Page 14 of Never Gone

“You have got tobe fucking kidding me.”

I groaned. “I wish I was.”

Tawny Andrews paced back and forth. She clasped her hands together behind her back. “So, Atlas is back in town and he wants to pick things up where they left off seven years ago. And the only reason he’s back in town is because his grandfather died.” She stopped, staring at me when I didn’t say anything. “I just wanted you to finally get laid. I never expected him to actually want more.”

“Same. Am I crazy for wanting to take him up on his offer?” It had been two days since I spent the night with Atlas. When I left the motel, I had gone home and as much as I didn’t want to, I had a shower and washed him off of me. Now I was at my best friend’s place, hoping I would get the advice I was looking for.

“Well…Atlas was a good guy when we were kids but who knows what the hell he’s done all this time. And why now? Why not before? Why did it take him so damn long to make his move?” Tawny raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Marley.”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know but I’ve been single for so long, it wouldn’t hurt to date him and go from there.” Would it? I almost felt like I was making a deal with the devil himself. Atlas broke my heart. I was terrified he would break it again but that this time, I wouldn’t be able to recover from it. Hell, I hadn’t recovered from the first time he ripped it out of my chest.

“I’m your best friend,” Tawny continued. “And I know you better than anyone. I know you’re not just jumping into this headfirst, but I will caution you to be careful.”

“I know.” I let out a hard sigh. “His grandfather’s funeral is on Saturday. I have a couple of days to think about this.” Even though I knew that it wouldn’t help. A year could go by and it still wouldn’t help. At all.

“Alright.” Tawny crossed her arms under her chest. “Did you need me to meet up with him and kick his ass? You don’t have any brothers. I could do it for you.”

I laughed, rising from the couch and closed the distance between us. “No, I think I can kick his ass without your help. Although, I’m sure he’s doing enough of that on his own.”

Tawny cupped my shoulders. “Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

“I’m sure.” I pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you.”

“I love you girl but if he hurts you again, I will ignore you and scatter his bones across this earth. And then I’ll kill him.”

“Somehow I don’t think you’re kidding,” I murmured.

“Nope.” She squeezed me. “I’m not.”

We spent the rest of the day talking about everything else but Atlas and what he wanted. Even though Tawny had tried distracting me as best she could, it didn’t help, and my thoughts were still all over the place. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t go back to the city with him.

Shefford was my home and no matter how much Atlas tried fighting it, it was his home as well.

Either way, this sucked. This sucked a whole fucking lot.

***

(Atlas)

“Atlas.”

I looked up from the tumbler I had raised to my lips and found my father coming toward me. “Dad.”

He nodded once, pulled me in for an awkward one-armed hug and stepped away from me as quickly as he could without making it inappropriate. There had been a rift between us ever since he took me from Shefford. But Marley had been right. Ididwant out of this town. It still didn’t mean that I didn’t put some of the blame on my father as well.

“It’s been awhile.” He pulled me into another hug, the embrace lingering a little longer than deemed necessary. Truth was, we hadn’t talked in years. Not like a father and son should anyway. Once I became old enough, we had gone our separate ways and I had made a name for myself all on my own.

“It has. How’s mom? She decide to join you or did she stay home this time?” She never did like my grandparents. She had stayed home when my grandmother died, making up some excuse that she wasn’t feeling well.

“She’s here.” Dad looked around the room that held people I no longer knew. “She was helping Mrs. Tate in the kitchen. It’s…”

“What?” I took another sip of my drink when I realized the glass was empty. I frowned. Shame.

“It’s weird being back,” he confessed.

“It is.” But it was also a good thing just the same now that I had spent the night with Marley a couple days ago.

“Have you seen Marley?” Dad asked, checking the Rolex on his wrist. “Her parents stopped by earlier to give their best.”

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