"Excuse me, dear, I don't think I want this either," the elderly lady said, handing me the seventh item she decided against after I had packed her groceries.

She had bought groceries worth $350, and after we bagged them for her out of sympathy, she began removing items from the bottom of the bag. At first, it was endearing, but now, as she rifled through the bags for the seventh time, my patience was wearing thin.

It was nearly closing time, and Axel had promised to pick me up after my shift. I regretted taking the semester off because now I had too much time on my hands, doing nothing but existing here. It had been a month since we left the beach house, and I still felt the need to look over my shoulder at every turn. Axel had insisted on leaving guards at my house, a no-questions-asked decision. I didn't argue because they made Lara and me feel a little safer. February had passed, March had arrived, and I was still here, cashing out customers and regretting my decision to take a semester off.

"You know what, it's fine. I'll just take it all. How much is it now?" she asked, stuffing the rest of the items into the bags.

"That'll be $290.09. How would you like to pay?"

"I'll use my credit card, dear," she said with an apologetic smile.

I needed to learn to control my facial expressions because if my voice didn't reveal my feelings, my face certainly did.

"Okay, go ahead, ma'am." Just as I input her information, the overhead speaker blared with Asma's shy voice.

"Attention customers. The time is now 9:55, and the store will be closing in five minutes. I repeat, the store will be closing in five minutes. Please bring all your items to the front where we can cash you out. Thank you again for shopping at the Corner Store, and have a great night."

I looked around, and thankfully, the store was empty. Mrs. Lewison was our last customer of the night. Jason was closing down the produce section, Landon was done with his area and was relaxing in Nate's office, Asma was closing up her register and counting money in haste – not that I blamed her.

I handed Mrs. Lewison her receipt, wished her a good night, and finally signed off. My legs felt numb from standing the entire time, especially since I had been asked to stay late. I wanted to have a word with whoever decided cashiers shouldn't use chairs. Have they ever tried standing up, scanning items, dealing with difficult customers, and trying not to overcharge anyone?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

I jogged in place a little to loosen up the stiffness, then made my way to the break room upstairs. I swiped out, then lay down on one of the couches. It was getting late, and my eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. I planned to wait for Axel to call me, using the ringtone as an alarm.

Maybe just close my eyes for a minute?

A few seconds?

Just for a blink?

I swear I only blinked once, but before I knew it, I woke up in a panic, drenched in sweat, my phone ringing loudly.

The clock on my phone read 11:25 PM.

Hell. To. The. No.

I answered my phone, still disoriented. My eyes couldn't focus enough to read the name.

"Uh... hello?"

"Sophia Grace Powers! Where the hell are you? I've been waiting for you out here, and you never came out! They said you already left, and you're not home – I'm there right now. Explain yourself, young lady!"

"Calm down, Grandma, my God. I must've accidentally slept in the break room and just didn't hear my phone..."

"Wait... you're still at the store?! They locked it up! How the hell are you sti... Oh God, I'll be right there. Don't go anywhere."

"No, Axel, wait..."

He hung up before I could say anything. Good Lord, this guy really needs to calm down sometimes. I love that he cares, but maybe take it down a notch – or five.

Also, how did no one wake me up? Landon, Jason, and Asma all had their stuff up here. Wait, scratch that, I still see Jason's tattered, suspicious-looking bag. And I only say suspicious because it always has some weird, white powdery substance on it and always reeks of something or the other.

Anyway...

I went to my locker, took out my bag, and stopped dead in my tracks. I could hear something, and it wasn't Axel's voice. I followed it to the back room and listened in. The person was definitely male, but had an accent. Was it British? Or Irish? I leaned in closer and held my breath, hoping to hear something other than my labored breathing.

"Yes... yes... affirmative. Yes, ma'am. I have to go back now; she might be waking up. Okay, I'll let you know. Yeah, she's smart, but I don't think she suspects anything. Okay, thank you. Bye now."

What in the hell?

I should've gone back to pretending to be asleep, but I couldn't. Who the hell was this British mafia guy? I mean, the only bag there was Jason's, but could it?

