a purposeful past | s.s

Chapter Fifteen

[ DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ LAST CHAPTER. 50% CHANCE YOU HAVEN'T ]

Finch hadn't let her out of his sight ever since she came back from the Refuge.

She wasn't kidding.

It took her a good five minutes to convince him that she could use the bathroom on her own.

Yeah.

So she wasn't too surprised when he requested she come selling with him.

"I have two oth-ah jobs, y'know," Lane reminded him as they walked.

He glanced over at her. "Well, sadly, I can only be in one place at a time, Lane." He gestured to his eyes with two fingers before pointing back at her. "I ain't gonna let ya outta my sight again."

"Dat ain't possible."

"Oh, don't worry. It is."

"Okay," she muttered.

They walked a bit further. "Have I ev-ah brought ya sellin' before?"

Lane cracked a small smile. "I don't think so."

He took her hand in his, swinging it between them. "It's 'bout time, den."

She couldn't agree more.

"Dere was actually a story 'bout tha trolley strike a bit ago," Finch recalled.

Lane stared at him. "Yer kiddin'."

He huffed out a laugh, grinning. "Nope. Front page story 'bout how it officially ended."

"It ended back in July!"

"Officially, Lane. Officially."

Lane shook her head. "It's clear dey nev-ah went ta talk ta any 'a tha strik-ah's."

"Probably wouldn't have listened ta dem, anyway."

"True."

The rest of the day went by relatively slow. Lane got to witness Finch selling for the first time, and — surprise, surprise — quickly figured out that his selling tactic was extreme friendliness. He'd ask people about their day, compliment them on their outfit, and even throw in that dazzling smile of his that made Lane feel all fuzzy inside. She was currently watching him play around with a few children while he allowed a bedraggled looking woman to take a look inside the daily pape, having taken pity on her.

It was a wonder he was able to sell enough everyday.

Finch was letting the two small children play with his slingshot, going along as they pretended to shoot him with it, falling onto the ground until they laughed and pulled him back up. She watched with a gentle smile, fiddling with the promise ring around her finger.

She could see him with kids of his own one day.

Once they'd left, Lane laced their fingers back together. "Yer not gonna sell enough if ya jus keep lettin' people look at tha news before payin'."

"I know, I jus..." he looked down. "She's got nothin' but her kids. It'd be selfish ta make her pay."

"How'd'ya think everyone else gets by?" she replied bitterly. She wasn't happy with the way it was, either.

Finch said nothing, but handed her a pape after a moment. "You try."

She barked out a laugh, pushing the pape away. "No thanks. I ain't really a people person. I strike, I don't sell. Actually, both the jobs I striked fa I didn't even work at..."