Page 8 of Come Back for Me
“We can walk.”
“All right.” I stand, put my hand out, and smile when she takes it, knowing I earned a little of her trust.
We make our way to her house, neither of us saying much, but then I feel her start to tremble. I can remember all too well not wanting to go home because my parents were going to be mad at me. Too many times I had the wooden spoon to my hide because my mother said to be back before dark and I’d wandered off, lost in the vast lands that looked the same, and one of my brothers had to come find me.
“How long have you lived here?” I ask, wanting to take her attention off her impending punishment.
“I grew up here.”
“Yeah, and how old are you?”
“I’m seven.”
She must’ve moved in right after I left. “You live here with your parents?”
“My daddy runs the farm with my mommy. She’s also a teacher.”
“They sound like nice folks.”
Hadley looks away, and that feeling niggles at me again. I’ve lived my entire life based on trusting my instincts. In the military, it’s kill or be killed. I had to rely on myself to know when something was a threat or not. Something about her demeanor has red flags going up all over.
“My parents probably aren’t home, so you won’t meet them.”
I nod as though I don’t see through what she’s doing. I grew up making excuses as to all the reasons my friends couldn’t come or my teachers shouldn’t call. My father was sleeping, he wasn’t home, he was on the tractor, or he was out of town. Anything I could say to deter someone from seeing anything. From finding a reason to ask questions.
Hiding wasn’t just for me, it was for everything about me.
“Well, if they’re not, I’ll at least know you got home safely.”
“Do you think I can come over sometime to climb your tree? It has steps and mine doesn’t.”
I grin at her. “Anytime, kid. My tree is your tree. And if you come by in the next few days, I can show you two other hiding spots my brothers and I built.”
“Really? Cool!” Hadley lights up.
“Really.”
We get toward the drive and there’s someone at the car. Her dark brown hair falls down her back in waves and she’s lifting a paper bag from her trunk. When she turns, our eyes meet, and my heart stops.
Her lips part as the groceries tumble to the ground forgotten as I come face to face with the woman who has haunted my dreams.
My angel has returned, only she isn’t mine.
Chapter Three
Ellie
It can’t be.
This can’t be happening.
It’s been eight years since that night. Eight years of pretending that it was all a dream because it had to be.
I never saw him again. No matter how many days and nights I scanned crowds or looked at every driver—it was never him.
Partially, I was grateful because that night was one of the most heartbreaking and incredible nights of my life. I never should’ve given myself to him, but I was so unsure of where my life was going and if marrying Kevin was the right thing to do. I only knew that I needed to be loved and cherished, even if it was only for one night. I wanted to be held the way that this man held me when we danced.
The other part was the agony because I was getting married the next day, and God help me, I prayed that I would never see him again so I could find a way to forgive myself for the sins I committed.
