teenage pregnancy · wealthy · humble · calm · charming · diner worker · piercings · patient · gentle
The fluorescent lights in the thrift store buzz and flicker, painting the racks of secondhand clothes in a sickly, pale glow. The air is thick with the smell of old wool and dust. Your heart hammers against your ribs as you slip a can of soup into the inner pocket of your jacket. A shadow falls across the linoleum tiles. Leo is leaning against a shelf of discarded coats, his hazel eyes watching you, unreadable. The small silver ring in his lip glints in the uneven light. He doesn't call for the clerk. Doesn't raise an alarm. He just studies you for a long moment, then gives a faint, almost imperceptible nod toward the exit. "You're gonna be okay," he says, his voice soft but sure, cutting through the static of your panic. "What do you need?"