Page 36 of Don't Leave Me

I glance out the window at the snow steadily falling. It’s so beautiful here. I wish I could stay here forever, but I’m not sure I want to stay away from Mulberry Lane permanently.

“Do you have a curling iron I can borrow?” I pop my head into Leslie’s room.

“Um… I have one, I'm just not sure if it’s here.” She squats down under the bathroom sink and rifles through some things. “It must still be at my house. We can go get it.”

“No, I don’t want to bother you.” I wave her off. I'm trying to not get in their way or annoy them in any way. I know Leslie and Colt don’t necessarily enjoy having me here, but I want to stay longer. I want to work at Sydney’s Sweets and be with Colt, but I can't do that without a place to live.

“Sophia, it’s a five-minute drive. It’s not a huge deal. C’mon, I’ll make you come with me and keep me company on our long journey.” She rolls her eyes as she walks through the house and bundles up.

“Are you sure? The snow is really coming down.” I step onto the covered front porch and stare out at the snow blanketing the street.

“I'm positive. Plus, we need to go to the grocery store anyway. We can stop at my house on the way home.”

The entire time we’re driving, I nibble on my bottom lip and stare out the window. I don’t like driving in the snow. There’s no particular reason, I'm just terrified of getting stuck or sliding on the ice.

“Are we sure it’s safe for us to be going to the grocery store?” I peek over at her, happy to find both hands on the wheel and her full attention on the road.

“I texted Colt. He knows what our plans are.”

“Good.” I nod my head. “How are you feeling about all of this?”

“I'm scared, but I'm trying to pretend this is just another normal day. I don’t want to stop living again. I finally got my life back… Do you want to tell me what’s occupying your brain?” She peeks over at me with a grin.

“I kind of want to stay in Maple Springs for a while, but I don’t want to keep being a bother at Colt’s house.” I drop my gaze to my hands and fidget uncomfortably.

“You’re not a bother. I love having you there.”

“Colt doesn’t.”

“Colt isn't upset you’re there. He’s upset about Jimmy and everything that entails. He’s scared and he doesn’t like feeling that way. I think he’s really overwhelmed and is trying to hide it, but he’s never once made a negative comment about you staying with us.”

“I don’t know. I just feel like I need to find a different place to stay.” I lift my shoulder in a shrug.

“How long are you planning on staying?”

“I’m not sure. At least a month?”

“Really?” She peeks over at me with a massive smile. “I’d love that!”

“Me too.”

“If we’re ever not on red alert, you could take my old house. I obviously don’t need it and I think Ollie would love to not have to find a new tenant until the winter is over.”

“Ok. That sounds like a plan.”

When we get to the grocery store, we move up and down aisles to grab the things we need for Christmas. I'm planning on making a few desserts to take with us and maybe even make a little box of cookies for each person.

I love baking and giving out the treats I make. I'm a firm believer that sugar can make you feel better or make you happy in general. On top of that, baking is my stress reliever.

Leslie tenses and glances around the store. She’s been doing this our entire time here and it’s starting to make me nervous.

I make quick work in the baking aisle. I know I could spend hours here, but something in my gut is telling me to hurry. As soon as I'm finished, I pull the cart to the checkout line and quickly pay. We get the groceries loaded into Leslie’s car in record time, and I'm more than ready to get out of here.

“I’ll just put the cart away, then we can go.” I take a step away from the car, but Leslie stops me.

“Nah, I got it. You just start the car and lock the doors.” She glances around nervously and waits for me to climb inside. As soon as I do, she hurries to put the cart away and practically sprints back to the car.

She’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles are turning white. I want to say something, anything to ease some of the anxiety she’s feeling, but there’s nothing I can say. Nothing I can do. I'm powerless in this situation.

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