AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, I don’t think it is that. He’s always so nice to me.”
“As he should be, bitch!”
Kate grinned. “Yes, yes, I know. I think it’s more that I still feel like I don’t really know him. I can count the things I know for sure on one hand and a lot of them are just superficial. His favorite food. The movies he likes. I don’t really know anything about him or his past.”
“It’s still early days yet, hon. I didn’t know that Brian had webbed toes until about six months in. That was a shock, I’ll tell you.”
Kate laughed at her friend’s ridiculous way of looking at the world. “You’re right. It’s early days, but I think that’s what’s holding me back. When he was just my employee and my roommate, it didn’t matter where he came from. And it doesn’t reallymatter. I don’t care if he’s a pauper or a prince, I just want to know.”
“I think that’s fair enough,” Laura said. “He seems really smitten with you. It’s gross, really. I think you can probably just ask.”
Kate nodded, taking another sip of her wine. Just ask. It seemed so simple like that.
They steered the conversation onto other topics, but the idea stayed in Kate’s head. If she was truly going to open her heart up to Emile and trust him, she had to ask him some serious questions. But she couldn’t just blurt them out in the apartment when they were having breakfast or something; he’d feel ambushed. Kate remembered when she’d just left home and how jumpy she was about the topic; from what she could tell, Emile’s family hadn’t been in touch. Something pretty major must have happened for them to go completely no-contact with him, which she imagined wouldn’t be easy to talk about. No, she needed to let him know that he was safe to tell her and that she wasn’t going to change her feelings because of his answer.
That was how she found herself dragging a slightly reluctant Emile up a hiking trail just a few days later.
“I thought you said this was going to be romantic,” he huffed.
“It is romantic!” Kate protested. “Just look at the scenery.” The two of them paused on the trail so they could take in the view. “You said you wanted to see more of Miller Springs. This is the best part!”
Kate didn’t get out on the trails as much as she liked these days, what with running the cafe and trying to find a way to raise funds for the community hub. But when she’d first moved to Miller Springs, she’d spent whole days hiking out here, finding the best spots and taking in all of the beauty and the wide-open spaces around her. It was so far from home, and that was what she liked about it.
“Couldn’t we just drive up here instead?” Emile asked sulkily.
“No, walking is part of the fun. And you can’t see these views on the roads.”
“If you insist.”
They didn’t speak much on the rest of the incline, Emile still muttering protests even though he was keeping up fine and didn’t seem to be struggling with the walk at all. It wasn’t quite how Kate had imagined, the two of them strolling through the majestic Arizona scenery together, remarking on the view and opening up about their pasts and their future together. But, the best was yet to come and Kate was certain that her plan would work.
The gravel underfoot crunched as they made their way up the hill. Kate had picked the perfect day for their hike, the sun not too hot overhead so it warmed her face when she tipped it up but didn’t feel as though she was being burned alive, which was sometimes a risk in Arizona. She could feel the blood pumping around her body, felt the exhilaration of moving her body and getting out into the wild.
They were only a little way outside of Miller Springs, and if you squinted in the right direction, you would be able to see the town, but it felt so far removed from their everyday life. There was something about the sweeping vistas that made it seem as if anything was possible. Like there was a grand plan for your life and you just didn’t know it yet.
“Okay, I will concede that this is very romantic,” Emile said as they rounded a corner to their destination, Kate’s favorite spot in the world. Tucked away among the rocks was a little waterfall, plunging down to a clear, deep pool. She had spent many hours sitting on this ledge, watching the water cascade down, never disturbed by another person.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Kate grabbed Emile’s hand and pulled him down so they were sitting next to each other, their legs dangling over the side. The drop wasn’t too huge but it still made her stomach swoop if she looked straight down.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Kate.” Emile pressed a kiss to her cheek before returning his attention to the waterfall, gathering her to his side so she could lay her head on his shoulder while they watched.
It was a perfect moment, but Kate knew that she had to ask the questions that she had planned. This was a magical place and she knew that the outcome would be good, even if it felt scary right now, like she was about to jump off into the pool below.
“Emile,” she prompted, pulling away slightly so she could look up at him. At that handsome jawline and piercing gaze that she had come to know so well. How had he come to mean so much to her in such a short space of time, when she knew next to nothing about him?
“You know the story of how I came to Miller Springs,” she continued, while her courage still allowed her to speak. “I want to know your story. I’ve enjoyed so much of our time together, but I feel like there’s a piece of the puzzle missing. How did you end up here?”
“Kate…”
Kate felt him tense next to her and she could sense the worry in his voice.
“Before you refuse,” she said, “I want you to know that I don’t care what brought you here. Whatever it is, I’m never going to judge you for it. I’m not proud of everything that I’ve done. I don’t think anyone is, but what matters is who you are now. I know you and I know you are good and kind and that is enough for me. I just want to know you better.”
Emile was silent for a few moments, staring out at the waterfall crashing into the pool below. Kate waited patiently for his response, not wanting to push him. She let her hand drop onto his thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Finally, he took a deep, shuddering breath.
“I am from a country called Charcieux. Have you heard of it?”
Kate nodded. “I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard of it.”