I heard footsteps getting closer to the door, so I zoomed back to the couch, hoping my labored breaths weren't loud enough. I sat down and pretended to yawn.

"Oh good, you're finally awake," said Jason, going to his bag.

"Why did no one wake me up, Jason?"

"Girl, I tried. You thought I was Axel, and you told me to go make up with my family before I could boss you around."

Yikes.

"Whoops. I guess I was really tired..."

"Come on. I have the key, let me just close up and I can drive you home."

I watched as he flung his bag over his shoulder. Should I ask him about what I heard? What if he's working with Axel's dad and ends up killing me here? I can't take that chance yet; I'll confront him when I have space to run.

Mama didn't raise no fool.

"Axel is actually coming to pick me up, I'll just wait outside." I wrapped my jacket around me and carried my bag.

He physically tensed his shoulders but then shrugged.

"Okay, I'll wait with you until he's here. And no, I'm not taking no for an answer."

I could tell he still felt bad, and I'm sure that no matter how much I told him it wasn't his fault, he would always feel bad.

"Wasn't planning on it."

We went down the stairs and headed for the exit. The store felt so nice when it was clean, quiet, and not infested with unruly customers. I stopped for a second to take in the peace and quiet.

"You okay?" he asked, taking out the key to lock the doors.

"Yeah, just taking in the beautiful, empty store. The customers really are the ones who ruin the vibe."

"You're telling me? This kid couldn't get his mom to buy him cigarettes, so he started throwing apples and eggs on the floor. I had to clean it. Of course, I did it, but I was cursing them under my breath the whole time. I still smell like egg yolk." He locked the door and put down his bag on the sidewalk.

"But we don't sell cigarettes," I said.

"Oh, I'm aware. That's not even the worst part; the little dude was eight at most."

This was the first time I'd ever seen him smile.

He stood by me and didn't say anything for a while.

"You know, you have to let it go at some point. I've made peace with it; you should too."

He looked at me and nodded.

"I'm trying."

Is this a good time to ask him who the hell that was in the break room?

"Jason..."

"Sup."

"I want to ask you a question, but please, don't lie to me."

He turned to face me, eyebrows scrunched like he was trying to figure out what I might say.

"Okay. Shoot."

"I know what I saw, so you can't say that I was dreaming it up. Why were you talking in a British accent, and who exactly were you talking to?" I said slowly, hoping he wouldn't freak out.

"Uhh... I... wait... what was the question again?" His forehead glistened despite the cold weather.

"Dude, I was awake and alert. I saw your bag, so I know it was you. You said something about me, so what gives?"

"Wait, is that you talking or the is weed still in my system?"

I gave him a stern look and he still wasn't budging.

"Fine, I'll just pick up my phone and call agent..."

"Okay, okay. Dear GOD you're so persistent."

He lifted his head in frustration.

"She is going to kill me. She is going to fire me. No, worse. I'm going to be fed to the rabid dogs of the Arizona dessert. I mean, she told me that you'd figure me out eventually, but I am toast," he replied in his original British accent.

Who the hell is 'she'?

"Well, hello there. Okay, spill." I said, sitting on the ground. I love not taking no for an answer.

Ew, it's freezing.

"My real name is Calvin Sinclair, and I'm an agent with Interpol." He joined me on the ground, facing me.

Then it clicked in my head.

Interpol?

"You work with Diana, don't you?"

"Damn, you really are smart.I do, yes.  First of all, I'm so sorry for your loss. I really wish that had ended differently."

He patted my hands and smiled kindly.

"Thanks, Jason, or Sinclair, or whoever."

"I can't say much, other than I've been told to keep an eye on you since you first started working here. Agent D told me about the issue at hand, and we are working closely in collaboration with local law enforcement in addition to the Interpol to make sure we have the required evidence to bring the person in. I can't say any more than that, but I want you to know that you're in good hands Sophia. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. But at the store, I'm still Jason." He said with his American accent.

I was taken aback. Why would the Interpol be involved in this.

