Page 16

“I should hope so!” He huffs before storming off.

Sighing, I accept a rag from my nearby coworker and kneel to start cleaning up the coffee and shattered mug. The brown liquid swirls on the linoleum, and the broken pieces of the mug clatter together.

“Here, let me help,” a rough voice says.

I look up to find Finn, the stranger who had just ordered. His face is pinched with concern as he quickly picks up the broken mug.

“Thanks, but you don’t have to…”

“It’s okay. Everyone needs some help sometimes,” he responds quickly, and his expression somehow soothes me despite its intensity. His whole demeanor is calm and steady, making me feel less shaken up.

For a moment, we work in silence, cleaning up the mess. Iwatch his muscular hands pluck the pieces of the broken mug off the ground, tossing them into a bussing bin one at a time. His motions are self-assured and steady.

The way he works is methodical and almost hypnotizing.

When we finish, Finn looks up at me with a piercing gaze that leaves me somewhat unsettled.

“You shouldn’t let others speak to you with such disrespect,” he says, wiping up the rest of the mess with a rag.

The unexpected advice surprises me. Honestly, this whole encounter has been strange. I didn’t expect the intense stranger to be so kind, and it leaves me feeling flustered.

Ding!

I jump, startled. But it’s just my cell phone in my apron pocket. That’s strange; I always put my phone onDo Not Disturbat the start of my shift. If a message went through, someone must have marked it as urgent.

Pulling out my phone, I see the message on the front screen.

Justin

You need to come home right now.

A wave of nervous nausea washes over me as I stare at the words. Even though he’s been giving me the silent treatment all morning, even after mocking me in bed last night, he still expects me to come home to him.

How the hell am I supposed to pay rent when he expects me to drop everything and run to him whenever he texts? The frustration and sadness make me realize I have to break up with Justin, or I’ll lose my mind.

Of course, that would mean being alone, for real this time. No safety net. No one to turn to. The thought fills me with both relief and terror.

Change, no matter how right, is so damn hard.

Iswallow past a lump in my throat and wipe at my eyes, unwilling to let the tears fall.

“Alice, I’m going to take my fifteen now,” I say, my voice wobbly.

Without waiting for a response, I shove my phone into my pocket and head for the back door. As soon as I’m outside, I breathe in the icy air and finally let my tears flow. The hot tears stream down my chilled cheeks, dripping off my chin.

“Are you alright?”

I wipe my nose and turn to find Finn. The customer who helped clean the mess. In my books, he’s automatically a good man for doing that. He gazes at me with genuine concern.

“Yes. No. I—I don’t know,” I manage, another sob tearing through me as he approaches.

Finn takes another step forward. “Can I hug you?”

His offer takes me by surprise, as does my willingness to consider it. Normally, I would never consider a hug from a random customer.

But I feel so alone, and he somehow seems... comforting.

I nod, and he folds me into his strong arms. The warmth of the hug seeps into me, and I relax in the embrace. There’s a scent emanating from him, something like a smoky campfire- but I can’t quite place it.