Page 17 of Breaking Bristol

“Thanks, but I’m okay.”

“You don’t think he’s good looking?” She frowned as she closed the screen.

There were so many times that I wished I could have told the truth about my past so it would make people stop asking me questions I didn’t want to answer, but the more folks that knew, the riskier it became.

I’d been telling a simple tale that was easy to remember and vague enough to satisfy curiosity. Aside from Beau, no one else knew the truth and I wanted to keep it that way. After he introduced himself to me as a cop, I made the decision to confide in him. I made a visit to the police station and told him everything. He promised to keep my history between us while also being on the lookout for Shane. So far, nobody had prodded or questioned, so maybe my secrets really were safe.

As far as my story went, I moved here from California for the job. My family was still back home, which wasn’t a complete lie. That was it. I was still the same person. I liked the same foods, music, and movies, so my conversations were truthful. They just didn’t know I was hiding from an abusive ex and hadn’t talked to my family in almost two years.

“He’s very attractive, Reese.” And he looked familiar. I was pretty sure I’d seen him around. “I’m just focused on my job right now.” Plus… I just didn’t have any interest in him.

If I were to give someone a chance, it would be Dr. B… Not that he would want someone with as much baggage as me, but I felt safe with him. And not just physically, but like I could rely on him. Like I could pour out my heart and soul, and he’d take my trust with him to the grave, dying to protect me.

I was smart enough to know I was projecting what I had been missing onto him, making him into a white knight who’d swoop in and save me from the monstrous creature that had broken my bones along with my spirit. But deep down, to the core of my existence, my doubts were rejected at every attempt of denial, giving me hope. He’d only fixed my hand and some things around the house, but there had to be more to him than that. I needed to believe my dreams could come true. Otherwise, what was the point in having them at all?

“You’re almost done with your second school year here, and everyone loves you. I’d say you’ve got your job figured out,” Reese said, jarring me out of my thoughts. “And it’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means only a few months of school to go, then you’ll have the summer off. Wouldn’t it be fun to have someone to hang out with? He’s a really nice guy, Bristol, I promise. One date and I’ll never ask you again. Please?”

I wanted to. The thought of dating again, getting that feeling in your stomach—the butterflies, those tingles along your arms, the way your heart pounds the first time you kiss—I missed those days. Not too long ago, I’d loved dating and everything that came with it. I was having fun, enjoying my freedom and the stability of a good job, a loving family, and an active social life… But then I met Shane, and nothing was ever the same.

“I’ll think about it, but not for Valentine’s Day. That’s just awkward. I’ll let you know, okay?”

She sighed. “Okay.”

Reese and I hadn’t socialized outside of school, but because our offices were close, we talked a lot, and she was probably my best friend at work. I felt bad that she seemed sad that I wasn’t jumping up and down to date her brother, so I thought she deserved at least a bit of an explanation. “I had a bad breakup from my ex.” That got her attention, and she stopped chewing her lettuce. “I’m not really ready to date again. It doesn’t have anything to do with your brother, okay?”

“Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” she mumbled as she swallowed her food. “I won’t push you, but if you need someone to talk to, I promise you can trust me. We do gossip here, but not when it’s something important.”

“Thanks, but I’m all right.”

I asked her if she had plans for her kids this summer, and she talked about that for the rest of our lunch. After work, I stopped at the market and got some groceries, and then, because I was feeling particularly lazy this Friday evening, I went into the Pickled Pig to place an order to go.

“I’ll have that out for you in about ten minutes,” Cricket said. Seeing her here was still weird since I used to watch her on a cooking show on TV. But after hearing her story and seeing her with her husband, Maverick, it was obvious why she left that life to return to the small town in which she’d found happiness.

It seemed like love was just in the air here in Warrenville. So many happy couples, big families, people just living and loving life. I missed the time when I was like them… when I was happy and had a family. The thought made my nose sting, and I sniffled as I went to sit on one of the empty stools by the short counter.

“Hey.”

I spun around at the sound of Sutton’s voice. “Hi. I didn’t even see you there.”

“You looked like you were a thousand miles away.”

I was. “It’s Friday, been a long week.”

“I hear that.”

He sat alone with a half-eaten plate of what looked like chicken fried steak, which I thought was unusual for him. “Is Cheyenne meeting you or something?”

“No. She asked me to get pizza tonight, so I’m grabbing a bite here before picking it up. That way, when I get home, I can take care of the girls so she can sit down and eat.”

“That’s so thoughtful.”

He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but he had no clue how many women would kill to have such a caring husband.

“What about you? Heard you place your order to go.”

“I’ve got groceries in my car, so I gotta get home.”

“How are you liking the cabin?”

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