Addiction (ongoing)

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Sunny Taylor

I put the one-hundred dollar bill the customer had just given me in the cash register, giving back her seven dollars and forty-two cents as change. I watched as her thin lips didn’t even make the smallest quirk at the price on the monitor.

She was a tall, slender woman, about forty, with dark hair. Her mouth never even hinted at a smile, but her eyebrows hinted at monthly trips to a plastic surgeons office. She wore a trench coat over a what seemed to be a nice dress. Her scarf and sunglasses hid her from being identified, which cause me to question why she was hiding?

But it was easy to spot. It was the teenage girl whom she had just bought the clothes for. With the same hair and build, it had to be her daughter. But watching the interactions of the two, it was either a strained home relationship or a newfound discovery of relatedness.

I was guessing the latter, but there was a slight chance it could be the former. The girl gave me a sad smile and a soft thank you, glancing at the mother as if asking permission to thank me. The mother just stared straight ahead, though I had no clue where she actually looking due to the deep tint on the glasses she wore.

I watched as they walked out, and reminisced of my when I lived with my mother. No matter how distant she was, it was still in my blood, literally, to have a maternal connection, and that void was dying to be filled.

As was my brotherly one. And my mate void. I wanted the two men in my life to be present now more than ever. With my high level of fear, I needed someone who could comfort me.

I was still being cautious around Finn and Molly, because I couldn’t be sure if they were trustworthy. And I still flinched at the touch of other people. Even handing a customer their cash, if our hands touched, I would flinch.

I had finally made progress, but it was slowly beginning to fade. I was working, and I guess that was both helping and hurting. It helped because I wasn’t alone with my thoughts, and my coworker was awesome, but it hurt because I was being exposed to a lot of people, and it made me fear that one would recognize me, and report to whoever the hell it was that was the reason for my being there.

Before I could further my pondering, Carlee sauntered through the doorway behind them, happily thanking them for coming as she made her way in, a bounce in her step and some extra curl in her hair. It was obvious something had made her even peppier than her normal joyful self.

She put her bag in the back, then came over to me behind the counter and hugged me. I stiffened, and felt my heart pound. I wasn’t too afraid, but I couldn’t help the natural effects of touch.

“Oh, Skylar, I am just so happy! I finally went on a date with the guy I have been crushing on!” She said with glee, smiling with not only her lips, but her eyes. I could tell she was honestly the happiest she had probably ever been.

I smiled lightly back at her, “Carlee, that’s awesome! Who is he?”

She grins and answers, “His name is Charles Weston. He works over at the interior design office that’s in this area.”

I faltered but held my composure at the sound of his name. I still hadn’t recovered from walking in of Charles Weston and Angie. That meant that Carlee was dating Angie’s boss, whom she was in love with.

When I caught them making out, it was awkward as heck. I apologized and left, waiting on a bench outside the office. Angie came out soon after, and awkwardly said nothing on the walk to the car.

Once we got in, instead of putting the key in the ignition as per usual, she let all the tension run out of her body and sighed, smiling like a dork, and blushing like a rose.