.”

“I don’t know.”  She held her head.  “My head does hurt.”

The waitress walked Aimee back to her table.  “I had the chef make you a fresh to go order. I will go get it for you.”

“Thanks.”  Aimee sat at an empty table, no one was looking at her like she thought they would be.  She laid her head on the table, it was really hurting.

Lexi came running on the patio with Jaxson, Colin, Aiden, James, and Piper right behind her.  “Aimee, are you ok?”

Aimee looked up at Lexi and laid her head back down.  “I told you to come alone.”  Aimee looked at the guys.  “He is gone.”

The waitress appeared with Aimee’s container.  Aimee took it and tipped her again. She wanted to refuse, but Aimee smiled at her. “You put up with too much today because of me.  Please, take it.  I really feel that God wants you to have it.”

Aimee started to leave with her friends and then turned to the waitress.  “Your name is Mia, right?”  The girl nodded.  “Mia, I think the man and his wife were my Guardian Angels.  I also think God had you be my waitress for a reason today.  We attend Wise Chapel and would love for you to join us.”  Aimee handed her a track with the church information.

“Thanks, Aimee.”  She watched Aimee leave and then looked down at the tip.  Aimee gave her three hundred dollars.  She had to sit down.  Her rent was three hundred and fifty dollars. If she didn’t pay it today, she and her nine month old daughter would be homeless tonight.

She could also now afford to use her other tips and paycheck to buy formula and diapers.  She only had enough diapers for today.  Mia looked at the sky, she had never been much of a believer, but today changed that.

Chapter Seventeen

Lexi took Aimee straight to the clinic were Dr. Adkins worked.  He examined her and informed her that, though her face may look worse, no permanent damage had been done; and, she didn’t appear to have a concussion.  He could not explain why her vision was blurred.  The hit to the face just aggravated the injuries from the fall.

He encouraged Aimee to call the law and get a restraining order on LJ.  Aimee couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  She told him she would think about it, but she had a feeling LJ won’t be around anymore.

Aimee took a shower and put on some comfortable PJ’s, she was not going out anymore tonight.  It has been forty five minutes since they left Dolli’s, but her food was still good reheated.  Everyone had gone out but her and Aiden.  The others offered to stay, but Aimee told them, if they did, she would lock herself in her room for the whole night.

An hour later, she was watching a movie alone.  Aiden has not spoken to her since they left the restaurant and was in his room now.  She wasn’t sure why, but she would give him his space.  Mark and Tessa, called to check on her, thanks to James, and she received another lecture on pressing charges.  She told everyone that she was fine and he wouldn’t bother her again.

Only if she could believe it herself.  She went out to take a walk to her private beach spot, but she didn’t make it off the patio before turning back in the flat and double locking the back door.  She turned to go watch another movie, when she hit a body hard as she turned.

She didn’t need to look up.  She smelled his cologne.  She took a step back and hit the door.  “You are going to hurt yourself more, if you are not careful.”  Aiden went to the refrigerator.

“Wow, he speaks.”  She walked to the living room and sat on the couch.

She flipped through the stations, but she could not find anything on.  Just as she laid the remote on the coffee table, Aiden walked in and took the spot beside Aimee and started eating the sandwich he just made.

Aimee didn’t look at him.  She just kept looking at the TV.  “You know, Aimee, you did a fine job convincing the others you are fine, but you can’t fool me.”

Aimee opened her mouth when the doorbell rang.  “I got it, Aims.”

Aiden returned to the living area with Mark and Tessa.  Tessa came and sat on the couch beside her.  “Your voice was not as convincing as your words.”

Aiden sat in one of the chairs.  “It seems I am not the only one you can’t fool.  I just told her, she couldn’t fool me.”

Aimee looked at Tessa, with the tears in her eyes.  They were all right, no matter how brave she tried to act, she was scared.  “I was so afraid.”  Her voice cracked as she spoke.

Tessa wrapped her in a motherly hug.  As Aimee went through every detail of the evening with LJ, she watched Aiden grip his fist.  “I wish I had let you go and hide at another table.”

Aiden looked at her, she was so scared.  He came over and sat in front of her.  “Hey.  It is ok, we are here now.  None of us thought he would go this crazy in public.  If we did, I wouldn’t have listened to you.”

Aimee shook her head.  “If I hadn’t been so stubborn, I wouldn’t be sitting here, crying with my face beat up again.  I should have listened to Lexi and broke up with him over a text message.”

Mark came over and sat on the other side of Aimee.  “Don’t dwell on the things you cannot change.  It is just one of the devices the devil uses to bring you down.”

Aimee took a deep breath.  “There is more I need to tell you, but please, don’t think I am crazy.  But when Mia, our waitress, came to help me, I told her about the man and the lady left when she got there.  Well, Mia told me, the people who told them about me, said I was alone and talking to myself.”

Aiden looked down at her.  “That doesn’t make sense.  How could they see you and not the man and woman?  They were right beside you, right?”

“Yes, he was and she was on the sidewalk.  But, I am confused about other things too.  When the man sacked LJ and I fell into the bushes, everything went blurry, until after LJ ran away and the man came over to me.”

Mark looked at her questionably.  “You never seen her face?”

“No, just a silhouette of her.  I could tell she was a woman, but she never talked. One other thing, she brought a cup of tea for me to drink.  It was so delicious.  The man told me it was a family recipe.”

