Page 8 of Dart to Me
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. Claire.
“So... Julian, huh?” Her voice carries a knowing lilt.
“What about him?” I try to sound casual, but the warmth spreading across my cheeks betrays me, even though she can’t see it.
“Oh, please. I saw you two dancing. The whole town saw you two dancing.”
I groan, pressing my face into the pillow. “Was it that obvious?”
“Like a neon sign in the dark,” she laughs. “But it’s nice, Ellie. You deserve to find someone.”
After hanging up, I dress quickly drawn to the window that overlooks Julian’s front yard. I am not a stalker. Almost on cue, he walks into my line of sight.
Without thinking, I grab my keys and head outside. Julian looks up from beneath the hood of a rusty pickup.
“About last night,” he begins, voice low.
Somehow, without realizing it, I’ve closed the distance between us. “Yes?”
“I haven’t...” he pauses, searching for words. “I haven’t felt that comfortable anywhere in a long time.”
The confession hangs between us, fragile as spun glass. I swallow, suddenly aware of how close we’re standing. “I think everyone liked you.”
“I don’t really care what everyone thought,” Julian says, his eyes never leaving mine. “Just you.”
The confession sends a flutter through my chest. In the morning light, I notice details I missed before—a small scar above his left eyebrow. The way one corner of his mouth lifts slightly higher than the other when he smiles.
“I have to get to work,” I say reluctantly, though my feet refuse to move.
“What time do you finish?”
“Five-thirty.”
Julian nods, wiping his hands on his jeans. “I could pick you up. Maybe we could grab dinner?”
“I’d like that,” I say, trying to contain the smile threatening to take over my face.
Throughout my shift at the library, I catch myself daydreaming, shelving books in the wrong places, and having to apologize to Mrs. Hendricks twice for not hearing her questions. By closing time, my stomach is in knots.
Julian is waiting outside, leaning against his truck. He’s changed into a dark button-down shirt, his hair still damp from a shower. The sight of him makes my breath catch.
“Ready?” he asks, opening the passenger door.
As we drive through town, I’m aware of the curious glances from pedestrians. In Lawson Ridge, nothing stays private for long.
“You know,” Julian says, keeping his eyes on the road, “this is the first time I’ve taken someone to dinner in years.”
“Really? Why me?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “You didn’t look at me like I was an outsider. You just... saw me.”
JULIAN
“So,are you going to tell me what really brought you to Lawson Ridge?”
I am prepared for this question. In a new town, it’s expected. Ellie isn’t like others. She isn’t judgemental. Although, by the looks of her, she doesn’t have a wild side. “I needed a fresh start. Somewhere quiet, where I could just... be.”
“What are you running from?”
