Her stomach growls.
Quiet, but not quiet enough.
Something tightens in my chest before I can stop it.
I head back behind the bar, grab a bag of chips, and set them down in front of her without a word.
She startles, looking up at me like I just handed her something she doesn’t deserve.
“Oh, no. I can’t. I…” Her eyes flicker to the Coke. “I only have money for this.”
The words hit harder than they should.
“On the house,” I mutter, already turning away before she can argue again.
Back at the bar, Penny’s eyes narrow. “Dex, did you see her neck?”
“I did,” I say, focusing on the glass in my hands.
“And you said you need a new hire…” She gestures toward me like I’ve completely lost my mind.
“I know,” I say, exhaling slowly. “But she looks like she’ll break if I ask her to carry a tray.”
It’s a lie, and we all know it.
She does look fragile, yeah. But that’s not what’s stopping me.
It’s the way she walked in here and made something in me shift. The way I want to keep my eyes on her, make sure she’s okay, make sure no one comes too close.
I don’t need that.
“Someone hurt her,” Penny says softly. “And she can’t even pay for food. What if no one had helped me when I came here?”
Cas leans back in his chair, watching me with that knowing look I’ve hated since we were kids. Jude doesn’t say anything, but when I glance at him, his eyes meet mine for a second, steady and clear.
We don’t ignore people like her.
I let out a long breath.
“Fuckers. Never mind your own business, do you?” I mutter, shaking my head at Cas.
“Just give her a job,” he says easily. “We can’t leave her like this.”
I stare at the counter for a second longer, then push off it.
“Fuck.”
I walk back over to her before I can change my mind.
“What’s your name?”
She looks up at me, those bruises catching the light again, impossible to ignore. “Alexis, but people call me Lexy.”
“Lexy,” I repeat slowly. It fits her. Soft. Light. “I’m Dex.” I hold out my hand.
She hesitates just long enough for me to notice, then places her hand in mine.
It’s small. Cold.
