Ch. 3

"Ma'am? Excuse me?" Jordan shook the woman's body, she knew it was a woman the first time she saw her long brunette hair.

The brunette didn't move, her hoodie soaked wet and so was the little girl's jacket. Jordan touched the woman's cheek and then the woman stirred, Jordan left a relieve sighed.

"Excuse me?" Jordan said, she shook the woman's body harder to make sure she was alive.

The woman flinched before she opened her eyes and she was shocked when she saw the most beautiful woman right in front of her. Weird. Because she felt something she never understood for her entire twenty three years of life, not even to her closest person just by looking at the woman's face.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said quietly.

She tried to sit, her baby girl was still in her arms and she made sure that her baby girl was warm enough. Then she looked at the woman again, she had this cold demeanor but also a curious eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up but you know it's raining and it's cold. What are you doing here in my coffee shop?" Jordan asked, she kneeled down and looked at the woman carefully, and she found something weird all of sudden, a comfort.

"Once again, I'm sorry." The woman said. "I didn't know why I ended up here. I just walked down the street and it was raining, I decided to take a rest here and I have no idea that I fell asleep."

Jordan looked up to the sky, the rain was getting heavier. She sighed, "let's get inside."

"Oh, no. It's okay. I'm okay." The woman refused. "I'll just go and walk down the street to find a motel to stay. Thank you for inviting me."

"It's raining and it's getting heavier." Jordan said firmly, she glanced at the little girl. "She needs to change her clothes."

"Uhm, I—"

"Come on." Jordan said, she stood up and opened the front door.

The woman followed her. The smell of coffee filled their nostrils once they entered the coffee shop. Jordan switched on the lamp and the heater. The woman sat down and placed her baby girl on the couch in the comfy area of Jordan's coffee shop.

Jordan made a hot tea for the woman and she technically checked the woman out. The woman changed her baby girl's clothes with the new one and she sighed, she needed more clothes. Apparently she only packed for a couple of days because she was in a hurry. She didn't have lots of money so she had to be careful to spend her money but she also needed a place to stay.

Jordan put the hot tea on the table, the woman was done changing her baby girl's clothes and she sat across from Jordan.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude." The woman said. "I'm Gabrielle." She extended her hand.

"Jordan." Jordan shook Gabby's hand gently, she felt spark throughout her body and she had no idea why.

Gabby's hand felt so cold yet so warm, it sent chill down her spine and she felt comfortable when she touched Gabby's hand. Her mind went blank, her eyes was locked into something she never knew.

"I'm sorry, can I have my hand back?" Gabby said carefully, smiling.

"Oh." Jordan startled, she released her hand from Gabby. "Sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize." Gabby smiled. "And thank you for letting me get inside this coffee shop of yours. It's lovely."

"Thank you." Jordan said. "What are you doing here if I may ask? It was eleven when I found you, and you brought that little girl in the middle of rain. And I don't know who you are."

Gabby sighed, fidgeting her fingers and then she looked up to see Jordan. She was battling with her own mind, should she tell Jordan the truth about her situation? Or she just needed to make up a lie so Jordan wouldn't bother to ask her again?

Gabby didn't know what to do anymore. She had no one, her parents died, she had no siblings, her cousins were across the country and the only person she could trust her whole life betrayed and abused her every day.

Just by remembering those awful moments before she ended up on Jordan's coffee shop brought tears to Gabby.

"I'm sorry." Gabby sobbed.

"It's okay, take your time." Jordan's instinct told her to trust this woman.

She studied Gabby from head to toe, she looked younger than her and what she found in conclusion made her internally blushed. Gabby was beautiful, her long brunette hair and her green eyes was something else.

"Can I trust you?" Gabby asked. "I know we're strangers, we just met, I believe you're a good person but—"

"You can trust me." Jordan cut Gabby off firmly.

She crossed her arms, looking seriously at Gabby who seemed to compose herself before she spoke.

"I ran away from my house, almost three hours from here." Gabby started, Jordan positioned her body to listen to Gabby's story carefully. "My husband is an abusive person, and he abused me for almost a year now since he didn't have a proper job and he became a drunker. Everytime he got drunk, he always beat the crap out of me and I couldn't take it anymore for my daughter's sake. I'm afraid he would beat our daughter if he doesn't get enough of me."

"Shit." Jordan mumbled. That explained why Gabby flinched when Jordan touched her harder.

"I chose to runaway, that's why I only bring one bag." Gabby pointed her bag. "I was so scared he would hurt me again and I couldn't think straight, all I could think about was my daughter's safety, she wasn't supposed to hear her mom crying everyday and wondering why her mom looked so pale with bruises every morning."

Jordan saw bruises on Gabby's face but she couldn't see it properly because Gabby covered her head with the hood. Jordan leaned and touched Gabby's both shoulder and Gabby flinched, she closed her eyes tightly.

"Shit." Gabby murmured, her body hurt everywhere yet Jordan touched her like it was nothing.

"I'm sorry." Jordan said, she believed Gabby more now. "Uh. You, too, can change your clothes, in the bathroom. Just go straight and turn right."

"Thank you." Gabby nodded.

Gabby took her clothes and she changed in the bathroom while Jordan kept thinking why she had invited Gabby to come inside. And oddly enough for her, she listened to Gabby's problem even though she didn't even know who Gabby was.

"Oh my god, what did I get myself into?" She asked while rubbing her temple.