Page 24 of Give Me Perfect Love

“Nah. I live west of here. I’m a trucker. Been coming through this town for over twenty years. Used to stop by the diner on my route. That’s where I met Kathrine. You ever eaten there?” Mills is either clueless to the tension between us or he’s choosing to stay out of it.

“Yes,” Bryce replies.

My eyes narrow at his. In my drunken state, I swear Bryce said he’d eaten at the diner I used to work at.

“Then you know about their fried hamburger steak. It’s the best you can get,” Mills beams and leans on the bar.

“No. Afraid not. I believe I had waffles. I was a boy.”

Hedidsay he’d eaten there. I bring my beer to my mouth, studying him hard.

“Ahh, well, you’ll have to grab you some before you leave town,” Mills says.

“I might just do that,” Bryce replies as the bartender places our drinks on the counter. Bryce hands me my water, basically making me put the beer down. I eyeball him, but he doesn’t seem affected. He downs his drink before sliding it onto the bar.

“Mills, it was a pleasure talking with you. I don’t know too much about this girl’s past. Nice to meet someone from it.”

Is Bryce leaving?

Mills looks a little confused but shakes Bryce’s outstretched hand.

I feel like I’m walking on thin ice and it’s going to shatter beneath me at any moment. Bryce is playing it cool.

Too cool.

“Pleasure was mine.” Mills looks at me. “Always good to see you.”

Is he leaving, too?

“You, too,” I say, going in for another hug. The man smells like hard work and laundry detergent. He sniffs and nods as he slips from my embrace.

Bryce looks at me. “Ready?”

Oh, we’re leaving.I take a sip of my water as my eyes land on the door and my heart bungee jumps in my chest.

I can’t catch a break.

Bethany sees me, and then her eyes move to Bryce before shooting wide open as they land on Mills.

Her skin pales and she covers her mouth. She spins around and heads out the door. I jump from my seat, swaying a bit before gaining my balance.

Bryce’s hand lands on my arm, but I shrug him off and aim for the door.

“What did you see?” I ask, spotting her in the parking lot. She’s walking so fast I have to jog.

“Stop!” I yell after her. She turns around and looks at me. Tears are in her eyes and she shakes her head.

“Just leave it be, Kathrine.”

“Why did you look like that?” I squint, trying to keep thick flakes of snow out of my eyes.

Her chest shudders and she surrenders to the tears. Turning away from me, she gasps and looks up at the sky. I look behind me, knowing Bryce is there, not close, but there.

He doesn’t make a move—just stands far enough back for distance, but near enough to hear everything.

I twist back to her. “Tell me. You owe me some answers here,” I say, opening my hands. “You disappeared. You left without a fucking word to me. How does a mother do that to her child? How could you?”

The winter storm picks up and the wind howls. I hug myself, trying to keep warm.

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