Page 35 of Indigo

Tucking them in tighter, making sure no limbs are hanging out, I stumble my way to bed and curl up under the covers.

Why the two of them didn’t just crash in here with me, I’ll never know, but I’m not waking them up just to give up two-thirds of my space.

Call me selfish, but a girl needs her sleep.

I roll to my side and smile as my phone lights up.

I know who it is without even needing to look, but butterflies still swirl around in my stomach as I reach for it.

PAX:Goodnight, beautiful. Sleep well.

I smile, and my cheeks ache from the stretch as I read his words over a few times, trying to imagine his deep voice as if he was whispering them in my ear.

What are you doing to me, Paxton Shepard?

-11-

INDIGO

“COME ON, INDIE-GIRL. Keep up,” Mum calls, stopping mid stride, waiting for me to catch up.

What the hell is it with people in this town and fitness? Everyone here seems to be up at the crack of dawn, ready to run a marathon.

Weirdos.

It’s not like it’s a new thing. They've always done this. I’m just finding it more annoying than usual this morning.

“It’s 7am,” I whine, dragging my feet to her side. I thought at the very least she’d let me sleep in a little before dragging me out of bed.

She shakes her head, looking wide awake in her lime green activewear, and throws her arm around my shoulders, pulling me to her side and forcing me to keep moving. “It’s good for you. Fresh air, some vitamin D. It’s time you got reacquainted with your town, Indie-girl.” I groan, but perk up when she adds, “First stop, coffee and a donut from Mrs Neil’s Diner.”

“Really?” I ask excitedly, surprised she left out that bit of information when convincing me to join her for her daily morning walk.

“Mhmm. I already called and asked her to have an extra cup and a bag of hot cinnamon donuts ready, which you can have as a treat when we get to my bench.”

“Your bench?” I ask, my mouth already salivating at the thought of Mrs Neil’s donuts and a hot cup of coffee. The days may be warm at the moment, but this early in the day, with the wind coming off the ocean, it’s cold as shit.

“You’ll see.” She shoots me a wink and I quicken my pace when we turn the corner and I see the sign for the diner up ahead.

A few minutes later, we round the corner to the diner, and I grin from ear to ear, the weariness leaving my body.

Coffee time

Even though I’ve been here basically every day since I’ve been home, I still take a moment to look up at the wooden sign hanging above the door. The thing looks like it's been handcrafted, the letters whittled out in perfect cursive, just as I remember, and like every building in town, the diner looks ancient. The cream paint is peeling away from the brick walls due to the salt content in the air, and the windows look dirty, as if they’ve never been cleaned.

I pause as Mum pushes the door open and the familiar ring of the bell sounds, letting Mrs Neil know of our arrival. I spin around to admire the old brass it’s made from, and while lost in my mind, I turn and walk straight into what feels like a brick wall.

I bounce back, somehow managing to get one foot caught behind the other and fall, landing flat on my back.

Ouch.

I groan, close my eyes and try to take deep breaths, as I feel a hand touch my arm. A zap of static electricity sends my eyes shooting wide open, only to find Pax grinning down at me, shaking his head.

That tight white t-shirt does wonders for his frame. Seriously.

“Jesus, Blue. You alright?”

His eyes. Oh, God. The perfect shade of hazel. Green flecks run through his brown irises, making them almost glow in the morning sun as he looks me over, clearly checking for signs of injury.

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