The Corner Store

Chapter 16 - Girl, ain't no way you're crying over a boy

"LAPD, put your hands where I can see them." They yelled as they raised their weapons at us.

"I'm the one who called you! The guy is lying on the ground over there!" Damn, I could feel his heartbeat and it was as fast as mine; if not faster. Too fast that it was making him a little tachypneic.

He let the officers pass by us and then looked at me, with a small smirk. I felt my heart drop to my intestines. Even when I'm mad at him, he somehow manages to make my heart flutter.

You like him.

Ew. No, I don't. Stop talking inner voice.

"You were about to say something? It started with 'because' and ended with 'I'm the one who called you." I said, boldly removing a strand of hair from his face.

Sophia, stop embarrassing yourself please. For the love of God.

He laughed a little and held my hand to his cheek for a few seconds. The rain poured around us with more intensity now and I was for sure going to get sick again, but also this was cute.

"You and I both know what I was about to say, but I don't think now is the right time. Just know that I will never do anything to hurt you Sophia Grace. Never."

"I know." Was all I managed to whisper out, a smile never leaving my face.

The police officers dragged the perv right in front of us and handed him over to the paramedics, who put him on a stretcher, before finding their way over to us. Out of nowhere, Lara came running at us with full force, hugging both me and Axel.

"Hello. My name is Officer Adil and this is my partner Officer Lawrence. You sir, said you called it in, but what happened? I assume you weren't already on site?"

"No he wasn't, I was. I'm Sophia Powers." I started.

"Hello Sophia. Why don't we move you from under the rain, and I can get the whole story okay? Hey Julien, can you pass me two blankets?"

We moved back under the protective covering where he gave us a couple of warm blankets, and just like that, it stopped raining.

"Okay, can you recall what happened?" He took out his pen and notepad.

"Yes. I work as a cashier at this store. He was one of my customers and he was acting suspiciously weird. He was saying really weird things to me, and made excuses for staying back but counting very slowly, entirely in one dollar bills even though his bill was close to a hundred dollars. It was not until Axel here came downstairs and confronted him, he finally said he'd pay with a credit card and then he left. That was hours ago, and then when we closed the store, I was the last to leave as I was waiting for my friend to pick me up. He came from behind that dumpster over there and as I was asking him to leave me alone, he took out his knife and threatened me. He said if I don't come with him willingly, that he would force me and that even if I yelled, no one would hear me."

Axel's head turned at me so fast, I almost heard his spine crack. "He did what now?"

"I'm also like a hundred percent sure he's a pedophile who has kids locked in his basement or something."

The officers chuckled as they continued writing down the notes.

"Okay, and what about the wounds on his face. You don't seem to have any, and I'm positive he didn't just fall."

"No, he didn't. I'm a black belt. I guess he didn't know that."

"Neither did I." I heard Axel mumble.

"Tell me about it brother." Added Lara.

"Karate?" Asked the officer, slightly amused.

"No sir, taekwondo."