by Ivy Jordan
“I just got a call from Alyssa,” I sighed, leaning back in the uncomfortable metal chair.
“Really?” he questioned, but without much surprise in his voice.
“Yeah. She said she wanted to meet me tomorrow morning, that she had something to talk to me about,” I explained.
Aiden nodded slightly, his eyes barely lifting from his coffee cup to mine. He was acting just as strange as the rest of the town, as if he, they, knew something that I didn’t.
“Any idea what it’s about?” I pushed.
Aiden’s shoulders lifted, and then quickly dropped for a shrug. His eyes looked abandoned, and his expression matched. He was hiding something.
“So, what is going on in this town?” I asked.
‘What do you mean?” Aiden questioned, his eyes widening as I spoke.
“I mean, everyone’s acting strange,” I sneered.
“It’s been a long time. Maybe it’s just weird for you, being home,” he offered.
“Maybe,” I shrugged, not really feeling that this was all my imagination.
“So, you excited to see Alyssa?” Aiden asked.
Excited wasn’t exactly the word I’d use. I was nearly nauseous with anxiety.
“A little nervous, I guess,” I admitted.
“You haven’t talked to her at all since you left?” he asked.
“No,” I shook my head, staring down into my coffee cup.
The black java swirled from where my spoon had just lifted. The color was dark, rich, just like Alyssa’s eyes.
“You still have something for her, don’t ya?” Aiden queried.
Heat filled my cheeks. I did. I hadn’t realized how much she still meant to me until I’d stepped foot in my hometown, but that same old feeling flushed through me now.
“It’s been a long time,” I shrugged off Aiden’s accusations.
“Never too late,” Aiden smirked.
I laughed, avoiding eye contact with my friend. He knew me well, too well. I wasn’t ready to admit my feelings for Alyssa. So much time had gone by; there was no way to know if she was even the same girl. I wasn’t the same guy.
“I figured she’d be married with kids by now,” I chuckled.
Aiden’s eyes moved from mine, quickly diving into his coffee cup. He turned his head, looking for the waitress, doing anything he could to avoid looking me in the eye.
“No, she never married,” Aiden said, waving down the waitress, and still not making eye contact with me.
“No boyfriend?” I asked.
Aiden looked up at me, his dark eyes filled with remorse. “She’s been dating this Bruce character for a while now,” he replied.
“Character? What, you don’t like him?” I asked.
Aiden smirked, his cheeks pushing up on his face as he fought back his smile. I watched as he shook his head and tried to read his expression, but couldn’t.
“He’s just not the guy for her,” he finally said.
I assumed he meant he’d prefer Alyssa be with someone else, mainly me, but he didn’t come right out and say it.
“I hope she doesn’t plan on yelling at me,” I chuckled.
“Nah, I think she’s over all that,” Aiden responded.
I couldn’t see how she could be over it. I was an ass. An insensitive ass; at least I looked like one. I had the ring in my pocket, ready to propose. I was set to leave for training, and all I could think about was making Alyssa my wife. She was young, beautiful, and full of life.
When news came of her brother’s death overseas, I watched her zest for life drain from her soul and spirit. It was the worst possible news and the worst possible timing. She begged me not to join up, to somehow get out of it, to stay with her, where I’d be safe.
Over the next few weeks, watching her fear for my safety grow into a wild animal, it was clear she couldn’t handle the relationship if I left. I had to go. I’d signed up; it was my dream, my goal in life, my destiny. If I could have promised her I’d come back, that I would be safe from harm’s way, I would’ve given her that ring as I planned. But I couldn’t. The thought of her pain if I didn’t come back, it hurt like hell. I figured she’d get over me, move on, meet someone new, and have an amazing life, one without that same grief she’d felt with her brother’s passing.
Aiden didn’t offer much help explaining why the town was acting so strange, and certainly didn’t help me figure out what Alyssa wanted to talk to me about. I reached up to pat him on the shoulder, laughing about how he towered over me, and then headed back to my old house.
I woke up the next morning, still unsettled from my conversation with Alyssa. I wanted to call her back, to push the meeting up, but I told myself to just be patient. I’d see her in a day, and then, I’d find out what was going on.
The dust still floated in the air, visible from the sun’s rays as I walked through the house. I opened up all the windows, grabbed the vacuum, and started working on clearing the place of the neglected vibe it gave off.
I wiped everything down with a damp cloth, clearing most of the settled dust from the home. It was starting to look more like I remembered it, except for the empty vase on the coffee table. My mom never left that vase sit empty, proud to display her award-winning flowers from her garden. I stared out the front window at the weed-filled flower beds where so many beautiful flowers used to bloom and felt a sadness that I couldn’t shake.
