Page 25 of Chasing Infinity

When she trails off, I know what she didn’t mean to silently admit. “But then I left, and you felt—”

“Lost,” she says, looking at me with sad eyes. “I don’t want to drudge up old wounds, but you asked.”

“It’s okay,” I tell her, and I mean it. “I want to hear it.”

“I suddenly didn’t know which way was up anymore. The only thing I had that felt familiar was Charlie and Eli. My parents were gone, my home was gone,youwere gone. So I stayed where I felt safe. I think I just was reaching and grasping at any sense of belongingness, and I found it here. Even after I saw you in New York, it wasn’t enough to set me back on that path,” she explains. “I don’t regret a thing, you know? I’m happy here. I’m happy with how my life turned out.”

“Good,” I reply, taking a deep breath and looking deep into her eyes. “That’s all I wanted for you.”

“Yeah,” she trails off, her warm hazel eyes holding mine, a mixture of unsaid words swirling in their depths. Finally, she shakes whatever was sitting on her mind off and smiles widely. My pulse picks up a beat or two at the way her face lights up with mischief. “Look at us, just falling right back into what we do best.”

I bark out a laugh. “I think what we do best is push each other’s buttons. Or have you completely blocked out those early years?”

Parks dismissively waves her hand. “It’s a blip on the radar. When I think back to that time, all I remember is you being the one person I could always count on to listen to me. Always there, having my back. And now here you are, listening to me babble on just like it’s old times.”

“I like listening to you babble,” I admit fondly. Addison holds her smile a while longer. In comfortable quiet, I take the opportunity to pour myself a good cup of coffee and swing back around to sit on the stool I’ve claimed as my own, so I can talk to her more.

As the morning starts to roll, the rest of the staff arrives and a few customers come into the diner. Addison hurries off to get their orders as soon as they walk in, leaving me with my coffee and my thoughts. She’ll come and go over the next hour or two in between taking care of tables or putting out fires with her employees. She’ll toss me a smile or stick her tongue out at me as she passes where I sit. Grace is in the backroom checking inventory and taking care of other back office duties, and Jack handles the register out front.

After getting the opportunity to spend some time in the diner, I’ve realized that Addison has built her own little legacy here, and I love it. The respect and familiarity the town has for her are apparent. People come in and greet her as if she’s a part of their family. As much as I would have loved for hernotto be in Willow Heights anymore, I can recognize why it would be difficult for her to leave now.

“Morning, Lockwood,” a deep voice mutters, pulling me out of my musings. I look to my left as a body fills the seat next to me. I lift my cup to my lips and take another swig of coffee.

“Sully, good morning. Looking as sharp as ever,” I heckle the sheriff. “Here for your morning doughnut?”

“Actually, I was thinking a breakfast burrito today,” Charlie Sullivan replies, not skipping a beat.

“Where’s Tweedle Dumbass?” I question.

He barks out a laugh despite himself. “Eli? I haven’t seen him, sorry to disappoint.” Thankfully, I’ve been able to avoid Eli Montgomery relatively efficiently since moving into Addison’s apartment, and I’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible. “Where’s Addie?” he asks.

“She ran to the back to get more butter for table seven,” I reply. I can feel Charlie’s incredulous stare on me, and I glare right back at him. “What?”

“Table seven, huh? Seems like you’re getting pretty comfortable with diner life.”

I narrow my eyes at the sheriff, not wanting to get into this right now. “Is there something I can help you with, Sullivan?”

“Just thought I’d check-in. We haven’t talked in a few weeks.”

“Really? You want to do this here?” I ask him quizzically.

Charlie looks around and presses his lips together. “Do what? I’m just checking in on a grieving friend.”

Now I roll my eyes. This is precisely why wearen’tfriends. Charlie is annoying as hell. “Sure. Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here?”

Charlie rounds his shoulders and leans towards me. “I wanted to talk to you about Orville Marks.”

“Have you found anything?”

“I’ve found two people with that name in the ten neighboring towns. I’ve reached out to the departments in those jurisdictions to keep an eye out to see if anything suspicious is delivered to their home residences. But other than that, I don’t have much. We’ll just have to keep looking.”

“Well, that is disappointing. And here I thought you had good news to share with me over breakfast.”

Charlie snickers as Addison comes flying out of the back storeroom and zooms over to table seven, waving at us on the way, effectively shutting down any further conversation on the matter. “Morning, Charlie!”

He waves back at her, a cheeky grin on his face, and I resist the urge to groan in annoyance. Charlie and Addison have always had the strangest relationship. Even weirder than our relationship. They’re like two peas in a pod. As far as I know, Charlie has never thought of Addison in any sort of way other than a sister. Charlie has left the bragging rights of crossing that line to Eli, the town idiot. But as far as him and Parks go? Nothing but best buddies.

I am slightly curious, though, and I look at him over the rim of my cup. “So, Charlie.”

---