Chapter 5

Halle's body trembled remembering the way, he treated her. Remembering the incidents where he spoke like she was better off dead made her blood curdle. But the words, the actual words that he used, she just couldn't remember them. They vanished out of her memory. Bits and pieces of her memory floated around in her mind but none of them made sense. She had buried all these thoughts and emotions deep inside deciding to never go back to it again. She had important things to do; she needed to take care of her mother. She needed to make good amount of profit in this café so that she can at least think of settling down in a decent house instead of living at her friend's house. Even though her friend doesn't say much, she knew that she was a burden. She'd slap her for these words but they were the truth. But she can't take care of her mom alone. With all of this, she had promised to be strong. But a single glance of his face; her legs had buckled under the weight of all the buried emotions.

Pace didn't know about all of this. Halle didn't think it would be necessary as it was all in the past by the time they met and started this. She didn't want Pace to get thrown off by her sudden fear and her reaction to him. But she shouldn't drive Pace away because she couldn't handle it. She had to be strong; at least for her mother.

"What a gentleman."

Halle looked up.

Did she mean Kairo?, she thought.

"Who?"

"Our customer." Pace pointed subtly at who she was talking about.

He was a young man in his twenties. Wearing decent clothes, he looked like he was waiting for his date to arrive.

"It looks like he's new here. He said you and I looked pretty. And our café is homely and comfortable."

Halle's eyes widened. "Did he say anything else?"

"What happened now? You know that guy?"

"No, but . . . did he say anything else?"

"He asked if you work here."

"You as in you or you as in me, Pace." Halle asked sternly.

"He . . . asked about you." Pace turned grim. "You seriously don't think he is that guy's accomplice, right?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Why can't it be like this?" Halle asked. "Kairo came here and confirmed that I won't be here for a week. But he was doubtful, so he sent another friend of his who might have come with him on the trip here which would explain why he's also new here. Then now he confirmed that I am in fact here and that you lied and he wanted to confirm that I in fact work here and now what did you tell him, Pace? You would have told him that I do work here and maybe I own this café and now he has confirmed that you lied. Moreover, he also confirmed that I know that he came here and that's why I wasn't here when he was in the café. All because he called us 'pretty'."

"Stop staring me down." Pace rubbed her forehead. "Look, I'm sorry. It wasn't because he called us pretty or anything. You know in the past years there were guys who used to do this. It wasn't anything special. I was not cautious. But I am also not overthinking. Maybe if he comes back tomorrow to check up on you, maybe you're right. If not, maybe you're just overthinking. So, calm down."

Halle bit her lip. She didn't want to argue with Pace. "Maybe you're right. I am overthinking. And I hope you're right."

Pace placed her hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile.

"After going through whatever I went through, I don't think anyone can stop overthinking." She murmured.