Page 30 of Begin Again
As I dug through my pocket for the wallet Charlie had gotten me for Christmas, Chief Sloan walked in with Jack Burnes behind him, dressed in uniform. Before they sidled up to the counter, Sloan noticed me. He whispered something to his counterpart before sliding into the opposite side of my booth.
“Somethin’ I can get you Sloan?” Helen asked, returning for my tab.
“Just a coffee for now, and I’ll take it up there.” Sloan pointed up at the counter where Jack glanced through the menu. As if he needed to look.
“Long night ahead?”
“Little bit. Thanks, Helen.”
His answer seemed odd. Bezer rarely saw crime, which is why the town could afford such a small force. For Sloan to have to work a late night made me think something was going on. Shit, was it the festival? My stomach dropped thinking about Joseph and Charlie being there to set up.
Before I could ask what happened, Sloan cleared his throat and said, “I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
Despite what he said, my hopes skyrocketed. “Did you find something?”
“I saiddon’tget your hopes up.” Sloan laughed. “But maybe. The sheriff called, and—”
“What did he say?”
“—I think he might have something. Now, Xavier, I don’t want you to get too excited, okay? This could be nothing.”
“But what if it’s something?”
“We’ll cross that bridge if we get there.”
The hope I had been feeling moments earlier deflated a little. It had to. Sloan was right. Whatever news the Sheriff had could be nothing.
“I gotta head out to Fox Grove shortly and talk with him. You’ll be at the festival tomorrow?” Sloan asked, and I nodded. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
Even though I tried to maintain a level head about what Sloan had said, I still questioned,What if it turns into something?It could be the answer to everything. It could mean getting to gohome. The thought of being one step closer to knowing who I am made me feel like I was floating, only to be brought crashing down when I parked in front of the white farmhouse after dinner. I was supposed to go on a “date” with Charlie the next morning. How could I when I knew I might be leaving soon? It felt wrong to think about canceling when I knew how excited Charlie was, but my hesitation only grew thinking about it.
“Xavier?” Charlie’s voice pulls me from my thoughts of the night before. And when I look down to meet her green eyes, a thought runs through my head.She’s not her.
Who the hell isher?
“You okay? You spaced out there for a minute.”
More like most of the day.
I nod and say, “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess. Didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Me either.” She smiles, squeezing my hand, but she doesn’t realize neither of us got much sleep for entirely different reasons.
Our day together has been fine. I can’t complain too much, it’s been nice getting to know Charlie away from the ranch. Seeing her let loose with her friends and laugh is something she doesn’t do often. She’s too worried about her father and handling the day-to-day work on the ranch. Even though it’s been nice to see this side of her, I can’t decide what’s holding me back from allowing myself to enjoy it. Was it because of what Sloan said last night or because I’m just not interested in her?Either way, I’m not falling for this girl the same way she seems to be for me. And knowing that makes me feel even worse because I’m still not as invested in this as Charlie.
Down on the other side of the festival, the cover band returns to the stage, and after a quick thank you for the warm welcome, they start playing another song. The noise has been a great buffer most of the day, but the song they start with sends my mind spiraling…
I walk through the front door and straight to the kitchen as the same country song plays over the radio speakers. A woman stands at the sink, washing dishes as she hums along to the tune, and the sight of her makes my heart swell. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I press my lips against the warm, tanned skin of her neck. Her head falls back against my shoulder, granting me further access to the column of her throat, and a hum of approval comes from her. With a final kiss, I take her right hand and tug it to my chest, pulling her close to dance with her. I sing along to the song, and she laughs when I twirl her out from my chest before pulling her back in. As the final chorus plays, she wraps her hand around the nape of my neck, her fingers playing with the hair there, and she leans her head against my chest.
I kiss her temple as the song ends, but we still sway together in the middle of the kitchen.
“I miss you,” I whisper against her skin.
“You have no idea.” The woman brings our swaying to a halt and leans back to—
“Earth to Xavier!” Charlie shouts.
I shake my head, pinching the bridge of my nose between my eyes.What the fuck was that?Opening my eyes again, I’m met with expectant green ones. “I’m…I’m sorry, Charlie. I got…distracted for a second.”