I grabbed my keys, drove to the local greenhouse, and went in on a mission to bring life back into those dead beds.
“Holy shit!” my head turned to see Jacob Maloney standing behind a large counter with a cash register.
“Well, there’s a sight for sore eyes,” I laughed, moving towards him for a quick hug.
“When did you get back into town?” he asked.
“Yesterday,” I sighed, enjoying that he didn’t give off the same weird vibe as everyone else.
“I heard you took a job with Senator Kline,” he informed.
I nodded, unsure how word had traveled so quickly about my return. It was a small town. “Yeah, looks like I’m here to stay, at least for a while,” I admitted.
“Good. I think that’s amazing,” Jacob said, his smile nervous.
I patted him on the back and took one of the flatbed carts from the enclosed rack, nodding at him as I pushed it towards the fresh flowers.
I loaded my cart with flowers that looked familiar. It had been a long time since I’d seen my mother’s flower bed in its full glory, so trying to recreate it was becoming quite the challenge.
“You need some help?” Jacob asked, sneaking up behind me.
“Sure,” I agreed, explaining quickly what I was trying to do.
He walked me through the greenhouse, loading me up with the flowers he knew were the easiest to grow and removing the ones that he didn’t think would work in my space.
“You have a lot of shade on the side, because of that big elm,” he explained, instructing me to pick out a few heartier species to plant there.
After about an hour, I had everything I needed: soil, flowers, tools, and even gloves to keep my hands clean.
Jacob rang up my order, took my card, and then paused as he handed me the receipt.
“You see Alyssa yet?” he asked.
“I’ll meet up with her tomorrow,” I smiled.
His eyes shifted, widened, and then almost sparkled as his smile widened across his face.
“Good,” he gushed.
I thought it a little odd that he was so interested in my meeting with Alyssa, but I simply chucked it off as normal behavior. After all, the last time I was in this town, Alyssa and I were a pretty hot couple.
“Good luck and congratulations,” Jacob said as I pushed my cart out the door.
“Thanks,” I waved in his direction.
As I unloaded my truck, sitting the flowers in the spots near areas Jacob suggested, my mind wandered to Alyssa, and this Bruce character, as Aiden referred to him. Was she happy?
; I tore into the weeds, taking out all my aggression on the deep-rooted rascals. I hadn’t been here long, but something had been off since I arrived, and with everyone I talked to, things just seemed to become weirder and weirder. What did Jacob mean by ‘good luck and congratulations?’ Was he referring to the garden, and my new job, or something else? It felt like something else. And, Aiden, what was up with him? He was acting so strange at the diner. The only one acting the way I expected was Ms. Martinez. She was cold, even a little rude, just as I would’ve anticipated. Either the rest of the town had lost their damn minds, or I had.
“Glad to see you’re putting your mother’s garden back together,” Bill startled me as he walked towards me with a smile.
“Yeah, that empty vase in the house really got to me,” I admitted, turning around to greet my neighbor.
“How are things going?” he asked with a strange concern in his tone and his expression.
“They are, well, they’re a little strange, to be honest,” I looked up at him, waiting for a reaction that might give me a clue.
“Strange?” he questioned, his head tilted to the side.
I stood, pulled my gloves from my hands, and wiped them on my jeans. I knew he’d know what was going on. He was one of the nosiest men in the neighborhood.
“Yeah. People staring at me, acting strange, and then Alyssa called, said she wanted to talk to me,” I explained.
Bill didn’t flinch and didn’t offer a reaction of any kind. I was disappointed, to say the least.
“Well, it’ll be good for you to talk to her,” he finally said with a low sigh.
“Why’s that?” I pushed, still hoping to get an idea of what he knew.
“How long has it been? Twelve years?” he asked.
I nodded.
“And you haven’t spoken to her at all?” he queried.
“Not a single word,” I admitted.
“I’m sure you two have plenty to talk about then,” he smiled.
“I guess,” I shrugged.
I watched as Bill’s eyes lingered on me as if he was trying to read me.
“The way things were left, I just don’t want to get into an argument about the past,” I growled.
“I’m sure you’ve both grown up a lot since then. There are more important things to talk about than a stupid decision you made twelve years ago,” he laughed.
I was surprised that he was so bold. I knew my parents probably filled him in on my reasons for leaving the way I did, for breaking it off with Alyssa. I knew he was aware of my intended proposal; hell, he owned the jewelry store where I bought the ring.
“Yeah, it was pretty stupid,” I agreed.
“Probably one of the stupidest decisions you’ve ever made,” Bill scolded sincerely.
