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“And how do you know where I belong anymore?”
Her words cut through Elena like a knife.
Once upon a time, Elena and Skylar had their whole future planned out together. They’d imagined their dream wedding and what their house would look like. They had discussed the possibility of kids or at least a few dogs. Never in Elena’s mind did she think it would all blow up the way it did. If only Skylar hadn’t been so jealous, they could have still been together.
“I’m going to need time to think about it.”
A glimmer of hope! That’s all Elena needed. Anything that wasn’t a flat out No was good enough for her.
“How much time?”
“I don’t know.” Skylar shrugged. “A few days?”
“Days?” Elena gasped, frustrated. “Skylar, come on. I told Johnny I’d have an answer by next week.”
“Well,” Skylar’s eyes sparkled as she looked down at her bare wrist as if a watch were there, “last time I checked, it’s still this week.”
“Do you expect me to stay in the Cove until you figure out what you’re doing with your life?”
“You’re a big girl, Elena. I can’t tell you what to do.” She laughed sarcastically. “That much has been proven.”
Turning on her heels, Skylar and her dog headed toward the parking lot. Was that really how they were going to leave things? Was Elena just supposed to go back home to California and hope Skylar would go on tour? Elena needed answers now.
“Where are you going?”
Skylar stopped walking, and for a moment, Elena wondered if she was going to tell her she didn’t have a right to know.
“It’s Thursday,” she flatly stated as she turned around. “It’s my night to sing at Straight to Ale. Believe it or not, Skylar Ford is still a big deal around here.”
The sassy, confident attitude was too much for Elena. She rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Oh, I have no doubt.”
Skylar licked her lips. “You should come.”
Elena stopped laughing. “What?”
“Come to Straight to Ale. You can grab a bite to eat while I perform.” She shrugged. “Might do you some good to be at a bar and not performing.”
Oh, so Skylar knows about my career these days. Great.
“Maybe I will.”
“I’ll see you later. Come on, Atlas.”
Turning to go for real this time, Elena watched Skylar load up her dog in the back of a SUV before leaving. Elena stood motionless on the dock as she tried to figure out what she should do. She’d flown to Maine on a one-way ticket, knowing she might not get the chance to talk to Skylar right away.
But now, Elena was wondering if she should use her free time to actually relax. Maybe she should go to the bar tonight. It might actually do her good, as Skylar insinuated.
Which was why Elena wasn’t surprised that later that night, she found herself in a corner booth at Straight to Ale. She’d opted for a baseball cap, hoodie, and jeans in an attempt to disguise herself. Not that she cared if people saw her normally. Elena just didn’t need people to see her at the bar while Skylar was singing when rumors of a reunion tour were all over the internet.
Thankfully, the Cove was more laid back than the hustle and bustle rumor mill that was social media and gossip columns. Elena had called the Cove home for only a few years before she and the band hit the road and never looked back. Or, well, Elena never looked back. She never imagined the small-town life was something she’d want, but she had to admit the charm of the Cove had grown on her as she got older. She’d even found herself reminiscing about it on her flight earlier. There was just something comforting about a place where everyone knew everyone and no one was out to trample you to become the next big star.
Elena sighed as she sipped her iced tea. She’d opted to stay away from the liquor, needing a clear head to focus on Skylar.
Skylar.
Her eyes had been locked on the small stage since Skylar had sat down on the stool with her guitar. Skylar’s voice was a mix of Stevie Nicks and Faith Hill. While she could hold her own with the Stevie cover songs, she could also melodiously melt into a country cover as if it were no problem at all. Elena had always admired her versatility.
