AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not my place to share.” The furrow in his brow tells me he’s choosing his fiancée over me, and I have to respect that.
But fuck, it’s frustrating.
I know pressing for more information will only leave me with nothing, no matter how close he and I are.
“Want another?” Justin cracks open a beer and hands me one.
“Nah, I don’t want that influence on Sophie.” I’d like a few beers after this week, but Sophie needs one stable person in her life. My phone dings with my sister stating her date finished early, along with a paragraph bitching about the guy. I don’t bother reading the story. “I need to get Sophie home.”
* * *
A blue glow illuminates my walls as the clock reads three a.m. Sleep still hasn’t graced me. I throw on sweats and drive to the edge of town to visit the one person who understands my scattered thoughts. Large magnolia trees drape over me as the damp grass seeps through my sneakers. Chills pebble my skin, but fill me with comfort as I rest against the cold stone. My head tilts, observing the sky above. The knot in my gut drops, knowing shooting stars are nothing more than rocks burning to their death instead of granting wishes.
“Hey, Dad.” My voice breaks through the rustle of whispering trees. I know he can’t physically hear me. His grave is merely a box of bones next to my mother’s, but his voice echoes at times I need him most.
“You’ll never believe who walked back into town.” A chuckle arises at my disbelief. “You said Emery and I were fated based on the first five minutes you spoke with her. I know I laughed at you back then, but there’s never been a woman close to making me feel the way she does.” I exhale loudly with frustration. Hell, we never addressed or acted on feelings, and she still consumed my thoughts for years after she took off. I became accustomed to her never returning. Until now. The memory burns through my mind, like a movie glitching repetitively on a certain scene.
“Do you always wake up this early to go fishing with your dad?” Emery rubs her eyes as her arms wrap around her waist, my sweatshirt engulfing her.
“Usually.” The glow over the hills illuminates the red accents of her dark auburn strands. “The sunrise is almost as beautiful as you.”
“Yes, messy hair and tired eyes scream beauty.” Sarcasm laces her voice as it cracks from a long night of her drowning in spirits. I wish I could help more. Hallie and Savannah sent her my way in desperation to help their friend heal after I had been the only one to make her smile when we’d all hang out.
“Maybe you should lay off the tequila and sleep in your own house.” Maybe directing the focus to something more sobering is worth a try. I pull up to a dock off the dirt road and see the steam rising off my father’s cup of coffee. I know she’s hurting with the loss of both parents, but I didn’t think she’d con me into letting her spend every Friday or Saturday night drowning in alcohol. But then again, my sister had done the same when our mother passed. I just don’t want Emery to end up with the same results as Amber.
“Has hanging out with your father always been like this for you?” She tries to redirect the conversation, as if whatever we are doing means nothing. It can’t mean anything, the time we spend together. Not yet, anyway. She has healing to do, and I have a girlfriend who happens to be Emery’s best friend. But there is something about Emery and me that we can’t shake. We’re drawn together without force.
“Yeah, we love to spend time together. Fishing and lake time has gone on since I’ve been able to form memories. We talk about our week, or sometimes we don’t say a damn thing.”
“Where’s your mom?” She keeps her eyes on the lake.
“She’s with yours.” I swallow, watching her silently process my response before nodding.
“I wondered why you were so understanding with me.” Her voice is soft and breathless. “You’ve known exactly what to say to me since the moment of the crash.” Almost as if it’s a relief someone gets it. “How long has she been…”
“Seven years.” She nods without another word.
My truck idles in park before I cut the engine and take a moment to enjoy the surroundings. I give a silent thanks to being alive and healthy. The cabin sits to the left of the dock. Trees paint the river shades of green and red as the end of August mornings creep in. The crisp smell of morning dew and nature fills the air as I exit the truck and help Emery out of the passenger side.
We reach my father, who grins at the tiny beauty beside me. “Who is this young lady?”
“Emery Davis, sir.” She holds out her hand to shake his before I can introduce her.
“Pleasure to meet you.” My father’s eyes light up as he assesses her.
“Sorry for crashing your morning together,” Emery states. “Your son told me this will be worth it.”
“And is it?”
“He brought a vegetarian fishing.” She pauses, holding in a giggle.
“We don’t always fish.” A rare, amused smile forms on my father’s face. “It’s more about embracing the beauty of life around us and taking in the quiet.” He nods to me. “Appreciating time together.”I hear her sharp breath, and she holds it while pushing forward a smile.
“It’s nice you take time away from work to make memories together.” It’s more of a passive aggressive jab, but I know how much she rambled on in a drunken state last night about how her family memories went down the drain. “That should keep Ian in line with how to treat his future family.” Her voice is tight, and I can’t quite read her the way I normally do.
“That boy needs to learn how to pick the right woman first,” my father says, glancing my way. I don’t know what it is about Hallie, but he never smiles at her with the warmth he’s showing Emery.
“Don’t pressure him.” Emery pats my arm. “Forcing children into your path only pushes them away.” I wonder how much truth is behind her words as she looks past him at the lake. My heart drops, knowing her parents worked long hours and no doubt gave her the medical field push.
