Chapter 31
Finn
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Finn wandered throughtown the way he always did, hands in his pockets, boots scuffing the asphalt.The morning was quiet, the kind of silence that felt staged rather than peaceful.Kallie was home, sleeping after they had sex.
Since telling her days ago that he'd make sure she got back home, she'd calmed down.Her days were spent dreaming of a life where they could explore her world together.As her confidence grew, he realized more and more that he was making the right decision.
Boone mowed the grass at the courthouse, pushing the mower in the same straight lines he always did.Vaughn swept the restaurant's steps with the same slow, steady strokes.Copper walked into the restaurant without looking up, just like he had every morning for as long as Finn could remember.
Nothing ever changed.
Except him.
There were things that were difficult for him.Time still slipped away.It was hard to keep track of how many days Kallie had been with him or how many weeks had passed since they had last talked about leaving Everstill.He no longer snuck over to the Feed Store and marked the wood.There was no reason to keep track of the days since Kallie was here.
His frustration grew as he became more aware of the differences now that Kallie was here.Each night, as he lay in bed with Kallie in his arms, he named all the emotions he felt throughout the day.Sometime in his past, he must've experienced them all, because each feeling had a name, and he understood what he was going through.
Whether or not he had love in his life before Everstill, before Prison, he believed what he felt for Kallie was love.She spoke of it often, and there was always a hint of desperation in her voice.She always held him tighter and spoke softer, staring into his eyes as if looking for a sign that he felt the same.
That's how he felt when he thought about not having her in his life.
A low rumble echoed down the street, and Finn turned just in time to see Moe ride his motorcycle past the store.The bike's engine growled as Moe circled back toward him.Finn frowned.The store lights were off.Moe never rode until his chores were done.
Moe pulled up beside him, dragging his boots along the asphalt to stop.Finn glanced at the dark storefront before meeting Moe's gaze.His friend stayed on the bike, staring at him through the visor as if trying to make sense of something that no longer fit.
"You want to ride?"Moe revved the engine once, the sound sharp in the stillness.
Finn shook his head."It's not time."
There were things they all needed to do to run Everstill.Moe should be at the store.Finn looked around.Was anyone else noticing the change in schedule?
Moe twisted the throttle and yelled over the engine, "You used to ride before she came around."
He stared at his friend.Kallie was his world.He wouldn't change a thing.Going back to the way he was would never work for him.A day without Kallie was the worst thing he could imagine.
He'd take one minute with her over a lifetime stuck in Everstill.
Moe sped off, heading down the same road they'd always taken together.The never-ending loop that led nowhere new.Finn watched him disappear around the bend as the engine's sound faded into the familiar hum of Everstill's monotony.
He hadn't even started his motorcycle since Kallie arrived.His priorities had changed.
