Page 11 of Knot Falling in Love
Originally, he was going to get a new tattoo from every new base visited, but that quickly changed, and he was practically covered in the first six years. He decided not to re-enlist for a third time, despite the incentives, because he felt he was losing himself and he was ready to come home.
When the time came, I dragged him back to bed with me, and we laughed and kissed before falling asleep, slotted together like two matching puzzle pieces.
Something I never had with Max in our two-year relationship. We’d sit in bed on our respective phones, me obsessively checking my metrics while he would check his DMs. Red flag. Then, we’d roll over and fall asleep, sans orgasm and cuddles.
I was content with that. I didn’t need that stereotypical relationship, it’s unrealistic. It’s not sustainable. All it took was one night with Elijah for everything to change.
Not that this is a relationship. It can’t be. Though, it doesn’t feel like a one-night stand either.
A sinking feeling settles in my chest, not so much regret, but fear. This isn’t a no-stringsthing, since I am currently stuck beneath him. Falling asleep tangled together rarely happens without strings, but what else could it be? If things go sideways, I won’t only lose Elijah, but Hannah and Alexis as well.
That’s the most likely outcome. It’s not like we have a real future, since I can’t up and move back to Ghostlight Falls, right?
Staring at Elijah, I do a quick risk assessment in my head, then brace against the mattress and tug my arm out from under him in one swift motion. He barely reacts, groaning and rolling over to face the wall. I sort through my duffle bag, grabbing the first outfit that makes sense, then tiptoe out of the room, phone and sneakers in hand, doing my best not to wake him up as I leave the house.
What I really need right now is space and a present for Alexis.
It’s only a 20-minute walk from Elijah’s neighborhood to the center of town. The cool morning air reminds me of the tail end of summer vacations and hanging out at the park. Or having Elijah take us to the drive-in just after school let out. I always thought that Ghostlight Falls would never change,that some of its strange magic would keep it frozen in time.
Nothing could be further from the truth as I come up to the empty lot where Sheet-y Stationary occasionally returns home. Unlike the other cities I’ve visited, Ghostlight Falls is alive. Not just from the busy streets or plentiful tourists who visit to see The Wonder Hole. That strange magic comes in the way of cursed buildings and secret hush-hush experiments at Fort Pines.
I look both ways and jog across the street. As soon as my foot hits the curb, a car horn blares behind me.
“Go Balls!” A chorus of teenage boys scream, decked out in Wonder Balls gear and hanging out the windows of a dark red sedan. I know a mom car when I see one.
Scratch that, some things never change.
Just past Grim’s Bakery, I flinch at the sound of another engine behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice the familiar bright orange Camaro slowing to keep pace with me. Dammit.
The driver’s side window slides down and Elijah leans out, “Hey.” His attention bouncesbetween me, the road ahead and the line of cars slowly building up behind him. “Get in, Maisie.”
“How did you know where I was?”
He taps his nose, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk as he continues to follow me.
“Please don’t cause a scene.” I half hiss out, trying my best to ignore him.
“Is there going to be a scene?” He asks, “You know I would have driven you anywhere you wanted to go. All you had to do was ask.”
I know it’s already too late. The odd side effect of living in a small town is you can tell when all eyes are suddenly focused on you. It gets quiet, like the forest when there’s a predator in the area. Or when the giants are wandering about.
“Elijah.” I finally acknowledge him, and from the looks of his wrinkled heather gray t-shirt and sleep-mussed hair, he jumped in the car the moment he realized I was gone. I sigh and gesture to the cars behind him.
He furrows his brow and glances in the driver’s side mirror, then shakes his head, driving off towards the stadium.
As I reach For the Plot, my handresting on the door, I half expect to see the Camaro coming back this way. I probably should have woken him up, I can’t imagine how he might have felt waking up to an empty bed. There is always a piece of me running from him when all I want to do is stop and let him catch me.
The old bookstore looks different from my last visit, the once yellow walls are now lilac, and the shelves have gotten a new coat of white paint. It’s like new life has been restored to the town staple.
I pull my phone out of my purse and open up my note app for the list of books Alexis might be interested in. I look around for the owner’s familiar face, but instead find a pink-haired woman standing just past the register returning a few hardcovers to the shelf.
She looks up, giving me a warm smile before placing the last book on the shelf.
“Welcome to For the Plot. Is there anything you’re looking for in particular?”
“Something on the Great Basin Spadefoot. Actually, anything frog-related. My best friend’s daughter wants to be a herpetologist. Frogs are kind of her special interest rightnow.” I say, holding up my phone, “Oh, I actually have a list.”
She mouths to herself as she reads, then nods, walking off towards the back of the store, “I’m pretty sure we have something.”
