two
he almost looked disappointed, dropping his forgotton hand against his thigh. "that's me."
she gulped, wondering why he was in the small town of maine. "why- what are you doing in winston?" astrid asked.
he shrugged, his pink tongue protruding from his mouth and swiping across his lips. "with all due respect, that's more of my personal busin-"
"i get it," astrid interrupted, not wanting to further the embarrassment she felt. her cheeks blazed pink as she glanced down at her hands. "you can crash at my place, but only for tonight."
she watched harry's lips slowly form a small grin, making her cheeks turn even more red. when someone as handsome as harry smiled at you, you were forced to smile back. and thats exactly what astrid did as her whole face contorted into the bright smile protruding from her lips. "thank you, you're very kind."
astrid shrugged, turning away from harry as she walked over to the counter and threw away the rest of her sandwich, placing the plate in the empty sink. "i just have to lock up the place, i'll meet you out front?" she confirmed, glancing at harry who had his hands shoved in his pockets, watching her.
he nodded, "okay." he said, turning around and exiting the diner.
astrid took a deep breath, wondering how she had invited a virtual stranger into her apartment. he seemed harmless, and the way he complimented her was unusual. it wasn't about what she looked like which would have been a hint as to if he was planning on assaulting her, he only said she was kind.
it made her feel weird. astrid hadn't had anyone resembling friends in awhile. she mostly kept to herself, except the regulars at the diner and jean. jean was the one who took her in when she was little and raised her, practically at the diner itself. astrid grew to love jean and the shack, even if it meant hardwork and a strict amount of rules.
astrid walked to the kitchen, twisting the key in the lock to the back door to secure it close. she then flicked off the lights, getting skittish in the dark and jogging to the front. no matter how old she got, she'd forever have a fear of the dark.
she took one more big breath before pulling her coat on from the rack next to the door and stepping outside.
the bitter air bit at the skin of her hands and cheeks as she entered the freezer like cold. snow had just started to fall, surrounding her and harry in a winter wonderland. astrid tried not to make eye contact with the lad as she locked the door to the shop, burying the key in her pocket afterwards.
"thank you, again," harry spoke from beside her as she stood awkwardly at the doorway.
"i live just up the street," astrid ignored his statement, shuffling forward.
"will your parents be home?" harry asked as he caught up to her, instantly matching her fast pace.
"i live alone." she replied, again slightly ignoring his question. better to put it in those easy terms then suffering in an awkward silence that always ensued when people asked about her parents.
"what's this town called?" he asked, not stopping with the questions. astrid couldn't help but admit that she kind of liked it - talking to someone, having them be generally interested. although he wasn't asking her personal questions, it was still nice.
"winston. we only have a population of nearly two hundred." astrid provided him with the information she was kind of proud of. astrid had never been to a big city, but she knew she loved the small town feel of winston. knowing everyone made it comfortable, safe. she didn't have to be worried about death because she already knew all the people who were on the brink of it, mostly old ones who resided in the town's retirement centr. she didn't have to worry about where to shop because there was only one store in town, a small boutique that sold essentials for the cold weather. the clothes sold there were nothing like harry's.