"Wait, wait. Why would Interpol be involved in this?" I asked, hoping that traffic would delay Axel a little bit, I'm finally getting answers I've been looking for my whole life.

He leaned in a little closer, which took me aback, because it's literally just the two of us.

"I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but the suspect we have has business both locally and internationally, which is how we believe he's been smuggling various things. Our biggest issue is that we can't find a single shred of concrete evidence against him because any witness who dares comes forward, dies under mysterious circumstances. I don't know how close we are to catching him, I think we just need a reliable witness."

He looked to his left, and I could see Axel's Jeep Wrangler make its way into the parking lot - the headlights completely blinding us.

Jason/Sinclair leaned closer again, holding me by my collar.

"Just remember, you can't trust anyone. Always keep your distance. I slipped my card in your bag, so please use it if you need it." He said all in one breath, quite literally at the speed of light.

He rose up and extended his hand for me to take. I got up and dusted my pants. By the time I looked back at him, he was halfway to his car. This was a lot of information for me to process. Thankfully I have the day off tomorrow to meet with Auntie Di, and I will steer clear of the mention of Jason.

Axel pulled up next to me, and got down to open the door for me, even though I was capable of opening my own door.

He reached out to open it, but he stopped with his hand on the handle. I looked up to see what was the matter, and he was subtly smiling.

"What?" I asked, my cheeks heating up.

"What? Is it a crime to admire my beautiful girl?"

Dear Lord, the man better stop.

"Yo, I can't deal with compliments, man. You better stop." I couldn't contain my smile, honestly.

"Stop? And what, miss the sight of this bright red color on your cheeks? In your dreams."

I got in and he closed the door, lingering a little longer with his eyes fixated on Jason's car. He hopped in, and we were on our marry way to my house - I think.

Ten minutes into our drive, I noticed that he didn't ask about my day, he didn't berate me for sleeping and getting locked in the store, he didn't even open music. Nothing. Something is definitely up.

"Okay, out with it, mister." I turned in my seat to face him.

He shrugged and replied in a monotonous tone, "There's nothing."

"Axel, you think I don't know you? We're both in this thing together. I can see what's going on. I know every little facial twitch you make. Ever since you picked me up, you haven't been yourself. Normally, you'd have berated me for sleeping in that creepy store alone, and once you got over the initial shock, you'd have asked how my day was. Maybe even complimented my weirdly braided pigtails. But instead, I got dead silence. Your shoulders are tense, you've sighed loudly like seven times, you didn't yell at the dumb drivers, and you didn't mock the car with LED lights we passed five minutes ago. So, I'm asking again, what's the problem?"

Honestly, knowing him, I already knew what the problem was; he's jealous. But I needed to hear him say it.

Seeing his shocked expression, I continued, "Just because I don't always say this stuff out loud doesn't mean I don't notice."

He pulled up on my driveway, parked the car, and stayed still in his position; with both his hands on the steering wheel.

A few seconds later, he breathed out for what seemed like eternity, then turned and faced me.

"I know that I have no right to get mad over this, but seeing Jason so close to you, it just made me a little mad. God, I sound so pathetic. I didn't want to say anything because I knew it would get you mad, and I don't want that to happen..."

"Axel..."

"You don't get it Sophia. If people saw what I see in you -- they'd all be standing in a line just to get a glimpse. I mean they don't stand a chance, sure, but that doesn't stop them." His voice got a little louder, but he still wasn't fully  yelling.

I knew it!

"So does that mean you don't want me to interact with anyone? That's unrealistic, Axel." I interjected. "I can't not talk to any guy in the world out of fear of how it would make you feel."

"That's not what I'm saying, but sometimes you just have to keep in mind what it does to me. I fully trust you, Sophia, it's these men that I don't trust. Take that weird child rapist for example."

"Axel, you can't always protect me, and you can't be everywhere at once making sure no one looks at me wrong. You have to trust that I can make the right decisions for myself."

