Page 7 of Chasing Infinity

Once they both have plates in front of them and are happily sipping on coffee, I can finally sit down to eat my breakfast. I place a blueberry muffin on a small plate and sit next to my friends. Eli is jabbering away about how they have to do inventory at the market this weekend and how much he will dread it when his face goes blank. His expression stays that way for just a moment and then relights with mischief.

“I just remembered; you will never guess who I saw back in town last night. I wasn’t sure if I was going crazy, but it was definitely him.” I look over at Charlie, raising an eyebrow at him as he shifts in his seat uncomfortably. Uncertainty clouds his face as to where this conversation is going. This is fine, though, if Eli already knows, Charlie and I don’t have to be the ones to tell him that Noah’s back.

“Who?” I ask, playing dumb.

Eli looks around dramatically and then leans towards Charlie and me, lowering his voice. “Noah McCoy.”

“It’s actually Lockwood,” Charlie supplies without missing a beat.

I dart my gaze over to him again, curious. “What?”

“He changed his name after he left. He goes by Noah Lockwood. It was his mother’s name.”

“Really?” I question and chew on the inside of my lip, digesting this new information. “That’s—”

“Weird,” Eli supplies for me. “His dad’s the mayor. Why would he want to change his name? As much as I hate to admit it, that last name has sway around here.”

Charlie and I meet eyes again, silently sharing the same wavelength about the integrity of the nameMcCoy, but neither of us is brave enough to bring it up. “I’m not surprised he’s back, though,” I say instead. “You know his mother passed away, right?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Eli says unenthusiastically, stabbing at a piece of omelet with his fork. “It’s just kind of a bummer. I thought I was done dealing with him for good.”

I look down at the counter, noticing a piece where the laminate is starting to pull up. I mindlessly pick at it, making a note to find some superglue and fix it later. A tingle on the back of my neck tells me that Charlie’s watchful green eyes are on me. Charlie knows me better than anyone in the world, except for maybe Noah. At least Noahusedto know me better. I’m not sure where we stand with each other anymore.

“Well, I should probably head to the station,” Charlie says, breaking the awkward silence.

“Let me get you a to-go cup,” I say, spinning around and pouring him more coffee to take to work.

“Thanks,” he says and turns to his best friend. “You coming, Eli? Or are you going to hang around for a while?”

“I’ll go with you. Get out of Addie’s hair for a while. I’m sure she has lots of diner things to do.”

I wince at the weird compliment but don’t acknowledge it, crossing my arms over my chest and watching the boys with an amused smile.

“Right,” Charlie replies with a laugh. “Alright, we’ll see you around, Addison. Let me know if you need anything.” He gives me a lingering look that informs me his comment had a lot to do with the mysterious Noah Lockwood—who has made an abrupt comeback in our little town. I nod my head at him, pursing my lips to the side. I get his message.

Charlie is more aware of everything that went down between Noah and me than Eli is, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. Eli and Charlie head out of the diner, and I take a deep breath as soon as they leave. I love both of them more than life, but they have a habit of distracting me from my tasks when they’re around.

My friendship with Charlie has always been just that—he’s been my best friend since day one. And Eli?

Well, he’s Eli.

Our relationship has been a roller coaster from the moment I met him—we’ve been hot and cold for each other and every possible temperature in between. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I will likely end up marrying Eli one day and to be honest, I’m still coming to terms with that. He’s not the epic love of my lifetime, but he’s good to me, really. Given our history, it would make the most sense to end up with him, except…

That epic love was in my grasp, but I let it slip away. I’ve seen it and experienced how consuming it can be. I have first-hand knowledge of what it means to fully connect and understand another person, and if I end up with Eli, that will always be in the back of my mind. Those thoughts will forever be there with a bold NOAH stamped across them in red letters.

With a sigh, I grab a rag and wipe down the crumbs from their breakfast as one of my other workers clears the plates and silverware. Things are quieting down now; most of my morning regulars have come and gone. My employees take the chance to catch their breath and focus on some of their slow-time tasks: wiping down menus, filling condiment bottles, etc. I work on a few chores of my own, falling into the comfort and muscle memory of my job.

I’m in the middle of a phone call when I see him. Noah’s sauntering down the sidewalk, his attention trained on the ground, his face suggesting he’s lost deep in his own thoughts. I watch him stride to the front door and walk in. His striking blue eyes search the room until he finds me and gives me a full look over, his gaze trailing the length of my body.

Shivers crawl down my spine at the weight of his appreciative gaze on me. I hold up one finger to let him know I’ll be with him in a minute, and he dips his chin in acknowledgment. After wrapping up my phone call, I head over to where he’s still standing by the front door.

“Back again, huh?” I ask him playfully. I motion with my head for him to follow me and seat him at the counter, right on the end.

Noah appears slightly uncomfortable and shifts around on his stool. “Oh yeah, I guess. Can I just get a coffee and a muffin?”

“No French Toast today?” Finally, a smirk hints on his lips, and I congratulate myself on the minuscule victory.

“Not today, Parks. Thanks, though.”

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