𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣

" new hot stalker "

IT'S BEEN ALMOST TWO full weeks of Nashville and Hope wasn't a step closer to ending her life. More or so, she was a step closer to living it. She was working hours at Daniela's, sometimes sneaking into the grocery store to sneak a peek at the brunette at checkout counter number thirteen.

It was her seventh time doing it today. Every other day, she successfully escaped the grocery store without Gracie noticing her. She walked in and looked through the chocolate covered raisins that were organized well into a pyramid. The raisins were closest to Gracie's checkout counter. She could hear every 'welcome' and every 'have a good day!' she would say.

Gracie was looking gorgeous today. On a random Tuesday afternoon, Gracie Abrams looked like a goddess. Her cheekbones were highlighted and the blush tinted her face beautifully. Her smile brightened the room, a fire fuming inside Hope everytime someone would hold her hand too long when receiving their change. "Are you gonna buy something or are you gonna stand there, biker?" Gracie's voice echoed.

She wasn't speaking to a customer. Gracie was speaking to Hope. "I— uhm..."

Gracie flashed Hope a toothy grin. "You're kind of impossible to miss. You walk in, you stand next to the chocolate covered raisins, and you stare at me. Do you think I smile out of nowhere for nothing? I think it's cute you have an obsession with me but you're not doing a good job at being my new hot stalker."

Hope had nothing to say. Was it the fact Gracie called her hot? Maybe. Was it that she didn't even notice that Gracie saw her everyday? That's probably it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Humble. I like that." Gracie smiled at the customer who walked into her checkout counter. She helped the elderly woman put her things onto the till before sliding them onto the otherside. She asked her the usual: if she wanted bags and if she wanted to donate. The lady donated thirteen dollars. Gracie thanked her before watching as the bag boy carefully packed her groceries and carried them outside with the lady next to him.

Hope took three boxes of chocolate covered raisins before sliding into checkout counter number thirteen. "Just this please." She acted as if she was just another customer. "Got it. Do you want a bag?" Gracie went along with the act as well. "Just one please." She looked up at Gracie and again studied her.

"You look pretty today." She said out loud. Gracie's eyes looked into hers and Hope felt as if she would melt like ice cream. "You look pretty everyday." Gracie countered. Hope would walk into the store with a different colored floral dress everyday. She would wear the same sandals and her blonde locks would lay on her shoulders.

She had her mother's curly hair. Well, at least from when Taylor was younger. Lately, the connection between Taylor and her straightener was powerful.

"I like the dresses. I really do." Hope took a mental note of that. Order and wear more floral dresses. Gracie's bag boy was back in less than five minutes which limited their conversation. "Would you like to donate to the hospital down the street?" Hope pulled out Taylor's credit card and nodded. "Yes."

"How much?"

"Five thousand dollars please." Gracie looked at her as if she was crazy. If Hope had the money, she was definitely gonna use it for something good. The bag boy looked between them both with a confused expression. Soon enough, five thousand dollars are extracted from Taylor's bank account. "Thank you for your donation." Gracie says.

"I'll help with her bags, Vincent." Gracie tells the bag boy. He nods and takes Gracie's place behind the counter. He was trained to know most things about being behind the counter in training.

Hope had taken the Jeep Wagoneer to work that day so she had a place to put her groceries. "Where did you get that money from?" Gracie asked Hope. Hope furrowed her eyebrows. "Do you know who I am, Gracie?" She didn't mean to say it the way she did.