Page 13 of Breaking Bristol

I knew Lauren from high school. She made it clear she wanted me, but she was four years younger than me, so I never even entertained the idea. And then one night after I’d had a particularly rough day at work, I decided a burger and beer sounded good. I went to a local bar, and she was there. All grown up. She sat next to me and just started talking. One drink led to two, and somehow that ended up with her coming home with me.

It was out of character for me to randomly hook up like that, even if it was with someone I knew. I liked getting laid as much as the next guy, but I preferred to at least go on a couple of dates first. Seeing the results of one-night stands as a doctor had me more cautious than most.

Lauren just caught me at a vulnerable moment. And then a year and a half later, we were married.

Something about us being together just worked. She was a pharmaceutical rep, so she understood my job and the schedule and was okay with it, probably because she was busy, too. Looking back, I think that was what did it for me, the convenience of her. It was nice to have someone to come home to occasionally, and I think she felt the same.

We never fought, the sex was good, and she never changed who she was after we’d been together for years. But there was also not a lot of love. At least not the kind that made me want to be a better man.

Not like I wanted to be for a woman I barely even knew.

An unfamiliar anxiousness lingered on my skin as thoughts of Bristol continued to infiltrate my mind. Since that night in the parking lot, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. There was a vulnerability behind her eyes that was such a contradiction to the strong, secretive disposition she eluded. The little bit of herself she’d given so far was just a glimpse into the incredible person she really was, I was sure of it.

Even though she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, I was infatuated with what wasn’t visible. The beauty she had on the outside was just a reflection of her heart and soul, and the savior in me that had been lying in wait was now awoken and determined to protect all that she was.

As I wandered through the store and added items to my cart, that awareness heightened because I was that much closer to seeing her again.

Several times over the past couple of days, I had to convince myself not to ask my aunt and uncle what else they knew about her because I wanted to know everything. However, something I did know was she wouldn’t be the type of woman who took kindly to someone going behind her back for personal details, so I refrained.

I got everything I needed, then on the way to the checkout line, something else caught my eye, so I added it to the basket.

After paying the cashier, I loaded up my truck and put the cart in the corral. But when I turned around, I almost ran right into Sutton. “Whoa, sorry, man.”

He took a step back. “Hey, Beck. How’s it going?”

“Good.”

And then I saw that Lucy was with him. Even though she didn’t know the details of what had happened with her father, my stomach used to bottom out every time I saw her. Luckily, as time passed and I witnessed with my own eyes that she was happy and healthy, the guilt crippling me faded to an uncomfortable stagger. “Hi, Lucy.”

“Hi, Mr. Beck.”

If anyone would have told me that I would be friends with the ex-wife and current husband of the man I killed, I’d have thought they were absolutely insane. Hell, it was a little crazy, but for some reason, it just seemed normal.

Cheyenne and I shared a lot of the same feelings when it came to the situation, and after her repeated insistence that she didn’t blame me, I began to accept her friendship. I’d already known Sutton from high school, so reconnecting with him came easy. It wasn’t like we hung out regularly, but I’d gone to a party or two they extended invites for, had supper with them a few times, and Sutton and I had gone to a football game with a couple of other guys.

It also helped that nobody looked at me like I was a villain whenever I was in Warrenville. I hadn’t grown up there, but I did spend a lot of time with my aunt, uncle, and Susie. I also worked at Uncle Lou’s store during the summer, so I was a familiar face to most locals.

“What are y’all doing out here?” I asked as I moved to the side when some dude walked by with a piece of lumber over his shoulder.

“Lucy decided she wants to paint her room, so we’re picking out a color.”

“Oh yeah, what color?”

She tapped her finger on her lip. “I’m thinking either pink or black but leaning toward black.”

“Wow… those are two different ends of the spectrum.”

“Well, if I do black it’ll be so I can use it for a chalkboard,” she informed me.

Sutton’s expression told me exactly how he felt about that idea. “Or maybe you could get an actual chalkboard to hang on the wall instead?”

Her eyes squinted and she was thoughtful for a second. “Nah. I want the whole wall a chalkboard.”

“Well, I’m sure it’ll look great no matter what,” I fibbed.

“I know.” She flashed her bright white teeth at me, and I chuckled at her hilarious tween personality.

“What’d you have to get?” Sutton asked me. “Not the last of the chalkboard paint, by chance.”

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