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“You noticed that too, huh?” I ask, ignoring her other remark.
“A lot of people pass through these doors. After a while, you get good at figuring out their situation.”
“And what’s their situation?” I ask, curious to know if her thoughts match my own as I stare at Lia and her kid.
“One to avoid, I’d say.”
“Daph, that’s not what I asked.”
She sighs, following my gaze. “I’d say she’s a woman on the run.”
“From what?”
“Well, I’m guessing someone bad enough to run from.”
“Yeah, I think you might be right,” I agree, feeling a surge of protectiveness barrel out of nowhere as I swipe a hand through my hair. “Ah, fuck.”
“Now, Hendrix,” Daphne warns.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m just paying her bill. That’s all.”
“And a bit more on top,” Daphne replies, as I wave off her concern and stride towards their table.
“Don’t worry about that, it’s been paid for,” I say, making Lia jump as she reaches for the tray of coins and pushes it to the edge of the table.
“What?” she questions, her gaze barely meeting mine.
“I paid for your bill.”
Toby grins widely, his smile dropping when he looks over at his mother. “But that’s nice,” he whispers, picking up on her wariness.
“We don’t need your charity,” she bites back.
“It ain’t charity,” I retort, bristling a little at her reaction, not because she’s pissed me off for being rude, but because some arsehole, somewhere along the line, has made her so fucking distrusting.
“Then take this,” she says, pushing the pile of coins towards me.
I keep my arms folded across my chest. “Just call it a random act of kindness.”
“I don’t want to owe you anything,” she counters, round spots of colour tingeing her cheeks pink.
“Then pass it on.”
“What?” she questions.
Toby looks between us, his brown eyes absorbing this awkward as fuck interaction. “Next time you see someone in need. Pass it on. It’s no big deal,” I shrug.
She swallows hard, and I expect her to protest, but instead she meets my gaze with a steely one of her own. “I’m not in need.”
We both know she’s lying. “Regardless, it’s done now. Have a good day, yeah?” I reply, forcing my feet to move so I don’t sit down at their table and demand to know what the fuck has happened to them. It’s none of my damn business, anyway.
But as I step out into the biting November wind, I can’t help wondering who Amelia Pearson is running from and more to the point, why the hell I care.
TWO
LIA
“It’s okay, sweetie, just cuddle up to me okay. I’ll keep you warm,” I murmur, holding Toby close to my chest and wrapping him up tighter in the threadbare blanket I grabbed in my rush to leave.
