Page 25 of The Souls We Claim
“Do you mind me asking what happened to your face?”
“I do, because I only just met you and some parts of my life are private.”
Gwen smiles softly. “Understood. But you and Lola will get looked out for by the old ladies for as long as you stick around here.”
“I’m sorry. I promise I’m not always this rude. In fact, I’ve spent most of my life trying to be as nice as possible.”
Gwen studies the side of my face carefully. “Well, I’m hoping that from here on out, you stop being quite so nice because whoever did that to you needs a serious beating of their own.”
“You sound a lot like Halo.”
Gwen chuckles at that. “That might be the first time anybody has ever compared me to Halo. He's a good guy, so I kinda like it.”
Lola offers her glasses to Gwen, who playfully takes them from her and pretends to put them on her face. “Oh, I love these. Do they suit me, baby girl?”
Lola chuckles in return, then reaches out her hand to grab the glasses back again. Gwen carefully slides them over her ears and puts them back on her. “I have to pick up some dry cleaning. Want to grab a quick coffee when we’re done with our errands? I’ve taken a lot of photos since I got back to the club, and I'm sure I have some of your sister and Wrinkle and Lola that you might like copies of.”
I hear Patrick's voice in my head telling me that I don't need girlfriends and that it’s his sole responsibility to make sure I stay on the straight and narrow path. That the two of us are enough for each other, even though he was allowed friends. “I'd like that,” I say. “I’m here to pick up some groceries. Where do you want to meet?”
“There’s a coffee chain inside after the cash registers. First one there grabs a table?”
“Sounds good. I'll see you in about fifteen minutes.”
I've written a list on my phone of things I think we need. The idea of aweis a little wild. But I'm hoping Halo will let me stay for at least a few more days, saving me rent or hotel costs. I have the kernel of a plan.
As I grab potatoes and seasonal corn and the fixings for salad, I consider how I need to work with Halo to reconcile Mercy's estate as quickly as possible. If I can do that, and mysister had any money, I might be able to find the first and last month’s rent to get a place here. The other option I am considering is swallowing down how I feel about returning to Anthony and Mercy’s home to clean it up so that I can either live in it for lower rent if Halo will let me, or get it ready to sell fast if there is any chance that any small piece of its value belongs to my sister.
“Shit,” I quietly mutter when I realize I left my little cash stash in my bedroom. I’ll have to pay with my card and cut the list down a little.
I manage to discreetly put a large bunch of bananas into the shopping basket without Lola noticing. I have a feeling that as soon as she sees them, she's going to want one, and I need to pay for them first. The meals I have planned won’t be fancy. I’m used to cooking on a budget and actually like cooking things from scratch, so it doesn’t take long to shop.
It feels like the very least I can do to say thank you to Halo.
We get to the register, and I begin putting everything on the belt just as Gwen arrives at the store. “Here, let me help with that,” she says.
I offer her the two shopping bags I found in the bottom of the stroller, and she begins to bag the food as I load the belt.
“That’ll be thirty-two dollars and seventeen cents,” the cashier says.
Relief floods me. I was careful as I picked things so it wouldn’t be more than I have in my account, as Benny usually pays us in the afternoon. I tap my phone, but the transaction is declined. “Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Could you try that again please?”
“Of course, there you go.” Her smile is sympathetic.
I try again, and the card is declined for a second time. “Shit,” I mutter, fumbling in my purse for bills I know aren’t in there. “I’m sorry, I…”
Gwen opens her purse, pulls out a card, and taps it to the device. “There, that way you can call the bank and figure out what is going on.”
My cheeks heat, and I feel a little dizzy. If there was one thing Patrick hated, it was for me to embarrass him or let the two of us down in public. “Thank you.”
Gwen squeezes my arm, and I flinch. She immediately lets go. “Shit. I’m sorry. Let’s move away from the register.”
I do as she suggests, but as soon as we are at the entrance to the coffee shop, I open my banking app and check. Where there had previously been enough money, there is exactly nine dollars and twenty-seven cents. Nine twenty-seven. Patrick’s birthday. Then I notice the unthinkable.
“The bastard,” I say.
“What’s happened?” Gwen asks, her face ripe with concern.
I can’t tell her that I saw Benny paid me last night at 11:47 p.m. And then at 11:49 p.m., everything except the current balance was transferred out. “My husband emptied my account.”
