The Chapter 8 . The mention of triple compensation instantly deflated the anger of the drivers who'd gotten out to confront him . Joshua arrived quickly , jotting down the drivers ' phone numbers . Traffic soon flowed again . " Uh … Miss , could you wait a sec ? I'll be super quick , just give him my number … " the taxi driver ventured , clearly tempted by the triple compensation offer . Rosalind cut him off . " This fare is about 5 dollars . Triple wouldn't even hit 20 dollars . I'll give you 200 dollars right now . Drive . Now . " " Y yes , ma'am ! Right away ! " The driver beamed and hit the gas . " Money does make the world go round , " Rosalind mused , rubbing her temple . For a fleeting moment , she almost understood Latoya . A handsome , mature man visited her shop every day . He never made inappropriate advances or pressured her . His only action was to purchase one piece of jewelry from her hands . This deliberate , patient pursuit carried an air of quiet inevitability . Few women could resist such an approach . For Latoya , a woman bearing the weight of a painful family history and constant financial insecurity , this strategy proved particularly disarming . " She's one lucky girl . Boyfriend that handsome , risking his neck to get her bracelet back . Some girls have all the luck . " Rosalind stayed silent . The driver continued , " But if he's loaded like that , why not just buy her a new one ? Why run back into traffic? Crazy dangerous ! " The words echoed in Rosalind's mind , pulling her back to the day she met Christopher . She was in eighth grade . Walking home , she'd found an injured kitten . She cradled it , heading for the vet , but the terrified creature wriggled free right in the middle of a busy street Cars swerved , tires screeched . Heart pounding , young Rosalind squeezed her eyes shut , ready to dart into the chaos after the kitten . Suddenly , a figure shot across the lanes , a blur of white . He scooped up the kitten , dodged the traffic , and landed safely beside her . " Your cat ? " He wore a basketball jersey and a sweatband , sweat dropping along his hair . He pulled her firmly onto the sidewalk and placed the kitten back in her arms . " That kitten's life matters , " he said , his voice soft , " but yours doesn't ? That was reckless . You could have been killed . " Christopher was a senior then , towering over her . 19.52 7.1 % < Chapter B. She stood clutching the kitten , completely enveloped by his shadow , biting her lip and nodding silendy His friends caught up . One wrinkled his nose at the kitten . " That thing's ugly . If you want a cat , just buy a cute one . Risking your neck for that stray ? Dumb . " Christopher shot him a glare . " Shut it . " " What ? It is ugly . And filthy … " " Keep talking , and tomorrow your precious ' Wings for the Future ' find themselves under a bus . " " Hey ! Don't you dare ! Those are my favorite kicks ! " Christopher crossed his arms , echoing the boy's earlier words with a smirk . " Well , to me , they look ugly and stink . Want shoes ? Buy new ones . Not worth running into traffic for . " His friend instantly deflated . Christopher turned back to Rosalind , his expression softening . " Hey , it's okay now . Don't be scared . " " Thanks . " He glanced down at her school ID clipped to her shirt . " Mapleholt High ? Rosalind Johansen ?" " Yeah . " He smiled . " Christopher Foret . If you ever need anything at school , find me . " Rosalind was quiet by nature . Even after learning his name , she never sought him out . He , however , started showing up again and again . Before long , everyone knew Christopher had his eye on Rosalind . That rescue had been the beginning of their relationship . Today's encounter on the street felt like the end . Rosalind thought , " Perhaps this is for the best . Let it end as it began . Fifteen years together , we loved deeply , cherished sweet moments . At least it feels like a complete journey , a story properly closed . " < Chapter 9