Page 161 of The Sweetest Devotion

The parking lot was empty, save for a couple of vehicles probably belonging to the store employees. I got out of my Tahoe and made my way inside, immediately tipping my head at the man behind the counter skimming a magazine.

I was the furthest thing from high maintenance, and as odd as it sounded, I had a thing for gas station or convenience store foods. This store had the best deli sandwiches. The first place I hit was the cold wall of burgers and sandwiches and swiped up an American sub.

Jackpot.

“Girl, hurry up, he ain’t gon’ catch you.”

A woman’s voice caught my ear and turned me around. In the aisle behind me, I could just make out two colored heads. One purple, and one red. The purple-haired one was tall enough so I could see her face. I recognized her from the shop, letting me know the one with red hair was Eden.

“I don’t know.” Yep, definitely Eden.

Purple Hair huffed. “Stop being lame and come on. He’s not even watchin’.”

Crumbling of a wrapper echoed through the air and I knew she was stealing.

Shaking my head, I went about collecting a bag of chips and a bottle of water from the fridge, telling myself to mind my own business.

When I made it over to the checkout counter, Purple Hair breezed by and quickly went for the door with Eden in tow.

“Hey! I saw that!” the cashier shouted as he looked in their direction. His hand went under the counter and I didn’t like the odds of him pulling a weapon. Thief or no thief.

Fuck.

Purple Hair ran out of the store giggling and Eden froze. The goodness in her had her not making a move to flee.

“She’s with me,” I spoke up. My voice drove the cashier’s attention my way, off of Eden.

“She shouldn’t be stuffing shit in her pockets before I can ring it up.” He was tired and no doubt working the third shift. I could understand his angst.

“What do you have?” I asked as I glanced at Eden.

She fidgeted from one foot to the other. “A bag of Reese’s Pieces.” She pulled out the neon orange pack and held it up.

“It’s three seventy-nine for those.” The cashier’s nostrils flared and a redness tinted his pale cheeks.

“Got it,” I told him.

He punched in the candy and scanned the rest of my stuff before telling me my total. I slid him a twenty and let him keep the change.

“Trust me, she won’t be so reckless next time,” I assured the cashier as I accepted my black plastic bag and headed for the exit.

Eden had waited around and walked with me out of the store into the night.

Under the bright lights of the parking lot, I saw her,reallysaw her. On her right cheek a bruise was fading, sending me on alert as my fist balled at my side.

“What happened?” My tone came out harder than I’d meant, causing her to flinch.

She turned so that I couldn’t see the damage. “Nothing.”

Bullshit. “Eden.”

“It’s nothing, okay! I’m just…clumsy.”

Clumsy my ass. I knew a war wound when I saw one. Still, I didn’t push. I barely knew her, and as much as I wanted to put hands on whoever had hurt her, I knew forcing the issue wasn’t the way.

“I oughta take that candy,” I warned as we stood apart. There was no sign of her friend. She’d been ditched.

Eden’s bottom lip trembled and I knew I couldn’t do that to her. “I got money.”

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