I wasn’t someone who was used to those feelings. The coolness of the air conditioning and the smell of coffee helped to ease some of the tension that had coiled around me from seeing the guy. When I realized I had been staring, and that he was watching me, I felt my cheeks get red, so I turned quickly and walked into the coffee shop without even holding the door for them. His hair was dark brown and sticking out along the edge of his red baseball cap. I could make out the definition of the muscles of his torso under his tight white t-shirt. He was tall, and his skin was golden brown, as if he spent hours in the sun. I watched as two men jumped down from the truck the driver was good looking, but it was the passenger who gave me pause. I looked over my shoulder as a large black truck was pulling into a parking spot in front of the shop. Suddenly, I felt a chill slide down my spine. I jogged up to the door, pulling it open and letting her enter before me. When I arrived at the small café, there was a woman with a stroller trying to maneuver through the door. The weather was warm, so the streets were busy with college kids and young families who lived in the area out enjoying the beautiful day. I grabbed my dad’s old sweater off my desk chair, pulled it on, and shoved ten dollars, my key, and my phone into my pocket. I was still in pajamas, my newly-dyed bright red hair in a crazy mess, so I took off my nightclothes and dragged a dress over my head. I was in major need of coffee if I was going to be able to process any more information. I looked at the clock and realized it was after ten in the morning, and I still had a few things to go over.

I had pulled an all-nighter, trying to prepare for an exam. I was pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Development. The first time I met Cash, I was in my sophomore year of college, attending Alabama State University.

Until lilly