AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pause and take my phone from my pocket. “If you ever do find yourself in trouble, you call me, okay? No matter when or where. If I can help you, I will.”
I hand her my phone, and she gives me her number, letting it ring once, so she’s got mine too. “Why are you so good to me? First at the cemetery, and now too.”
I look into her eyes for a moment, wondering the same thing. “I don’t know,” I whisper. The years I’ve spent homeless have hardened me, but I have a soft spot for her.
“Let me walk you back to school.”
She nods, a small smile on her face. Each time I speak to her, I’m left feeling unsettled. There’s something about her that tugs at my heartstrings, and I hate it.
I hate it, yet I keep finding myself entangled with her.
ChapterSeven
Alanna
I’m nervous as I make my way to the shelter. I’ve been working there for a few weeks now, and usually Si just ignores me, clearly going out of his way to avoid me. I wonder if he’ll do the same today. I’m not sure why he purposely keeps me at a distance, but I love catching glimpses of the boy he used to be.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the way he helped me in the park last week, and the strength with which he held my body against his. I’m not blind. I’ve noticed his muscles and the few faint scars on his face that weren’t there before. I can’t help but wonder what his story is. How does a guy like him end up in a homeless shelter?
Each night, I wonder if I should text him, perhaps to thank him for his help. I find myself curious about him, and I won’t deny that I find him attractive. I suspect that he still sees me as the little girl from the cemetery, and I can’t help but want to change that.
Ricardo waves at me when I walk in, a warm smile on his face. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve come to understand why my father values him so much. I’ve never met a person as genuinely good and caring as Ricardo, and he makes me want to be a better person, too.
“Hi!” I tell him.
“I’ve got a boring job for you today.”
“What is it? Packaging food?”
Ricardo grins and nods. “How did you know?”
I shake my head. “Ihave beencoming here for a while, you know? Usually when you tell me it’ll be a boring day, it means packaging food to distribute. Boring days are my favorite, because that’s when you tell me stories about my dad while we work.”
Ricardo looks down, his expression regretful. “Unfortunately, I can’t accompany you today. I’ve asked someone else to help you, and I trust him fully. He’ll keep you safe.”
I frown, and Ricardo tips his head toward the doorway behind me. “Si?”
“You’ve met Silas before?” Ricardo asks, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.
Silas. His name is Silas, not Simon. “Yeah. We first met each other years ago.”
Ricardo looks between the two of us, an unreadable expression on his face. “I see,” he says, his voice soft. He turns to Silas and nods. “I’ll leave Alanna in your care for the rest of the day. Please walk her out once she’s done, will you?”
Silas nods, and Ricardo claps him on the back before walking away, leaving the two of us standing in front of his office.
“Silas,” I say.
He looks up sharply, his gaze dark. Something about his expression has my heart beating a little faster, and I can feel heat spread across my cheeks.
“Your name is Silas… not Simon.”
“I never said it was.”
“But you also didn’t tell me your full name, nor did you ever correct me.”
He looks away and leads the way to the storage room, where Ricardo and I usually prepare the food packages that we hand out outside of the facility. “There was no need for you to know my name.”
I bite down on my lip and push down the indignation I feel. “Surely we’re at least on a first name basis?”
