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We walk over to one of the dimly lit tables with a flickering candle in the middle.
I take a seat, and Shane kneels in front of me. “How about I go get us some snacks?”
I nod, and he gives me a quick kiss before walking off. I feel a few wandering eyes lingering on me. I don’t blame them. It’s not like I’ve been out and about much since I’ve been back, leaving people to construct their theories of what happened to me. Gossip around this town works like a game of Telephone. It starts out one way and ends up with something totally different.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts when I hear, “Aunt Jenna!”
Turning around, I see my niece, Macey, running over to me. Macey just turned sixteen and is Jared’s oldest daughter. She and I have always been close since we aren’t that far apart in age.
“Hey, Mace,” I greet as she leans down to hug me.
“How are you doing?” She asks.
“I’m good. Just happy to be out of the house.”
She sits down next to me. “I’m sorry I haven’t been over. I’ve just been busy.”
I stop her. “Macey, you’re a teenager. Have fun, and don’t worry about me.”
Her mouth opens as though she wants to say something else, but it snaps shut again.
After a moment, I break the silence between us. “Is your dad here?”
She shakes her head. “The twins have colds, so everyone else stayed home. I just came with my friends.” She points to a group of girls sitting at one of the other tables.
“Well, get out of here,” I say. “Go have fun with your friends. I’ll be fine.”
“I feel bad leaving you alone.”
“I’m not alone,” I assure her, and as if right on cue, Shane reappears.
“Oh,” Macey says, looking up at him.
I make quick introductions before Macey runs off to be with her friends.
Shane brought us an assortment of treats that we dig into. While we eat, my eyes keep drifting over to the table of girls. They’re all laughing and having the best time.
I can’t help but think about the girls I left behind back at school. So many nights were spent with my teammates exactly the same way—talking and laughing.
Ever since I’ve been back, I’ve done my best not to think about them. Everything else has been hard enough to deal with without remembering how much I miss them all. They were my safe place when college was strange and new. They helped me through a lot, and I left without so much as a goodbye.
Shane interrupts my internal pity party. “Hey, you okay?”
I nod and take another bite of cinnamon bread.
As if he can read my mind, he asks, “Are you missing your friends?”
“I guess,” I mutter. “They’re the one thing I walked away from that was real and tangible, and it’s just hard to think about them.”
“Jenna,” he begins, but I stop him.
“Not now. Not here,” I say, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of emotions I’m feeling.
He lets me sit quietly for a few minutes while I try to compose myself. This is our first night out, and I’m ruining it by thinking about sad stuff.
Leaning toward him, I give him a soft kiss.
“What’s that for?” He asks.
