Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Tears coursed down her cheeks as she tried to convince herself they wouldn’t harm her. “Please, leave me alone. Don’t hurt me.”
A noise on the other side made her jerk her head that way to see who was approaching. This guy was younger. He didn’t look as cruel, but even Molly could spot knives tucked into strategic places. She took a step back and felt her heel slide again on the gravel. Lurching forward, she rebalanced herself before looking back and forth between the two men.
“Whoa, Little girl. We’re not going to hurt you. We’ll help with your tire and send you on your way,” the stone-faced man promised. The dead tone of his voice got Molly. What had this man suffered to reach this place where he felt nothing?
Without meaning to, Molly rushed forward to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him tight.
She knew something was seriously wrong when all the noise died out completely. Looking up, she released him and took a big step back only to teeter once again on the edge of the shoulder. Realizing it was a lost cause to fight it, Molly relaxed her muscles hoping not to break something as she fell.
“Eep!” burst from her lips as the man reached out to lift her back to safety as effortlessly as steadying a toy.
“Eep?” he repeated.
“Sorry. Thank you.” Molly rubbed her eyes once again to make sure no tears had escaped.
“Come stand over here by the back of your car. The guys can change your tire. They love doing good deeds,” the man who’d prevented her tumble shared with a sarcastic tone.
“That’s so nice of them. I should go thank them,” Molly stammered, not quite sure how she should handle the elephant in the room, so to speak. The hug.
“No way. You’re standing right here next to me.”
“C-Could you tell me your name?” she asked, knowing she’d ignored a request for hers. “I’m Molly.”
“Faust.”
“Like the man who made a pact with the devil?” Molly asked.
“Yes.”
She could hear the men swearing at the mechanics who’d tightened the lug nuts so tight while the others lounged carelessly on their bikes. The silence between her and Faust seemed almost deafening. She had to say something.
“The minister says I need to stop hugging people.”
“He’s a smart man, obviously.”
Again, that dratted lull. She peeked up at Faust and found him studying her. “I don’t hug that many people. Only those who I know need a hug.”
“And I needed a hug?” he drawled.
She couldn’t tell from his expression if he was angry or amused.
“Are you mad at me? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“I’m not mad.”
A few seconds later, she had to know. “Just surprised?”
“Definitely.”
“The minister says I don’t look like a hugger. Not that I hug that many people.”
“Just those who need one.”
“Right!” She smiled at him. He understood.
He stared at her harder than ever. He didn’t understand. She took an automatic step forward then forced herself to stop. He might forgive her for hugging him once. Twice would be way over the top.
She felt for her necklace. It wasn’t anything special. A plain cross on a fake gold chain. Molly had gotten it from her grandmother when she was twelve and skipped school to be a cool kid. It was a reminder that her path wasn’t to be cool. Her path was to do the right thing.
Like hugs.
She knew cool people didn’t go around hugging tough-looking bikers whether they needed one or not. Most people probably were scared of them—like she had been when they’d first rolled up. Molly looked over at the two guys working together to change her tire. They had the old one off and were pulling the spare out of her trunk.
“She’s just got a donut, Faust,” the one with a tangled mane of beautiful hair called.
Molly tried not to covet his hair. Hers was mousy brown and ordinary. Kind of like her brown eyes and thin face. She peeked up at Faust. His face was all hard angles. She’d tried not to notice his body, but the hug had cemented in her mind that his strength was bone deep. Suddenly, she wondered if he liked banana pudding.
He turned and walked away just as she’d almost gotten brave enough to ask. She watched him head back to his bike and felt sad. He was tired of talking to her. Of course he was.
Plain Molly. Oh, she could doll herself up. Or at least she had on a few occasions before she started working at the church. She’d looked okay with some camouflage from makeup. But she’d always felt like she was deceiving people. Shouldn’t they like her without a bunch of stuff all over her skin?
Shaking her head at her thoughts, Molly looked back at Faust. He’d seemed like a nice biker. A mean guy would have let her fall. And he hadn’t even made a big deal when she’d hugged him.