"But you can't!" He added, his voice getting a little higher again. "You always have to be too nice to creeps who don't deserve it, and sometimes people can misread that as somehting it isn't. You can't always be too kind to everyone Sophia."

Is this man being serious right now?

"I am not going to stop being myself just because you're what? Insecure? Are you listening to yourself right now? Take a look in the mirror before you throw accusations like that again. I've seen a million and one girls go out of their damn way just to get a glance at you. Some of them buy things they don't even need just to see you. Some of them even stand at your cash register a little longer, even though they would've been cashed out much faster had they gone to anyone else. I don't say anything because I trust you enough to know that you wouldn't give in to their fluttering eyelashes. Why don't you trust that I would do the same thing?" My voice was barely above a whisper. I really can't deal with this right now.

"I do trust you, and you're right..."

I cut him off - this tomfoolery ends now.

"If you can't trust me enough to let me function properly, then I believe we need to rethink this." 

That came as a shock to him because his entire demeanor changed. His shoulders slumped a little, and he leaned his head back in his chair. I didn't want to say this because I don't want to let him go ever.

"No, Sophia. I don't want to rethink anything. I do trust you, it's just..."

"It's just what, Axel?" 

"Because of everything my dad put you through, sometimes I think that I have to work a little harder to prove to you that I'm nothing like him. What he did to you, and your family... I'm just scared that that's all you'll ever see when you look at me." He said ever so softly, his hands finding mine. He intertwined our fingers and rested them on his leg.

I never though of something like that, and I never intend of doing that.

"Axel, are you kidding me? You are absolutely nothing like your dad. Hell not even satan himself is anything like that monster. I've been scared and alone for ten years because of him, and you undid all of the pain and torture I ever felt. My dear, you are my guardian angel sent to me from heaven. We met by fate, do you really think I'd consider you anything less than a miracle?" I scanned his face for a sign of anything, and it told me a lot.

"I just won't be able to live with myself if anything else happened to you and I wasn't able to help." He whispered, looking straight ahead.

"I'm more than half way done to being a forensic scientist, and a forensic psychologist, which have given me ample knowledge of people and situations Axel. The guards you hired are helping, but I'll be fine. And please, I never want to hear you say anything like that again. You're my light, and I never want to lose you."

He turned to look at me, his eyes glistening with gratitude. His half frown slowly turned into a smile. He took my hand and kissed it, bringing close to his cheeks. For a moment, we just sat there, letting the calm wash over us.

"Thanks, love. I guess I needed to hear that." His smile grew a little bigger, and his dimples showed again.

Butterflies. 

"Hey, we're in this together, okay? No matter what."

"Okay. I lo... Ummm so what was going on with Jason? I am asking just to make conversation, nothing else."

Did he almost say 'I love you'? 

"I can't tell you, but it's a good thing." 

"What do you mean you can't tell me? It's okay Soph, I always got your back."

I mean, he never gave me a reason to doubt his loyalty to me, so maybe this is worth telling.

"When we were going to the beach house, I got a message from my parents' friend. I call her Auntie Di. She's an agent with Interpol and she's known me my entire life, and known my parents since they were in university. We were supposed to meet but she had to fly back to DC for something work related. Anyways, when I woke up when you called me, I heard someone speaking in a British accent. Bottom line, that person was an undercover agent with Interpol who was sent by her to protect me..."

"Don't tell me! Jason?" His eyes popped open, and he tried his best to stiffle a laugh but failed miserably.

"That's his undercover name, but yes it's Jason. They're invesitgating your dad, and trying to protect me in the process."

"Wait, Jason? Gets high an hour before closing, Jason? The guy who wants to quit a billion times a day over a minor inconvenience? That Jason? That's crazy. Do they just hire anyone at the interpol these days?" He  laughing got a little loud, before he contained himself.

Did he not hear the part about them investigating his dad?

"Axel, you cannot bring this up to him. I'm serious."

I could see the realization sinking in as Axel's laughter died down. The weight of the situation was heavy, and I needed him to understand the gravity of it.

"Okay, fine. Scout's honor." He shook his head, then continued, "Am I ever going to meet this Auntie Di of yours?"

