Page 5 of Ghost Among Lies

"You look like a woman on death row, walking to your execution."

I wanted to say that was exactly how I felt, but I kept the thought to myself. "Let's just get this over with."

When I snuck away from Hayes, it was with the knowledge that I would never see him again. Despite how much it hurt, the only reason I got through those years was my confidence in never seeing him again meant the pain couldn't get any worse. Clearly, the universe felt my actions deserved a giant fuck you.

The small-town library was dead in the center of town. It was sandwiched nicely between a bank on the left and the courthouse on the right. Growing up, this place was the perfect example of small-town America, which I wanted to call home. Now, it just reminded me of everything I couldn't have.

The inside of the library was small. An unmanned circulation desk sat right in the middle. To the left was a bank of computers. Behind the desk were rows upon rows of books, and nestled to the right were a few tables that people could work at.

The man we were looking for sat at one of those tables. His dark brown hair was cut short on the sides and a little longer on the top. I knew from our time together just how soft those locks were as they slid through my fingers. A neatly trimmed beard covered his strong jaw. It was a new addition, and I wondered if it would be soft under my palms.

His gaze was focused on the book in front of him, so I was deprived of seeing if his hazel eyes still sparked with the same mischief as when we were younger.

It's now or never.

That was the only pep talk I allowed myself as I stepped closer to the table and made my presence known.

"Hello, Hayes. It's been a long time."

HAYES

I slammed my eyes shut and prayed. For what I didn't know. I was either hallucinating and the voice wasn't the same one that haunted me all these years. Or after so long, I was finally getting my chance for the closure I so desperately needed. I had no idea which one I preferred.

There was one thing I knew for sure. I wasn't a coward. I peeled my eyes open and got a good look at the woman whose voice matched my ex, and for a moment, I soaked everything in.

Same piercing blue eyes that reminded me of the pristine waters of the Caribbean Ocean. The same pale complexion with a dusting of freckles along her nose and the apple of her cheeks. Her once blonde hair was now strands of silver. Her pert nose boasted a blue stud that matched her irises perfectly.

But it was the way she dressed that changed drastically since the last time I saw her. Gone were the summer dresses and sandals. This new version of Sloane appeared to prefer cargo pants, band tees, and chunky boots.

"Sloane." I glanced down to her ring finger and found it free of jewelry. Somehow that made matters even worse. There was a time when she wore my handmade ring proudly. The lack of it just further proof I was nothing but a distant memory. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Sloane raised her left brow. "Seriously? The Hayes I remember would make fun of someone who spoke like that. In fact, I distinctly remember you making fun of me most days because of my hoity-toity speech as you’d liked to call it."

I had teased her about the way she spoke. But it was actually one of the things that drew me to her in the beginning. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks wanted to dirty up the prim and proper princess. To see if I could get her to let her hair down and have fun. Little did I know that same princess would become my whole world.

"Yeah, well, people change after nearly a decade apart." I waved my hand at her. "You clearly did."

The woman standing in front of me didn't look like she came from a million-dollar family. That Sloane used to spend her free time in country clubs. This new version looked like she belonged in a biker gang.

"I'm not here to walk down memory lane. Tell me how you know Mason Dunkin?"

I kept my face and tone neutral when I replied, "Who?" I didn't break eye contact with my ex, despite knowing her friend was staring a hole into the side of my head. I wondered who she was and if she was the reason Sloane had changed so much.

Sloane huffed as she shoved a picture in my face. "The man you had coffee with earlier today."

I studied the picture for a moment. I would've looked guilty if I didn't. It was useless to deny her question when the evidence was literally there in her hand, but that didn't mean I couldn't skirt the truth. I was a proficient liar after all. A side effect of having parents who broke the law more often than not.

"Oh, that man." I snapped my finger. "I never caught his name. He asked if he could sit with me because it was so busy in there. Being the nice guy that I am, I said yes."

Sloane scoffed at my response. A fair assessment perhaps, considering the man I was in my younger years. Little did she know I only got worse over time.

"You expect me to believe you spent nearly fifteen minutes with a complete stranger and didn't talk to him the entire time?"

"I never said we didn't talk. On the contrary. The guy didn't shut up. I got the feeling he didn't have many friends. I guess when I didn't tell him to piss off, he considered that an open invitation to tell me his life story."

"What did he say about his life?" The question came from Sloane's friend.

"I didn't catch your name."