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“Are there really a lot of careers in art? Sorry, that’s what my dad would say,” I muttered.
Sophie laughed. “I can just picture Coach Eric’s expression when he said it, too. Believe it or not, I know a little something about going against your parents when deciding what kind of future you want.”
She leaned a slim hip on the desk beside me, and I watched her, fascinated as always. She was one of those enigmatic women who carried an aura of mystery wherever she went. Poised and always graceful. There was something about her that made me think she had a world of secrets hidden behind her beautiful smile. Of course, the fact that she’d recently gotten married to a terrifyingly handsome Russian had been the talk of the town. The rumors that had gone around about Ms. Sophie’s husband were wild, and by the look of him, I was inclined to think they might be true. They ran the gamut, from him being a mobster, to an oligarch, to a secret agent undercover. He showed up frequently to pick his new wife up from school, and he caused a stir every single time.
“You have to follow your heart. It will lead you in the right direction if you let it.”
“What if your heart is a coward?” I countered.
She laughed. “I know a lot about that, too. When the time comes, you’ll find your courage, or it will be forced on you. Just don’t hide from what you want. I can’t help but notice tension between you and Cayden. It can’t be easy having a new person at home all the time.” She changed subjects smoothly.
“Yeah, it’s not easy, but it’s okay. He – he’s not really interested in a girl like me,” I heard myself say.
Sophie was quiet for a moment and then tilted her head to the side. “If that were true, I’d say it was a good thing, perhaps. I know men like Cayden, burning balls of anger and hurt…they can be difficult to deal with.”
My eyes collided with hers. She was staring at me in a way that felt like she could see right through me.
“I…” I trailed off, unsure what to say.
Sophie nodded. “It’s already too late, isn’t it?”
Her quiet question was shatteringly insightful. Yes, it was already too late to stop my heart from being affected by a guy like Cayden.
She reached out and put her hand on my shoulder. "If you ever want to talk about it, or you need help with anything… you have my number.”
Right. I did have her number. I’d recently had to message her about an assignment being ruined when someone threw my bag into the school pool.
“I could warn you away from bad boys with trouble written all over them, but I’d be a hypocrite.” She continued, giving me a sympathetic look.
I raised an eyebrow as I processed her words. “Are you confirming the rumors that your new husband is exactly like that?”
She smiled and leaned in to whisper her response, her dark hair tickling my ear. “No, not at all.” Her eyes twinkled when she laughed. “He’s so, so much worse.”
Lily
Saturday afternoon,I caught the bus to Midnight Falls after my shift at the clinic. I might have no idea where I stood with Cayden, but I still wanted to prove that I hadn’t leaked his secrets. It was a warm late afternoon, and the sunlight slanting through the bus window was comforting. I needed all the comfort I could get, going to Midnight Falls. It hadn’t been the best experience last time; in fact, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to forget the things I’d learned in Black Lake trailer park or the smell of Cayden’s childhood home.
I got off the bus at the Main Street stop and headed toward the address I had written down. The library with the newspaper archive was located just off Main Street. I found it easily, relieved to see it was still open.
Inside smelled like old papers, coffee, and breath mints. I waited at the reception desk for an older lady to shuffle into her seat.
“Can I help you, dear?” She gave me a kind smile.
“I hope so! I’m here to look up some old issues of theMidnight Falls Chronicle.” I crossed my fingers under the desk that she wouldn’t ask for press credentials.
She peered at me over half-moon spectacles. “Oh, is that right? Let’s see here…I have a log for you to sign. If you just put your name, and then you can go on through.”
Relief flooded me. “Great!”
I tried to dial my enthusiasm down a notch as she blinked at me. I needed to ask this lady some questions, after all. I wasn’t really here to see the archive.
“Do you get a lot of visitors?” I aimed to sound nonchalant.
“Some. Sometimes there’s a project at school and students need to do some research. These papers aren’t on the internet, you know.”
“Ah, I see. Have there been any projects like that recently?” I asked.
She reached over for the visitor’s log with glacial slowness, giving me plenty of time to dig for information.
