Chapter 27 Tessa

• "A coffee, please." My customer is so quiet, I barely hear her above the soft music and the hum of conversation. The girl offers a wobbly smile, clutching at the strap of her white canvas tote bag. It's midafternoon, but from the exhaustion lining her pretty face, from the shadows under her eyes, you'd think it was 4am. "The biggest one you have. An extra shot too, please."
• "Coming right up." I set to making her monster coffee, but I can't help glancing back over my shoulder at my blonde waif of a customer. Curiosity always gets the better of me. "Long day?"
• I recognize her, but I don't know her name. Must've been a couple years away from me in school. Or maybe she's that rare sort of person who moves out to the desert, seeking answers under the huge, starry skies.