~Lila's POV~
I slammed the register shut at the mini mart, my feet throbbing like they'd been hammered by a jackhammer after twelve straight hours on the linoleum floor. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting that sickly glow on the empty aisles as the last customer shuffled out with their cheap beer and lottery tickets.
It was past midnight, and all I wanted was to drag my aching body home, collapse into bed, and forget the world. Mom had married Jack six months ago, some whirlwind romance after Dad bailed on us years back.
Jack was this rugged contractor type, mid-forties, with callused hands and a perpetual five o'clock shadow that made him look like he stepped out of one of those gritty action flicks. He wasn't bad to look at, if you ignored how he mostly grunted at me dur
