Page 41 of Absolution

The woman drew herself to her full height and her expression looked like she’d bitten into a lemon. “Are you calling me a liar? I want to talk to your manager.”

Oh, shit. What the fuck was going on? Gina had never treated a customer like this since I’d been here. Thank god Bridget stepped out from the back room.

“Excuse me, is everything alright over here?”

The incensed woman jabbed her finger in Gina’s direction and began to rage. “No, as a matter of fact, it’s not alright. Your employee here called me a liar. I need to return this dress and she refused, saying that it’s been worn.”

“Well, it has.” The damn stubborn woman crossed her arms and stared at the customer.

“Gina, would you please go finish the inventory for me? I’ll take over from here.” Anyone could tell that Bridget was pissed. Her pale complexion reddened to almost match her hair, and her eyes had darkened from chocolate to obsidian.

Thankfully, Gina listened, and I followed her behind the curtain separating the store front from the back room. Once we were out of sight, I stepped in front of her.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I whispered harshly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It was clear that woman only bought that dress to wear once and then return it. She hadn’t even bothered to launder it so she could get her money back. We don’t take returns—”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” I interrupted her. “But you don’t talk to customers like that. Are you trying to get yourself fired? Or worse, cause Bridget to lose out on business, because you’re acting like a child? Jesus, Gina.”

In disgust, I threw my hands up in the air. Who the hell was this woman? Her expression shifted from righteous indignation to worry and fear.

“Wait, you don’t think this would hurt the business, do you?”

“If you call anymore customers a liar, I’m pretty sure that could do some damage.”

She began to pace and wring her hands.

The curtain flew back and in stormed Bridget. “Are you fucking insane? You are one of my best friends, and I’ve never let that get in the way of business, but that shit right there was unacceptable. I know things are out of control right now, and you’re scared and upset, but what happened out there can’t happen again.”

Gina covered her face and burst into tears. “I’m so sorry. The stress is getting to me, and I don’t know what to do.”

Bridget’s anger faded by a degree and she pulled her into a hug. “You need to take some time off.”

“I can’t just sit at home.”

“Honey, you have to do something. I’m sorry, but I can’t have you working here right now after what just happened. Not until this is all over. Take some time off. You need it.”

Gina wiped away her tears with a sniff. “I understand.”

“Go home and get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied, dully.

She was shutting down emotionally. I could see it happening, and there was nothing I could do about it. She grabbed her purse and accepted a hug but only half-heartedly returned it.

When I put my hand on the small of Gina’s back to guide her outside to the car, she never even flinched. She was silent on the ride home and like usual, she disappeared into her room the minute we got to her house. I remained tense and alert the rest of the night. Everything about this was wrong. This wasn’t Gina.

Chapter 25

Gina

Not wantingto face the day, I pulled the covers further over my head and burrowed deeper in my warm, safe bed. The place where no one could touch me. The haze of sleep comforted me. It wouldn’t last though. I’d lost track of how many days it had been since Bridget forced me to take a leave from the boutique. It didn’t matter though, because I was wrapped in my lovely little bubble. All I wanted to do was stay here.

I’d only been awake for a few minutes, and I could already feel the call of the small, white pills. Their sweet siren song lured me, teased me, for just one more. I packed away the guilt in a little compartment and chucked the key. Instead, I reached out from under the blankets to grab the baggie from on top of my nightstand, but hit nothing but air.

“If you’re looking for these, they’re not there.”

Startled, I threw the covers back. Sitting on a chair pulled close to the edge of my bed was Leo. My traitorous heart skipped a beat at seeing him, but then I looked closer. His gaze was so full of disappointment, I felt it clear down into the tips of my toes. It was then I noticed him holding the very thing I was looking for. I scrambled from the bed, snatched it out of his hands, and clutched it protectively against my chest.

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