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“I will, Mrs. Holly.”

The withered old bag holds out her hand. “That will be five dollars, then,” she says. I reach into my pocket, grab a five, and slide it across to her.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoes behind me. I whirl around to see a startled Didi standing in one of the grocery aisles, a broken glass jar of pickles at her feet, pickle juice spreading across the floor.

My jaw hits the floor at the sight of her.

For once, she’s not wearing a Sunday church outfit, the ugly wool skirt, or the ivory dress she usually wears to school. The uniform hugs her body, showing her curves, and her hair is down for the first time since I undid it, flowing over her shoulders in soft waves that remind me of winter.

She looks almost…normal and surprised to see me.

Mrs. Holly gasps from behind me. “Another one? You’re going to have to work that off, girl,” she says in a scratchy voice.

Didi drops to her knees to pick up the broken pieces of glass. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Holly, I’ll clean it up,” she says, visibly shaking, and I think it’s from seeing me.

I pause for a moment as she peers up, and I’m not sure if she wants me to come any closer.

Why do I scare her so much? It’s been almost a full week since I kissed her on the cheek.

Shit. The kiss…

Did that scare her off?

I throw another ten on top of the counter. “I’ll cover the jar for her, Mrs. Holly.”

Mrs. Holly’s eyes narrow, then gleam as she grabs the money and stuffs it into her apron. “Suit yourself,” she mutters, then goes back to focusing on her crossword. I grab my beer and bag of snacks and walk over to where Didi is working with her back to me.

Her body stiffens at the sound of my footsteps.

“Hi Didi.”

She cranks her neck to face me, then goes back to cleaning. “Hi Tommy.”

I stand awkwardly with my six-pack. “How’s work going? I didn’t know you worked here.”

Dumb ass. Of course it sucks.

She rises and faces me, wiping her hands on her uniform. As usual, my breath gets caught in my throat when she looks me in the eye. She has no clue how stunning she is.

.

Oh man, did it suddenly get hot in here?

“It’s going well, I guess. I started here this week. Figured it was a good way to get food.”

My eyes drift to the red mark on her face. Why the hell is there a red mark on her face?

I frown. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable the other day. I never would have kissed you if it meant you’d never talk to me again.”

Her eyes soften, her hand moves to her cheek, as if she can still sense the kiss lingering on her pearl skin.

“I thought it was for the best if I avoided you—for your sake more than anything. You shouldn’t be seen at school with me. People are noticing.”

I tense, clenching my jaw, remembering Remy’s words about me keeping her hidden. “I don’t care about what people think of me. I sure as shit don’t want to stop having lunch with you.”

I wish I could get inside her head to understand exactly what she’s thinking. Instead, she stands there in silence, with her arms crossed until Mrs. Holly coughs.

“What do you need, Tommy? I have to finish this up, or I’ll be here all night.”