Page 62 of To Love the Stars too Fondly

I walked up to the woman behind the counter. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but can I use your phone?”

Apparently, I was pathetic enough for the cashier to look concerned. She gestured for me to join her behind the counter.

I dialed the number. It rang. And rang. And rang….

“Hello?”

My breath caught, suddenly choked with tears. “Alex, I—”

“Terra?”

I gasped a pained breath. My hand steadily began to throb. “It’s Terra, yeah. Alex, I need help. I think my mom might be in danger. I-I don’t know what to do.”

The voice over the phone immediately darkened. “I’ll take care of it. Where are you?”

I looked at the cashier. “Where am I?”

She answered. I repeated the address into the phone. “I don’t have my wallet or phone or anything.”

“It’s okay. I’ll have someone come get you.”

Someone. Not Alex. I gulped, tears welling in my eyes. “Okay.”

“Just hang tight. It’s going to be okay.”

She hung up. I trembled as I placed the phone onto the receiver. “Thank you,” I whispered to the cashier.

She replied by pulling out a stool from under the counter. “I’ll get you a water bottle,” the cashier said, though she hesitated before leaving her station. “Do you need to call the police?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. Only if a guy comes in with a broken nose.”

She nodded warily as she left.

My hand throbbed, but I could move each finger. Sprained, perhaps. Bruised, definitely. Broken? No.

I stayed quiet as I sipped my water, using the chilled bottle to soothe my hand. The cashier was named Amy, I learned, and she mostly left me alone, though did keep a closer eye on the door than I suspected was usual. Guy with a broken nose was a pretty incriminating description, but no one came in who raised any alarms.

Until…half an hour later—

Alex herself walked through the door.

My breath caught. Her eyes immediately widened in alarm. She rushed to the counter, but the cashier stood up. “Is this someone you want to see?” she asked me.

“It is.” I stood with care, exhausted from the aftermath of adrenaline. I left the safety of the counter, still in awe to see Alex at all. “Hey.”

Instead of greeting me in return, Alex gently took my wrist. “What the hell did you do?”

“Broke Cliff’s nose and ran the hell away.” I tried to smile, but she carefully tested my fingers, noting when I winced. “I don’t think anything’s broken.”

“No, but we’re getting you some ibuprofen and a wrap.”

“You don’t have to—”

She was already gone, having rushed down one of the aisles.

I leaned back against the counter. Amy leaned forward. “Is that your girlfriend?”

“Ex, but yeah,” I muttered.