"One day. I just don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean about you. They're investigating your father, Axel. They're asking me for help to do that, and I feel a little torn..."

"Don't be. That man lost the privilege of being my father over a decade ago. And believe me, if there's anything I can do to help, I will one hundred percent help you. I've got your back, girl."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure. Just please, keep me in the loop, okay? I need to be..."

"Bro. No. You don't need to know where I am at all times. We just talked about this."

He lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine. Fine."

My heart didn't feel right. I had the evidence to put his dad away, but I didn't know how to confront him with it. A chill dragged itself down my spine, and I shivered as if possessed.

"Hey. What's on your mind, Sophia?" He turned up the heat and aimed the vents toward me.

"Axel, I don't know what to do." My chest tightened, and my lungs lost all capacity to hold oxygen.

How can I do this?

"Sophia, tell me, what's wrong."

A tear slipped down my cheek, and I wiped it with my sleeve. I buried my face in my hands, and from somewhere deep inside, a sob burst forth, uncontrollable and raw.

Axel got down, came over to my side, and opened the door. It started raining, but that didn't stop him. The guards outside my house in their large SUV took his signal to leave, though I knew they'd be back later.

He held me close and stroked my hair. "What's wrong, Sophia? Please tell me."

Unable to lift my head, I spoke into his now tear-soaked jacket. "I told you that I saw your dad murder my family because I was in the vents of my house at the time. But...what I didn't tell you is that I videotaped the entire thing. I have it, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt you or your family, but my parents...they deserve this. Me and my brother deserve to see justice brought to them."

He held me tighter and didn't say anything until my sobs subsided a little. When I finally simmered down, he held me at arm's length. His eyes, the kindest shade of blue I'd ever seen, looked into mine. He cupped my face and wiped away my tears with both his thumbs.

"You have to do what you have to do, Sophia. My mom has to know the man she married isn't who she thinks he is. If you have proof, I will personally see to it that it's delivered to Auntie Di and Jason what's-his-face. You're not hurting me by doing that. But..." His voice faltered for a second, "I want to ask you if I can see it."

His eyes glistened, and it looked like he was fighting hard to not break down.

"Axel... I don't know if you want to see that. I don't want you to remember your father like that."

"How could I not?! After all that he's done to you, you're still defending him...for me. He doesn't deserve it, Sophia. I just want to see what he's capable of, and you're the only person who'll help me get that closure. Please..." His eyes pleaded with a depth that pierced my soul, and I knew he needed this more than I did.

"Okay. Come inside before we both drown out here and get sick again."

We locked the car and made our way inside. I went to my dad's closet and got him a sweatshirt, swetpants and  a towel. The rain matted his hair to his forehead and it brought this boyish charm to him. It made me see that under all of that, he's just a kid at heart. My heart hurts for him because in a way, both our childhoods were taken from us. I left him in the living room and went to prepare us some hot coco. While that was brewing, I checked in on Lara, and she was asleep on her books. I took two steps in and her alarm rang so loud I almost went into cardiac arrest.

"Jeez louise."

Her head snapped at me, drool dripping down her chin.

"Oh, hey Soph. What's you bringing me to sleep now today."

"Girl, get up and go to bed." I tried guiding her to her bed but she protested.

"No, no I have a test next week and if I don't start studying soon I'm screwed. Wait, why are your eyes red? Also it's midnight, why are you just coming back home?" 

"It's a long story, but Axel's here. We're finally going to see the videos from when... ummm.. from when his dad killed my family..."

That definatley woke her up faster than any caffiene fix ever will. 

"Shit. What are you going to do?"

"He needs this more than I do, Lara. He said he will help me bring down his father, but he wants to watch this to get closure. We.... we both need this."

She looked deep into my eyes, slowly nodding her head.

"Okay, as you're attorney, I should be present. For legal matters, and of course for moral support. It's not going to be easy for you to see that again Sophia."

In the midst of my sorrow, this girl has always found a way to make me smile.

