AllFreeNovel
Share Us
By the time we finish up our visit, Coach is looking downright exhausted. He put up a good fight when Ellie came back out on the porch and said it was time for him to lie down, but I made an excuse that I had to leave for plans anyway to make him feel better about it. I promised not to be a stranger, and he promised he would call the principal at the high school to set up a meeting, knowing I couldn’t refuse him.
As I drive off, his words swirl in my head.“I know you might not think it right now, but I am so damn proud of you, kid.”I hope one day I can actually believe it.
Chapter 7
Riley
“Mm,”Igroanandsettle back in my chair, resting my hands over my stomach, which is now full of a food baby. Would it be totally inappropriate for me to unbutton my pants right now? Maybe, but the better question is, do I even care?
“Hey, nobody forced that third slice down your throat.” Austin chuckles as he shoves the last bite of pizza crust into his mouth.
“I have no regrets. Not my fault. It’s the best pizza in town.”
“Right, we’ll just forget that it’s the only pizza in town.”
I shrug. It’s true, Vincenzo’s is the only pizza spot in town. It’s one of the three places to eat in town, unless you count the local dive bar, The Pint, where you can overindulge on stale peanuts.
Vincenzo’s is one of my favorite places. Besides the delicious greasy food that I will surely need an antacid when we get home and add another mile to my run tomorrow to make up for it, it’s just so homey and quaint. The red-and-white checkered tablecloths and the candles in the center just scream small-town, happy life. I am also addicted to the breadsticks.Give me breadsticks, or give me death.The only thing missing is the two dogs out back in the alley, sharing a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
Mondays at Vincenzo’s are a tradition for us. We spend dinner chatting about our day, laughing at the wild stories our students told us about their weekend, and setting goals for the week. Could we do this at home? Sure, but how can the week be bad when you start it out on such a high note with delicious food and not having to cook?
Our usual server, Jane, drops the check off. When I look up, I notice her staring strangely at me. Worried I have food on my face, I grab my napkin and wipe my mouth. She quickly rushes off in a scurry.Okay, that was weird.
In my haste to clean my face, Austin took advantage and grabbed the bill, and by the time I speak up, he’s already pulling cash out of his wallet.
After bickering that it’s my week to pay for a few moments, I finally cave with a sigh.
“Fine, but I’m paying for the nexttwoweeks,” I say sternly as we both scoot out of our corner booth. Instead of agreeing, he just makes a humming sound.
Always the gentleman, Austin grabs my jacket from the coatrack and helps me slide it onto my shoulders.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what’s up with you?” I ask as I pull my hair out of the back of my jacket and settle it over one shoulder. Austin has been unusually quiet this evening. I know he mentioned this afternoon when we left work that it had been a long day, but I know my best friend well enough to see something is clearly on his mind.
“What?” He mocks shock as he places his hand over his chest and grabs his own jacket. “I can’t just spoil my girl?”
“Oh, spoil away, baby,” I tease. Maybe it really was just a long day and nothing more. It’s probably all in my head—him acting weird and the funny looks from Jane.
“Thank you.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads us to the front entrance of the restaurant. “What do you say we stop by Scoops on the way home for some milkshakes?”
“Okay,” I drag out. “Now I definitely know something is up with you. What aren’t you telling me?” I stare up at Austin, waiting for him to come clean, when his body tenses up, and he halts.
The muscles in his jaw are so tight that it looks like he might break a tooth.
What the hell is going on?I know I’m not paranoid now.
“Austin?” I follow his gaze past Mr. Taranto, the local barber, who is waiting for his pickup order, and my jaw drops at the ghost who just walked through the front door. I mean, it’s not literally a ghost, or is it? Did I eat myself into a full-blown coma, and I’m dreaming right now? Did I maybe choke on a breadstick, and this is really the afterlife?
Yeah, that must be it because there’s no way in hell I’m seeing Cooper Graham in front of me. He left this town without a second thought, leaving everything and everyone behind, including me.
Austin’s arm tightens around my shoulders protectively. I’m thankful that he has a hero complex at the moment, however, when our eyes lock, an unspoken apology passes through them. He looks like a toddler who was just caught with this hand in the cookie jar after his mother specifically told him not to.
Oh my God.Everything clicks into place right now.
“You knew,” I say just above a whisper as a shadow approaches.
“Riles.” My stomach dips, and I fear that my delicious dinner is going to come back up at the deep timbre of his voice. It’s like that feeling of being on a roller coaster when you think you’ve prepared yourself for that first drop, but nothing compares to the real thing. I thought and prayed a million times for him to return and what I would say if he did, and all those conversations go right out the door.
My eyes focus on the man in front of me. Dark curls peek out from under a backward baseball hat, and a thick layer of facial hair lines his jaw—a complete contrast to the smooth skin I used to feel against my own when his lips touched mine. There is still a slight ridge in his nose from where he took a line drive and broke his nose junior year. Cooper Graham is hauntingly beautiful. His secrets run wild in his veins, and just one look into those dark eyes can obliterate your soul. I would know—I still haven’t recovered.
