books she’d put away for safekeeping. A part of me wanted to go up and check on her, but in the end, I focused on my work instead.
When she quietly slipped downstairs an hour later, she almost gave me a heart attack.
“I’m going out for some coffee. Would you like some?” she asked, causing me to hit my head on the front counter as I’d been looking for a few books I’d stored away earlier. “Oh god, I’m sorry.” She rushed over to my side of the counter and helped me up, her hand warm on my arm.
With my heart racing and my head throbbing the slightest bit, I managed to get to my feet with her help, then braced my hands on the counter to keep my balance. Man, that hurt. I winced when I tried to look at the overhead lights, dropping my gaze moments later.
“We should call someone,” Cassidy said, her voice full of concern. She already had out her phone but hesitated when I placed my hand over the screen. “You could have a concussion,” she said.
I waved her concerns away, holding my eyes tight until the throbbing in my head quieted to a dull roar. “I’d know if I did.
I’ve had one before,” I said, meeting her eyes again. “It isn’t the first time that’s happened, “I told her, hoping it would put her mind at ease. “I used to hide under there as a kid. It drove my mom crazy because I was always in the way.” The cubbie under the counter was a wonderful place to read a book instead of doing my homework, so long as there was room, anyway.
She didn’t look convinced, crossing her arms in front of her chest as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “I still think you should have it looked at.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her, forcing a smile. “What was it you asked me again?” I didn’t exactly hear all of it no thanks to the loud crack my head made when it connected with the counter.
“Coffee,” she said, not moving from where she was, “but we could always make some here,” she added, gesturing to the little pot I had behind the register.
She didn’t want to leave, that much was clear in the way she spoke and how she hovered in front of me, her eyes never leaving mine. Worry lines marred her beautiful face, her lips pinched in a tight line as she contemplated what to do.
“Go,” I said with an uneasy laugh. “Get something from Maggie’s. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Are you sure? Because I could—”
“It’s okay,” I assured her, thankful when the pain in my head finally passed.
She hesitated a moment more, then put her phone back in her pocket and bundled up before going back out onto the sidewalk. If anyone knew who she was with all her layers, they didn’t say a word. She easily stepped in front of a small crowd and kept walking, walking out of my line of sight soon after.
Knowing she’d be back, I finished what I’d been doing earlier, then opened the front door when I saw her walking up to the shop. She smiled her thanks, then handed one of the coffees she’d bought to me along with another muffin I didn’t need.
“Just in case,” she told me when I tried to give it back. “You don’t need to eat it right now, but if you get hungry, it’s there,”
she added with a smile, placing her coffee on the counter so she could unravel the scarf around her neck and face before shoving it along with a fuzzy hat inside her coat pockets.
“Doesn’t that get exhausting?” I asked, immediately wishing I hadn’t.
She paused, looking at me as though I’d spoken a completely different language. “It does,” she admitted, rolling her shoulders before fixing the sleeves of her shirt, “but it’s better than hiding away all the time or getting interrupted during a meal.”
I nodded my understanding, then took a sip of the coffee she’d brought for me. Surprisingly, it was just the way I liked it.
“I saw how you fixed your cup before,” she told me, likely sensing my confusion. “I’m observant like that. My mom always told me it was a strange habit, but I just call it common courtesy. You treated me, so now I’m treating you.” With that, she walked over to one of the sofas and plopped down, leaning back into the cushions once she did.
“You didn’t have to, but thanks,” I said, glancing outside at the empty sidewalk before joining her again.
“You’ll know if anyone comes in,” she said, looking from me to the glass doors that were to the left and behind her.
“And if you sit over there, then you’ll see them as well.”
I sat across from her and smiled. “I know. I just never liked going into a shop where the employees were sitting down or leaning against the furniture and talking to one another.”
“Especially when you need their help,” Cassidy said, holding up her coffee as she did.
“I can’t imagine anyone not stopping to help you,” I said, apologizing soon after. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I try not to get someone else’s attention,” she admitted,
“mostly because it means taking several minutes out of my already busy schedule to talk. I love my fans, I really, so it’s just… I like to be normal sometimes. I want to walk into a clothing store and gather my things without an employee rushing over to see if I’ll be wearing it on my upcoming tour.