Tessa looked at the others and then Aimee.  “What makes that weird?”

“When I was telling Mia all of this, I couldn’t find the cup or the ice bag to show her.”  Aimee looked at Mark. “Do you believe in guardian angles?”

“Yes, I do.  God knew what would happen today.  Even if you would not let us be there with you, He was and God protected you today, Aimee.”

“I am so glad to hear you say that, I was afraid I was going crazy.”

Mark looked at her.  “Aimee, honey, let me read Hebrews 13:2
- Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. We never know when Gods angels are with us.”

“Thanks, Uncle Mark.” She hugged him.  She needed to know she was not crazy.  When they left, she told Aiden how the man looked at her with such loving and warming eyes.  He just had to be an Angel.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

The next morning, Aimee’s face looked surprisingly well.  The bruises had majorly lightened up.  She had no problem using her make-up to cover them.  Aimee walked in the doors of Wise Chapel with Aiden, Colin, and Kelli.  Aimee noticed Mia standing beside Mark.

Aimee and Aiden walked over to Mark and Mia.  Mark introduced Mia to Aiden; and then, Mia introduced her baby girl, Skylar, to them.  Aimee ask Mia to sit with them through service; there was enough room for Mia and Skylar in their pew.

After Sunday school, Mark preached on Repenting to the Lord.  He started the message by preaching from
2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
.  He talked about how simple it is to come to God.

He touched on how the wages of sin is death while, comparing the Glory of Heaven to the misery of Hell.  Aimee listened closely as he talked about how to be careful to not become of the world.  He was saying we live in this world, but we need to put ourselves aside from the worldly desires.  Listen to the voice of God and remember that when God speaks to us, it is up to us, whether we listen to him or not.

He ended his sermon by reading from John Chapter Three 15-18
(15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.)

Mark began the alter call and Mia slipped out of the pew and walked to toward the altar to pray.  Tessa and a few of the older ladies went to pray with her.  When Mia rose up, Mark asked her if she had something she would like to share with the congregation.

Mia cleared her throat.  “I knew God was real, but I have never paid much attention to Christianity, until yesterday. That is when God...” she had to regain composure the tears flowing from her eyes.  “Yesterday my rent was due, and I didn’t have enough money to pay my rent and still buy the things I needed to care for my nine month old baby, Skylar.  God sent an angel my way, who tipped me three hundred and fifty dollars.  The exact amount I needed.”

Aimee had tears in her eyes, as the congregation listen to Mia explain what God had done for her in the past twenty-four hours.  Aiden laid his hand on top of Aimee’s, the second she looked up at him, she saw the tears rolling down his face.  “God turned a bad into a good.”

Aimee nodded as he took her hand.  Without words, she knew what he needed.  She walked beside him as he went to the altar to pray to God to forgive him and come into his life.

Mark raised from the alter and clapped his hand as he recited
Acts 2:38 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Aiden decided he did not want to wait to be baptized. Both he and Mia stated everyone that they wanted with them was here.  Lexi offered to face time Aiden’s parents for him, when he told them he was getting baptized this morning, Aimee heard his mother praising God.  Lexi held the camera, so they could watch their Prince Aiden be baptized in the name of the one true Prince, Jesus Christ.

Lunch that day was a true celebration.  They invited Mia and Skylar to the Andrew’s for dinner.  The group loved spoiling little Skylar.  They also learned Mia was twenty two. She has a major in accounting, but she became pregnant her last semester of school.  The guy bailed on her.  She had lots of interviews, but no one wanted to hire a pregnant woman.

Aimee became angry as Mia spoke about her hard time finding a job because of her pregnancy and being a single mom.  Jaxson took Aimee aside after they ate.  “I noticed a job posting for an entry level accountant on the company intranet site.”

“You are right.  I don’t think we have had any applicants.”

Jaxson and Aimee asked Mark to join them in his office. Jaxson printed the application from the website for Mia.  While Mark went to ask Mia if he could talk to her. Mia was surprised to see Aimee and Jaxson in the study. Jaxson explained he worked for Roseednay Fruits and he recalled seeing an opening for an entry level accountant.  As he handed her the application, he explained that they are accepting applications this week.  Aimee noted the fear in Mia’s eyes. So, she explained to Mia, that she owns the corporation that owns Roseednay Fruits.  Aimee told Mia to meet her at the company on Tuesday at two.

Aimee arranged with Mr. Myers and the head of accounting department to meet Mia and her on Tuesday.  They offered her the job that day. The position was full time with benefits and the pay was triple what she was making waiting tables, they even had a daycare in the building, so Skylar would be close to her.

When they left to go to Tessa’s, Mia told Aimee how now she would be able to afford to rent a home for her and Mia in a nice neighborhood.  The apartment they lived in was a very small apartment in one of the rough neighborhoods in town.

Aimee went back to the flat and told the others about Mia’s job and her living conditions.  James said he would talk to their dad and see what the church can do to help Mia.  Aiden was on the phone with someone he knew, who helped people like Mia, trying to make a life for herself and her daughter.

God knew what Mia’s needs were when he led her to Wise Chapel.  She found a new life in more ways than one.  Aimee felt so blessed to see all her friends and her new friend, Mia, come to the Lord.