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They moved up and down each aisle at a quick pace, with Maddie hardly paying attention, too preoccupied thinking about the coming days. And while she thought about that, she also couldn’t stop thinking about the night before—the way it felt to be curled up against Saff’s body. The way she’d relaxed into her touch.
Things had slowly changed between them as the days passed. They weren’t just random acquaintances anymore. They were—friends. Although Maddie couldn’t lie to herself. The feelings that had formed in her over their time together had grown past friendship. But if Saff didn’t feel the same, then that was fine. Maddie could keep those feelings to herself—shut them out—if she had to.
They continued walking, and Saff pivoted as they hit the end of another aisle.
Then, as they were halfway through the turn, Saff suddenly stopped.
And Maddie immediately knew why.
She heard it too.
It was quiet, but just enough noise to let her know that something, or someone, was there.
Before she even had a second to react, there was one more small noise, and then Saff’s arm moved at lightning speed, yanking her behind her back. Her feet tripped over themselves, and she quickly grabbed onto Saff’s backpack for balance.
“Don’t move!” she heard a man yell.
Saff’s arm wrapped so hard around her that she could barely move even an inch in any direction. She held on tight to Saff’s backpack, tucking her face down as her chin pressed into her neck and shoulder.
Saff didn’t say anything for a few moments, and Maddie hoped desperately that she’d been able to raise her gun in time.
Then finally, Saff spoke, and Maddie recognized the cutting tone in her voice. It was the same one she’d used on her and Tyler when they’d first run into each other.
“We’re getting supplies. No one needs to get shot here for no reason.”
Maddie swallowed, trying to control the panic that rose in her chest when she realized that a gun was probably being aimed directly at Saff. She tried to shift herself out from behind her, but Saff’s steel grip tightened, keeping her planted solidly behind her. Still, Maddie loosed one arm, wrapping it around the front of Saff’s stomach, blocking as much of her body as she could.
“Then you shouldn’t have any problem putting your gun down,” the man hissed.
“You first,” Saff replied in a low, deadly voice.
Maddie shifted her hold on Saff’s back and felt the top of her cane dig into her wrist uncomfortably. She pushed it out a few inches, sliding it against the smooth floor.
A beat of silence passed.
“Who—who is that with you?” the man asked, every ounce of anger in his voice evaporating. A few seconds of silence went by, and then Maddie heard movement.
“Don’t fucking move,” Saff growled, her body expanding as if morphing into a shield in front of her.
The sound stopped. Then everything went eerily silent before the man finally spoke again.
“Maddie?”
Chapter fifteen
Saff watched the man’s face contort into a look of shock.
“Maddie, is that you?” he asked again, this time charging forward without stopping.
Maddie tried to move out from behind her, but everything in her screamed not to let her. It was dangerous, and she didn’t know who this man was.
Although, clearly Maddie did.
Still, she kept her gun aimed at him. But reluctantly, she released the hold she had on Maddie.
Then, to her surprise, it was Maddie who stayed.
She shuffled to the side so that her face was fully shown, but then she wrapped both arms around Saff’s stomach in a way that almost felt like Maddie was now trying to protect her.