Path To Redemption (Fighter's Den, #1)

Chapter 12 - Emily

"I loved that one." A soft voice speaks and I look up to see a stunning girl.

She has long and straight blonde hair and her eyes are the palest shade of grey I've ever seen. She's got a slender nose and a faint smattering of freckles covering it. Her lips are plump and her cheeks are angled. They're also a light shade of pink and I note with amusement that she's definitely the shy type. So much so, I'm betting it took a lot of courage on her part to share her thoughts with a random stranger. I offer her a sincere smile.

"Same here. I just finished reading it." I tell her. She nods and looks like she wants to say something else, but bites her lip and seemingly decides against it.

I find myself studying her. Something about her strikes me as the loner type and I instantly want to reach out to her. Besides, I met her in a bookstore. If that doesn't scream future best friend, I'm not sure what does.

"How's that book?" I nudge my chin towards the book she has in her hands. She looks startled that I'm talking to her and this makes me want to befriend her even more.

"Oh, um, it's actually very good. Probably the best one I've read in a month or so." I can see how her eyes light up and I'm seriously liking her. A book passion can bind two bookworms together more than blood binds a family. Trust me.

"You should buy it." I suggest encouragingly. Her eyes suddenly lose their dim and fall back to the opened pages.

"Maybe." She mutters and I wonder what I did wrong.

She stands up then, placing the book back in its rightful place before putting her hands in her jean pockets. I notice she doesn't have a purse or handbag and I think I'm starting to pick up why she won't buy the book and why my suggestion was enough to send her scrambling.

"Nice meeting you." She looks almost regretful as she walks away.

I'm not sure why her departure actually saddens me having met her for all of two minutes but there was something about that girl that silently screamed for a friend. And I just had an intuitive feeling that her lone status didn't have everything to do with her as a person. She seemed great. In those two minutes, anyways. A random idea strikes me and before I know it, I grab my book and hers and go to the cashier to pay for both. I rush out of the store and start walking around the general area of the mall. She couldn't have gotten too far. A flash of blonde catches my peripheral and I walk towards it, grinning when I get close enough and see that it's her.

"Hey!" I call out and quicken my pace. Several people look towards me but not her. Damn it. I start jogging towards her and give her back a quick tap when I finally reach her. She stops and turns around, eyes widening in surprise when she sees me.

"Seriously girl, you walk fast." I wheeze. Yeah, exercise was not my thing. If you even call a light jog that lasted a minute exercise.

"What's wrong?" She seems confused.

I hold her book up but she looks at me, still confused.

"This is yours." I say.

"I didn't buy it." She shakes her head.

"Well, I did. For you." I shrug and offer her a friendly grin.

"W-what?" She stutters. "No way, I can't take it."

"It's okay. I was going to buy it anyways so I thought I'd give it to you since you like it." It seemed I was going to have to lie a little.

"I don't even know you." She looks aghast but I don't miss the hint of giddiness dancing in her eyes.

"Fine. I'm Emily." I hold a hand out for introduction. She stares at it before finally giving a genuine smile.

"Delilah." She says as she shakes my hand.