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Except for these shoes. These terrible shoes were the only things she’d been desperate enough to put on her feet. They kept her feet protected from the elements, but that was about it. These awful pieces of leather made her feet hurt and created issues when it came to escaping like she’d attempted to do the night before.
A nice pair of tennis shoes would do the trick. Or maybe some work boots. As long as they fit her feet and they could be broken in, she’d be happy. She’d stay one more night—two at the most—and then she’d take her things and leave. Or she’d get Henry to drop her off in the city. That was the best place for her to get some money. As long as she didn’t stay on one corner too long, she could ask for donations and maybe replenish a portion of what she’d lost.
“You okay?” Henry’s quiet voice pulled her from her planning, and she shot another look in his direction.
Athena nodded.
He sighed and when her brows furrowed at his reaction, he sighed again. “Please tell me you’re not starting that again, are you?”
She didn’t look at him. It wasn’t hard for her to understand exactly what he was talking about.
“You’re being ridiculous. This whole not talking when we’ve already spoken.”
“I don’t feel the need to have a conversation,” she muttered.
“Why not?”
“Contrary to popular belief, sometimes it’s nice to just sit in the quiet.”
He laughed. “You don’t really believe that.”
“And what would you know about what I believe?” she demanded. “I’ve been living my life in a very specific way, and I run into fewer problems when I don’t bombard others with words.”
Henry snorted. “And just how exactly does staying quiet actually help? How are you supposed to get what you need? What if there’s an emergency? There’s a reason why people developed languages all over the world.”
She shook her head. “I never expected you to understand.”
“So, help me understand. How is remaining silent good for anyone?”
“Well, first of all, I don’t annoy anyone with my constant babbling.”
His eyes widened and for a moment she wondered if he’d pull his truck over and demand for her to exit the vehicle. But then he threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Burn! I knew you were capable, but I underestimated how ruthless you could be. You’re referring to me, aren’t you? I talk too much. That’s what you’re trying to tell me.”
Athena shrugged.
“Okay, what else? Lay it on as thick as you want, because I’ve got an argument for every single one you throw at me.”
She stilled, not expecting this turn of events. Then she turned to face him. “Okay, what about safety? The more someone talks, the more you get to know them.”
“That’s sorta the point, isn’t it?”
“Not if you’re someone like me who wants to maintain a certain amount of…”
“Intrigue?”
“No,” she drawled. “Inconspicuousness. I don’t know if you understand this, but someone in my position needs to be extremely careful about what they share and with whom. People don’t exactly take too kindly to people like me.”
“People like you? Do you mean people who have clawed their way through life, not only trying to take care of themselves but succeeding and all without a support system?”
She gaped at him. No one had ever put what she was into those words. The way he made it sound, she was some kind of hero. That description was something a person could be proud of. “Do you really think that?” she whispered so low she wasn’t sure he’d hear her.
“Why wouldn’t I? You’re not so anonymous, you know that, right? I noticed you the second you showed up for the wedding.”
He had? Of course, he had. Why else would he track her down in the barn and try to make her take a drink? He’d probably watched her scarf down all that food, too.
Athena placed both hands over her face and groaned. How embarrassing.
“It’s not a bad thing.” As reassuring as Henry made his voice sound, she couldn’t believe him. She’d heard every name in the book. The homeless in this country were a scourge—a plague that needed to be eradicated. Ironically, most of the folks she ran into preferred the solitary and minimalistic lifestyle. Many of them chose this path.