"Thank you for the kind offer counsellor, but I think this is something we both have to do alone. You go to sleep Lara before you turn into Frankenstein's cranky, sleep deprived, caffiene-addicated cousin."

"Okay, but my offer still stands. Come find me if you need me. I'll be under these warm, toasty sheets." She yawned as she threw herself on her bed. I took her throwawy scarf and put it on top of her because her lazy ass just dove over her duvet. I turned off her lights and looked at her one more time.

"Goodnight, sis." I closed the door and made my way back to the kitchen. 

I added the hot water to the coco mix and topped it with whipped cream and little marshmallows. I carried the cups over to the living room where Axel sat. He was sitting on the edge of the sofa, the towel on his shoulders, and sitting as still as one can be. I put the cups in front of him as he whispered a faint "thank you". I went to my room, my heard thudding in my ears with every step, dread adding dead weight to my feet.

I got in, put my desk chair to the middle of my room and reached out to that one retractable cieling tile. I stood on my tippy toes and it flailed my arms around until it landed on a box. 

Finally.

I took the box down and opened it. Along with a few polaroids I had of my parents, there was the most important thing to me - a flashdrive that had it all. I took a deep breath - it is showtime. I walked back to the living room, and Axel looked like he hadn't moved an inch. The cups were exactly the same way I left them. I set up the TV and inserted  the flashdrive, grabbed the remote and sat down next to him.

"You ready?" I whispered out.

He nodded almost lifessly, like he was on auto-response mode. It really hurt seeing him like that. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.

I pressed play, and it took me back to when I was fifteen. Up in the vents trying to look for the clues my mom has hidden for me. 'Always  document everything' she used to say, 'if it isn't documented - it never happened'. She never knew that I would be documenting her own death. I kept a close eye on Axel.

The video started, the shaky, grainy footage of the vents where a younger me was hiding, my breath ragged and desperate. I could feel the terror of that moment all over again. The camera angle shifted to reveal the living room below. There he was – Axel's father – a cold, remorseless figure, his face twisted with fury.

Axel's hand tightened around mine, and I felt his whole body go rigid. His eyes were glued to the screen, and I could see the horror reflected in them as the scene unfolded. The screams of my parents filled the room, mixing with the sound of my own silent sobs from the past.

I felt tears streaming down my face, but I couldn't look away. Every second of that video was a knife to my heart, and I knew it was tearing Axel apart too. His father, like he knew all his life, was a monster.

Axel's breath hitched, and I heard a strangled cry escape his lips. His were covering his mouth, as if to prevent the pained screams that were hitched in his throat. Tears blurred his vision, but he kept watching, unable to tear himself away from the nightmare on the screen.

When the video ended, the silence was deafening. Axel's body shook with sobs, and he buried his face in his hands, shaking it from side to side. I could feel his pain, his devastation, because it mirrored my own. 

"Why?" he choked out, his voice raw with emotion. "Why did he do this? How could he do this?"

He fell on to the floor and he clutched his chest, like he was gasping for air. He rested his back against the sofa, and brought his knees to his chest, his breathing audibly difficult.

"I'm so sorry, Axel," I whispered, my own tears falling freely. "I didn't want you to see this, I never wanted you to see this."

"I know, and I thought I could handle it, but... but this is beyond disturbing. He did this to you Sophia. My own father... did this to you."

I didn't know what to say to him. How could you comfort someone who's breaking like that? He was always the anchor, he was the one who lept me together. I didn't know what to do to comfort him. so I sat down next to him on the floor, resting my chin atop my knees.

"I have to bring my parents justice. I... I have no choice." The reality of the situation was finally sinking in.

He stood up, gently placing the towel on the couch.

He nodded weakly, the fight draining out of him. "I can't protect him anymore. He has to pay for what he's done." His voice was barely more than a whisper, every word a struggle as he headed towards the door. He stopped, his hands already on the door handle, and without looking at me, he spoke again.

 "We'll take this to the Agent and Jason. They need to see it. He has to face justice."

And with that, he left, his place on the couch still warm.