Page 50 of Sunrise

"I know you hate me, but I know what it's like to lose a parent, especially one you are close to. It's not easy, and it feels like there is a hole that will never be filled. I'm so sorry about your dad," I tell him.

He nods but still doesn't say anything. I just stand there until he sighs.

"I don't hate you," he offers.

"Well, I'm here if you need someone who knows what it's like to talk to. No judgment, no questions, no history between us. Just two people who have lost their dad and need a little support now and then."

He looks at me and nods, then looks over my shoulder at Kade before looking back at me.

"You could do better, you know," he says.

"I have done worse, so I think it evens out," I tell him, and he shakes his head.

"Travis got what he deserved," he says.

"I agree with you there." I smirk.

Travis and Jasper were friends in school, and the four of us hung out a lot. I'm not sure what their relationship was after everything, but hearing him say that is enough.

"Things aren't always what they seem, Jasper, especially in this town. I think you forget that." I wink at him and head back to Kade, who smiles at me.

"Everything good?" Kade asks.

I look back at Jasper, who is still watching me.

"Yeah, it is," I say, and we head back to the car.

We drive down to Main Street and have lunch for everyone to see while we laugh and have a good time.

The moment we enter the inn, Brynn is right there.

"We did it!" She yells so loud I'm thankful the inn is empty.

"Did what?" I ask, drawing a blank.

"The state emailed us with an appointment next month to state our case, and until then, all progress is halted and a notice has been sent to the mayor!"

"Oh my gosh, that was so fast!" I say in shock.

"I know! But we need to prove our case to the board before they will even put their historians on it, so we have to have all sorts of things. They sent the documents over," Brynn tells us.

"Maybe now that the mayor knows, we can get some people from town involved to see what they know, and if they have anything we can use?" Kade says.

"Yep, we have a lot to do in a month!" I say, finally feeling a bit of hope that we have a chance to save the town.

Chapter 23

Linly

I woke up from a dead sleep by a crash of thunder. Great. I know I won't get back to sleep, even if it is after one o'clock in the morning. Brynn can sleep through anything, so I'll be sitting up tonight on my own.

Sitting up on my bed, I stare out at the rain hitting the window and almost don't hear the faint knock on my door. I race across the room, thankful Brynn is up because I really didn't want to be alone.

Only it's not Brynn at my door. It's Kade.

"I know you don't like to be alone during storms, so I thought I'd see if you were awake," he says.

I stand back and let him in, closing the door behind him. I race back to my bed and get under the covers when another burst of thunder hits. Kade sits next to me in bed, and just like the other morning, he puts his arm around me. I rest my head on his shoulder, and we just sit.

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