All or Nothing

It's been two years since I had seen my family and friends, two years since I had seen the person who had ripped me away from the life I once loved, and it had taken two long ass years to help recover. That night had been nothing but pain for me and regret, so it was easier for me to run than stay. I rarely think about the people I once knew, Dave and Karen McLaren never come into range now and neither does their children. It was best for me, because I could move on. No matter how selfish I was being, it was for the best.

In the quaint little town of Arnprior in Ontario, Canada. I spend my days blending into the background, making coffee and pouring pints, just like I was doing at this very moment. Here I was Effie, the girl who had her shit together. Which was true, I had a job and nice apartment, that was on top of Chapmans (which was the pub I worked in) and I had a cute little dog, named Bingo the beagle who didn't like to be home alone so he accompanied me to work every day. He helped mothers and fathers who struggled to control their kids in a public place, and helped the elderly have a companion for an hour or two. Bingo was my only companion. I had decided that people weren't for me, I was happy to interact with them on a day to day basis. But I was alright being alone for the most part.

"Effie dear can you get me a small Americano?" Mrs Winters asked as she lent over the counter. "Oh and could you get me a small green tea for my husband, he's on his detox diet." She laughed to herself. I looked over at her husband who sat with a face like a slapped arse. His wife was constantly coming into the small pub and telling us what she was making her husband do this week. I felt sorry for the poor guy.

"Sure Mrs Winters, one Americano and one green tea coming right up."

"Where's that little dog of yours? I've been dying to give him a little squeeze." I smiled at her, Bingo was her favourite employee in here.

"Call on him and he'll come running."

"Bingo! Come get a treat!" Immediately you could hear his paws and nails scratch along the hard wood floor. His floppy ears came into view as he whizzed passed me to get a treat. Every time Mrs Winters was in, he knew he would get something from her, because of his big eyes and cute face.

"Mrs Winters you're going to make Bingo chubby."

"He already is dear, might as well get used to it!" I handed her her freshly made coffee and tea, with a few chocolate biscuits on the side. "Thank you." She flashed her dazzling white teeth at me and carefully took her tray away, with Bingo hot on her heels. I shook my head and went back to wiping the bar down with a cloth.

As the day went on, more and more customer's flooded the pub. The regulars, as usual, sat up in the back in their usual seats, complaining about the noise from all the younger customers.

"Effie, can you ask them to be quiet?" I looked at the customer and shrugged, going back to cleaning dirty glasses.

"They aren't being overly loud or rowdy, as soon as they become too annoying, I'll tell them off, alright Joe?" Turning his head side to side, he waved me off going back to his table. Looking over the top of my glasses I spied the group. They were made up of mostly women but there was a few guys and I most definitely would have tried to befriend them before. All of them were smiling and laughing. I stopped for a moment, trying to remember some of the old faces who brought me joy like they did for each other.

"Yo! Effie get me a beer please?"

"Sure, sorry Steve." I reached down for a glass underneath the bar.

"Don't worry about it." He watched me pour his pint. "Effie where did you come from?"

"What made you ask that?" I stopped what I was doing.

"You never mention family or anything."

"Oh, well ugh...Boston." Shit, I'm such a terrible liar.

"Okay, what about before that?" Handing the man his beer, I finally gave in. Not like I had a choice to give in, my thick Scottish accent gave it all away.

"Well I grew up in Scotland." He nodded, handing me his change.

"I thought that. Do you ever see your family?" By now I had enough. This was none of his business and I wasn't going to answer anything else. What was it to any of them who I was or who my family were. Just let me pour your pints and leave me in peace.

"Okay you, why don't you go back to your table?" I gestured towards the party of four who were waiting on him patiently.

"I'll find out one way or another." Steve winked and stumbled away from me. My attention turned back to the younger ones, but everyone of them had scattered and they were nowhere to be seen.

Looking at the clock it was time for my break and time to walk the little beagle. As always we took the same path, passed the pub, up the small lane that sat nicely in between the store and the post office and down to the the lake, so Bingo could have a sniff around the same rabbit holes he did, every time we came here. Unfortunately it had been raining all day so my shoes were sticky and dirty from the mud path. Before we could get to the lake there was a hill. This hill was the bane of my existence in Arnprior. Every day I climbed it and each time I did, I hated it more and more. Bingo of course loved it for some odd reason. I should love it, my legs, hips and arse were now my favourite features of myself because of this hill. Each step was sloppier than the last and each time my arms flew out in front of me to stop myself from falling. The muddier my vans got the more difficult it got to travel up the hill. But of course Bingo was waiting at the top patiently wagging his tail. My glasses were completely fogged up and my hair stuck to my head. Not long till I got to the top now a couple of more steps, but in this weather it felt like a million miles away. Suddenly my foot slipped my whole body slammed straight into the mud. Shit

"Hey, you alright?" Frightened, I look up and saw one of the men from the pub. Extending out his hand. Where? How?...What in the world? "Come on let me help you up." I extended my hand and he pulled me up and helped my travel to Bingo.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. Here take my hoodie." He took of his jacket to reveal a clean grey hoodie. I smiled and took off my black bomber jacket which was now covered in mud. As my jacket revealed my bare shoulders, his eyes wandered to the purple V on my collarbone. I quickly covered myself with the hoodie, to cover the ugly mark. He quickly looked away from me and focused on my little dog.

"Thanks again, what are you doing up here? It's freezing."

"Felt like taking a little walk." He mumbled, looking down at his shoes. I shrugged of his answer.

"Listen maybe it's time for you to go back to the pub, it's dangerous around here."

"Listen, buddy. I've lived here quite a long time. I think I'll be alright." I'm certainly not a dainty little flower who can't handle herself.

"Suit yourself." He stared at me for one last time. The stranger put his hand up, ready to open his mouth, but nothing came out. He just shook his head and left me alone. Maybe I should just cut the walk short tonight.

As soon I got back to the pub, I ran upstairs to my apartment to change. My boss Louis waited downstairs while I got a small shower. Well that is after I dried my Bingo off. After I had done just that, I went into the bathroom, stripping my clothes off and turning on the shower, before I got in I took a look at myself. No bags under my eyes, no stress lines. But underneath fringe, my eyes were dull. Never had I seen them this dull. Maybe it was because there was nothing exciting in my life now. I moved my newly dyed black hair away from my shoulders, revealing the very dull, old mark. The very same mark the ached most days, sometimes on the rare occasion it even hurt like hell. It had caused me many a sleepless night. And it would be something I could never escape. But I could always escape the person who gave it to me.

~~~~

No ones POV

"Hey boss." The man from the hilltop spoke into his phone. He had found out some relatively interesting news that his boss required to know.

What do you want Dean? Dean rolled his eyes, listening to the rough annoyed voice on the other end of the phone.

"I'm up in Arnprior, you know after you sent me here to scout out the clan."

Yeah, I remember, anything good for me?

"Oh yeah one little lady has definitely caught my attention."

Stop thinking with your dick and just get the fucking job done.

"Listen boss, I think it's time you take a break from your duties, if the girl with the V is unpredictable as you say, she might not be here for much longer."

Notes

Hello guys!
This is the start of the sequel for I Can be your Everything, so if you haven't read it go back and read that first. I hope you enjoy it.
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