It’s only seven thirty by the time I get to Main Street, but the streetlights are already on and many of the small shops are dark with their closed signs on the doors.
This is a different part of town than Grahm took me to this morning, but I recognize it. I drove through here at three a.m. last night on my alternate route to avoid the assholes. It was a ghost town at that hour, but now there are plenty of people still out and about. Families walking around and groups of teens and adults heading toward the small restaurants and bars.
A few of them glance at my car with curious looks but don’t pay too much attention to me. I let out a breath of relief. It’s actually a pretty cute town when you see it during the day.
There’re definitely more people living here than I originally thought too. It likely just doesn’t have a night crowd, I’m guessing. Or they stick to the bars and not random-ass diners in the middle of nowhere. I give it more thought. Or maybe they go to whatever party I’m attending tonight. That could be it.
The grocery store isn’t hard to find. It’s at the end of town and has a moderate-sized parking lot filled with cars. I drive through the rows to make sure I don’t see any of the motorcycles or vehicles I saw at the diner last night.
Satisfied, I park and head inside.
I grab ten boxes of pasta, sauce, a few bags of rice, more coffee than an average person needs, and a carton of ramen. The only thing I’ve ever actually cooked is spaghetti, and I’m very aware at how judgy people are of a young woman who can’t cook. Imagine them casting me looks at the food in my cart while I’m glaring at a package of cookies and debating whether or not I can afford them.
Familiar voices come from the row next to mine. Deep laughter and teasing followed by a woman’s faint chuckle.
The guys from the diner.
My eyes widen, and I quickly toss the cookies back onto the shelf and beeline it for the checkout line.Fuck, of course they’re here, of all places.I try not to look too suspicious, but the cashier is already giving me a curious lift of her brow.
I messily stack my items on the counter, a little annoyed that there isn’t a self-checkout here.
“Hey, you’re a new face around here,” the cashier says cheerfully.
I flinch and look up at her. I’m taken aback for a second; she’s the prettiest blond I’ve ever seen. Her hair is styled perfectly, curls that shimmer effortlessly. She’s rocking the hell out of that black store apron too. Her lips kick up into a sweet grin.
“What brings you out here?” She swipes a few items slowly, clearly trying to drag it out so we can talk. If not for the guys from the diner, I’d love to chat and make a new friend. But I simply don’t have that luxury right now.
“Family,” I mutter, keeping it short and sweet.
Her brows pinch and a devious smile forms across her lips. “I’ll need to see your ID.” She nods down at the wine.
I fish out my wallet and hand her my ID.
She looks at my age and my name, then flicks me a bright-eyed smile. “Briar. That’s a pretty name. Barely legal, I see.” She giggles, and it confuses me.
I awkwardly grin, casting a weary glance over my shoulder to make sure the guys haven’t spotted me yet. “Barely?” I chuckle. “I’m four years over the drinking age.”
She entertains me with an amused smile. “Twenty-five is still really young. I’ve got six years on you, sweetie.” She passes my ID back to me casually, only holding it with her index and middle fingers. “My name is Hailey.”
I shove the card back into my wallet. She’s so kind that I can’t help but relax my shoulders and spare some chitchat with her. “Nice to meet you, Hailey. Have you lived here long? By the way, your hair is gorgeous.” Complimenting another woman is the apex of being a girls’ girl.
She giggles again, and I wonder how a person like her is stuck here in Bane Falls. “Yep, I was born and raised here. But for a small town, it’s actually pretty busy. And thank you! I was just about to say the same to you.” She winks as she bags the rice.
“Pretty busy?” I try not to grin. “This is easily the smallest town I’ve ever been in.”
Hailey laughs. “Trust me, there are towns around here much smaller than Bane Falls. And yeah, every summer we get a few big concerts that use our amphitheater. Being out in the middle of nowhere has its perks. It’s a great place for music festivals. Itbrings a ton of people through here. But we also have some of the most insane parties out in the mountains. How long did you say you’re staying again?”
Is this the same party that Grahm’s taking me to?
“Hopefully just for a few months,” I say sheepishly. It’s clear I’m stuck for at least that long no matter what. Even if I find that flash drive, I need to sell the farm.
Her smile falters as she scans the last item. “Yeah, I figured. No one stays that long if they aren’t from here or come here for work.” She pauses for a few moments before an idea clearly hits her and lights up her expression. “Do you like races and beer?”
“Races? Like car races?” I half laugh.
“Yeah, they’re not official or anything, but it’s a lot of fun to do on the weekends around here. It’s the party to go to in Bane Falls. You should come out tonight!” It’s nice meeting another friendly person. It makes me sure that last night was just a fluke with the wrong crowd.
“I’m actually going to it already, I think, so it sounds like I’ll see you there. How does everyone keep contact out here without any service though?” It’s been a humbling day without a connection to the real world, and I’m annoyed by how off-putting it’s been not having access to my socials.
