Page 6 of The One Who Changed Everything

“Personal tour?” My hopeful tone betrayed my desperation. Why wouldn’t she give me even a passing glance?

She pointed to various areas around the room, never leaving her seat. “Fiction, non-fiction, computers, kids, young adults. Upstairs are meeting rooms and reference materials like periodicals, local records, and genealogy resources.” Her smirk told me she knew the game I was playing and that she was determined to win it.

"Fair enough," I conceded, holding onto the fleeting warmth of her gaze like a lifeline.

"Listen, Samantha," I started, my voice barely above a whisper, "I wanted to say—"

"It's in the past, Mr. Mercer," she said, each word clipped and precise as she rearranged a stack of books on her left. "Let's keep our interactions professional, please." There was a sorrow in her eyes, the same sadness and regret I saw in my own expression every day.

I swallowed hard, the taste of regret bitter on my tongue. It was like trying to stitch a wound with barbed wire—the more I reached out, the deeper I cut myself. She was right, of course. Almost fifteen years had passed. What right did I have to dredge up old heartaches?

But there it was again—that familiar weight, compressing my chest until my breaths felt like sips through a cocktail straw. It seemed no amount of smoke I'd faced in burning buildings could suffocate the guilt that smoldered within me.

Was I trying to apologize to her? Or to assuage my own guilt? I wanted her to know that I wasn’t a bad guy.

Of course, I had been having sex with her in a nightclub bathroom while my brother died in a fire across the building. So maybe that wasn’t an achievable goal.

"Of course," I managed to choke out, the words heavy and hollow.

The fireman in me wanted to rescue her from any hint of sorrow, but the man in me knew better. How much of it had I been the cause of? Had she looked for me after the fire? Waited for my call? Even if my phone with her number hadn’t been lost at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, would I have? Everything changed when I found out Mason had died. I should have been with him, but I’d been too busy selfishly betraying my ownvalues and taking advantage of the innocent woman who was now sitting across from me.

Her fingers paused, and for a moment, I hoped for a look, a sign—anything to suggest she saw me as more than just another patron with overdue books.

"Your card will be mailed to you within five business days," she said, handing me a receipt with a practiced smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Nope," I replied, popping the P, though my mind screamed a litany of unfinished sentences and unasked questions. I didn’t need anything from her. Nothing except to understand why God had brought her back into my world. Was it simply that I needed to right the wrongs I had done back then? I’d confessed and repented that sin long ago. But I’d never made things right with Sam.

And so far, she didn’t seem inclined to let me.

As I stepped away from the counter, the distance between us stretched beyond the physical space. It was filled with what-ifs and if-onlys, bridged only by the faintest glimmer of hope that maybe God had a plan for broken things.

And in that moment, I realized I cared about the answer more than I dared to admit.

I tucked the paper card in my wallet and rapped my knuckle on the desk before stepping away.

I lingered between the stacks of novels, pretending to browse the latest Charles Martin books. I told myself I should let Samantha be. The tight set of her shoulders, the measured cadence of her voice—it all spoke to a door firmly closed, a chapter she had no intention of reopening. And if she was determined to keep that door shut, who was I to pry it open?

It wasn’t as though I were interested in rediscovering what we had. Truth be told, curiosity gnawed at my insides. It demanded answers to the mystery of Samantha's reaction, tothe significance of Sophia, or anyone else that held a permanent spot in her life. I wanted to know everything about Samantha.

My curiosity was going to be the death of me. I cast one last glance over my shoulder as I edged toward the exit. I should leave her alone, but I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to ignore the pull.

CHAPTER 4

Samantha

Iabsently stirred the pasta sauce on the stove, listening to Sophia hum to herself at the table while she tackled her homework. It was the very picture of a normal day. Except today proved, yet again, that things would no longer be normal around here.

Evan Mercer, of all people, had blown into Minden like a storm I’d never seen coming. It was bad enough that he was in town, but his library card application had revealed that he was also living practically right next door to me, in the same apartment complex. How was I supposed to keep Sophia a secret when he lived so close?

I could still feel the echo of his laughter as he stood before me earlier, winking while I processed his library card. His pickup lines, delivered with a flirtatious curve lifting the corner of his mouth. I couldn’t help the amusement that bubbled up, but I squashed it. No, I wasn't going to let his charm ripple through the calm waters I'd worked so hard to still. Even if he was just as handsome and charming as ever.

Fourteen years ago, there had been something about Evan, the way he'd wrapped me in warmth and safety, how he mademe laugh until my sides hurt. I remembered the sun-kissed days and whispered promises and how easily I fell for him.

I wasn’t exactly the spring break vacation type, but my roommate had insisted. She paid for the entire hotel room and all the gas, which was the only way I would have been able to afford a trip like that. My scholarship had barely covered tuition and room and board. The dining hall food everyone complained about felt like heaven compared to the empty cabinets I’d left behind at home.

On the beach, it felt so good to let loose and pretend I was just another college girl, carefree and fun. To ignore the stress of maintaining my grades and ignoring angry text messages from my family harassing me for abandoning them.

Evan, with his broad shoulders and golden-boy smile, had been another piece of that imaginary existence. Smart, funny, charming. I was caught by his spell so quickly. He promised me forever. Looking back, I could see my naivete. Five days? And I thought he wanted forever? I was foolish.

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