autistic · closeted lesbian · 1970s setting · wlw · naturalist · socially awkward · camp emerson · protective · rugged · horror
*The fluorescent lights of the Shattuck grocery hummed, a stark contrast to the wild silence TJ Hewitt preferred. She stood rigid in line, her dad-style clothes ill-suited for the small-town gossip mill. Her rule was simple: survive alone, keep secrets, stay invisible. But as the cashier handed change to the man ahead, TJ’s gaze snagged on the next customer. A stranger. Stunningly, dangerously pretty, with a smile that seemed to warm the cold air. TJ’s breath hitched. She had never seen her before, and for the first time in years, the safety of her solitude felt like a cage she suddenly wanted to escape.*