The Baker Shop [ON-GOING]

Chapter 16

Jessica's POV

As far as riding with a stranger I just met yesterday, no, I am totally not feeling like I'm going to die today. Awkwardness aside, the silence is deafening in this car. I guess I'm better off starting the conversation then.

"You two seem close." I spoke, glancing at him.

"Yeah, she's my best friend." he stated with a smile.

"I see." I wonder if something else is going on with them? She definitely acts with a lot more affection towards him, maybe she likes him but he doesn't know. I don't know why I'm thinking about stupid things.

"So Nathan Adams, is it?" I ask him.

He looks at me like I just killed his pet dog but brushes it off,"It's just Nate." he says. Guess he has issues with people calling his full name. Weirdo.

"I looked into your record files in the station," I gave him a side glance,"There wasn't much there so I'm assuming you're not from around here." I stated.

"No, I'm from the city." he replied.

"What made you move?" I asked,"Hope you're not running away as a fugitive." I remarked.

He lowly chuckled,"No, I-uh...had a fight with my parents." he stated, earning an eyebrow raise from me.

He became quiet for a while so I'm assuming it went really bad,"Rough?" I asked.

"Yeah." He looked down at his feet. This doesn't sound good to ask at all but I can't really help it.

"I hope I'm not being too pushy but may I ask what happened?"

"Sure, I-I dropped out of college." he said in a low tone,"I didn't really wanna live out the life they planned for me, I can't. I wasn't much of a fan at the whole 'follow your parent's dreams', it felt constricting to me. I felt like I was bound to them to the point where they made it feel like I had to do everything they say for me to succeed in life, I just couldn't live like that." he explained, heaving a heavy sigh afterwards.

"So I dropped out, went home, told them I wanted to live my own life, got yelled at, then the next morning I packed up my stuff and left," he turned to me with a weak smile,"And moved here, in Aeredale." he finished.

I glance at him, seeing him hold a fake smile on his lips make me feel sympathy for him. He's been through a lot,"Do you regret it? You know...leaving?" I asked.

He leaned back on the seat,"No...sometimes, I guess. It was a hard decision to make, I didn't really wanna leave them. I had my friends there, the city was where I grew up on but I decided that I wanna live a new life, a fresh start, a second chance, so this is where I came." he stated.

"It was time for me to carpe my diem, new opportunities, new friends, new relationship..." he said.

I guess he had a girlfriend in the city. I don't know why I'm overly curious about this but—ehh, fuck it."What happened?" I asked.

"It wasn't working out, I guess. We were on different roads, we wanted different things. In the end, she made me make a decision; either I leave the city to live my own life or stay with her...so I had to do what I had to. A year later, I found out that she flew to Europe to continue studying art." he stated.

"I guess she didn't really love you." I said.

He turned to me with a curious brow,"What do you mean?" he asked.

"If she loved you then she would've supported you." I told him, leaving him quiet,"If she loved you then she would've given you time to think about it, not force you to make an abrupt decision. She should've accepted your choice either way, I don't see love that way." I stated.

"How do you see in it then?" he asked.

"That love is not about making sacrifices or making crucial decisions. You should be content with what you both have and should be happy in each other's companies. You're able to be happy with each other without needing to lose something." I firmly stated.

I think if this woman did love him then she would've given him a chance to find himself and support his efforts of living a good life, not crave for his attention like a beggar.

I might be not be experienced in relationships but I do know that if the right guy finally comes then I would treat him with the love and respect he deserves.

After a while, he didn't say anything so I lightly turned my head to him just enough to still see the road in front of me and found him staring at me with a grateful smile spread across his face, almost like he's admiring my words earlier.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" I ask.

"No, I just agree with what you said." he informed, the smile not disappearing from his lips.

I furrow my brows before returning my full attention to the road, he is in fact—weird.

A couple minutes pass by and I park the car in front of his bakery at 5th Street,"It was nice talking to you, Officer Flynn." he said and got out the car, entering his bakery.

I'm starting to think that he might not be a bad guy after all but he is a highly strange person. He seems like the guy to find the beauty of nature appealing like an innocent child—definitely not the type of guy I would associate myself with.

My thoughts were disturbed by the buzz of my phone from my pocket, I take it out and look at the caller's name—Hickman.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Jessica, bring down Adams to the station. We have something to talk about." Hickman's voice sounded hoarse on the other line.

"Why do you need him? Did you find out anything about the case?" I ask again with a bit of eagerness.

"Not yet but I do need to talk to him. Bring him down here quick." he ordered.

"Got it, detective." I hang up and heaved a breathy sigh. I thought I could finally take a break from this guy.

I leave the car and casually walked inside the bakery, one of the windows wrapped up in the yellow police tape where the glass was shattered. Nate noticed my presence and quickly turned around in surprise.

"Officer, how may I help you?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"I need you to come with me to the station. Detective wants to talk to you." I told him.

He tugged his lips sideways and looked at me, now what does Hickman want to talk about with you?