#sweete

Ethel’s words tugged at Sweet Pea’s heartstrings. He thought it was unfair that she should always be so down on her luck, that little things never went her way. It was why he knew she was his kind of person—disenfranchised, castaway, unloved and weeded out—someone who could relate to how he felt, stuck in a devil town. In both of their encounters the day before he’d used all his self control to keep from reaching out to her, denying them both for the sake of personal space when he really should have tried to make a connection. Sweet Pea didn’t allow himself to second-guess himself this time. He caught the sleeve of Ethel’s sweater and let his palm rest gently on her elbow.

“I see you,” he said simply. “And I don’t think you talk too much.”