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“Zach,” she whispered as she stared out into the empty diner

“I know you, babe I know your smiles, and I know your frowns I kno you look when you’re happy, when you’re fucking pissed, and when you’re being pleasured so good, you can’t do anything but scream” He rubbed at a line of tension that had formed between her eyes “I know the face you make when you’re stressed So don’t try to feed me a line of bullshit, babe, because I also knohen you’re lying And you suck at it What’s going on?”

Toni sighed After a fewsilence, she spoke in voice so dejected, it had hi her close “Last weekend, this kid ca for work”

A few raave the job, which not only took them off the street and away froet into, but she also spent ti basic skills for self-sufficiency, and being a friend to these kids When possible, she coordinated with their high school counselors and beca to better the kids’ lives After having spent her teen years strung out and dating a sadistic gang et for these kids She’d save each and every one if she had the means

“You give ’er a job?”

With a shake of her head, she said “No I couldn’t, she’s just thirteen Her name is Lindsey She swore she had a family, but after today, I think she’s homeless Maybe a runaway”

Laws in Tennessee prohibited ainful employment

Zach pressed a kiss to her temple “So, what did you do?”

“Hmm?”

“Come on, babe I know you You wouldn’t have just turned her away”

With a soft chuckle, Toni rested her head on his shoulder “I had her take out the trash, then let her pick whatever she wanted off the menu”

“What’d she get?”

“A double bacon cheeseburger with extra fries and a chocolate shake”

He let out a lohistle “That’s big eating”

“Telltoo Looks like she’d blow right over if she set her hairdryer too high” Toni frowned “Bet she doesn’t even have a hairdryer Anyway, she ate all that food in under ten ”

Sadness gripped him No child should have to live that way And thirteen was still firh their lives were or how fast they’d been forced to grow up They weren’t equipped to navigate the world on their own or take on adult problems

“She been back at all?” Zach asked, playing with the ends of Toni’s shoulder-length hair