“I agree,” I sighed, remembering how happy I was the day I bought that ring. I hadn’t been that happy since, at least not that I can remember.
“I’ll let you get back to your gardening,” he smiled, walking away, and leaving me with a gut full of regret.
Gardening? More like weeding at this point.
I knew I had all evening to dwell on Alyssa, decisions made, not made, and the upcoming meeting. It was best to keep busy, and luckily, the mess in the yard was enough to keep me busy for hours.
Chapter Six
Alyssa
My hands warmed against the cup that held my coffee, but they still shook. I was so anxious that I felt sick. The screen door flung open, and Holly stood there, looking just as anxious as I felt.
“Is he here yet?” she asked eagerly.
“No. Get back inside, and don’t come out here until I call you,” I warned.
Her face filled with disappointment as her shoulders drooped, and she turned around. I watched as she went back inside, feeling that gush of guilt flow through my veins; I’d felt it ever since she was born. She deserved to know her dad, and he deserved to know her.
My heart raced as a truck pulled up in front of my house, and I got my first glance at Liam in twelve years.
Dust flew out from behind the tires as he parked behind my little red Honda, and my eyes locked onto the front windshield, watching as he stared in my direction.
It wasn’t more than a few seconds, but it felt like forever for his truck door to open. As he stepped out, his blond hair buzzed short against his head was the first thing I noticed. It was the same exact color as Holly’s.
He took a few steps around the truck, making his way to the front. He paused for a moment, his eyes directed towards me, blue as the sky: blue as Holly’s.
His smile widened, easing my tension as he walked towards the front porch. I wanted to stand to greet him, but I was frozen in the metal glider that I sat in.
“Long time, no see,” he grinned; his voice was slow and thick like honey, and his stance relaxed and friendly.
“Yes, long time,” I responded, finally breaking free from my seat and standing to properly say hello.
My arms extended and reached for him without thought or purpose. He stepped back for a moment, apparently surprised by my welcoming. He laughed as he leaned back towards me, opening his arms to wrap around my trembling body. Damn, he still felt good.
“I had to check to make sure you didn’t have a knife,” he teased nervously as he pulled from our embrace.
I blushed, embarrassed by our awkward reunion.
“No. No knife,” I smirked.
When I told him the news, it would feel like a knife.
“How have you been?” he asked.
“Good. Just working,” I replied as if we’d only lost contact for a few weeks instead of over a decade.
“Oh yeah? Where you working?” he inquired.
“Dr. Reynolds’ office,” I replied.
“That’s great. That old coot still yanking teeth out with pliers?” he joked.
I nodded, chuckling under my breath.
It wasn’t an impressive position. I answered phones and sometimes harassed patients that didn’t pay their bills.
“I heard you were working for Senator Kline,” I noted.
His head nodded, and it was obvious he fought back a grin. It was a great job—bodyguard to a powerful politician. He had reason to be proud. I wasn’t sure why he was trying so hard to hide it.
“Looks like I’ll be around for a while,” he announced.
“A while?” I pushed.
I wasn’t willing to do this if he was planning on taking off in a few months. I couldn’t do that to Holly.
“I suppose I might stay around for good,” he responded.
I tried to hide my smile, but I could feel it creeping up on my face. His eyes left mine, moving past me and towards the front door just as Holly bounced out of the house.
A strange grin rode up on Liam’s face, and his complexion paled a bit as he stared at the young girl.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” she gushed, throwing her arms around his waist.
He was standoffish, looked shocked, and as his face started to redden, I feared he was growing angry as well.
“Holly, go back inside,” I insisted.
“Mom,” she growled.
“Now!” my tone meant business, and as she looked up at Liam’s face, red and filled with confusion, she backed herself into the house and shut the door.
Liam’s eyes pierced into me like sharp knives as his bottom lip drew into his mouth by his top teeth.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” I said.
“So, she’s mine?” he questioned, his tone raw and uncensored.
I trembled as I nodded, feeling the guilt and remorse tearing through my gut.
“What the fuck, Alyssa?” he demanded, his voice loud and angry.
“You’re the one who left,” I hissed, trying to defend myself and my actions.
“I was serving my country,” he scolded.
“You left me; you left us,” I started to cry.
“You should’ve told me,” he growled.
<
br /> “I thought you’d come back. What difference would it have made if I told you before you left? Would you have stayed?” I demanded.
His face turned red, redder than I’d ever seen it.
“I would’ve,” he started but didn’t finish his sentence.
I knew he wouldn’t have stayed. He was born to be a SEAL, and that’s all he ever talked about. I begged him to stay, to not risk his life or our future, but he went anyway.
“You would’ve?” I snapped.
“I would’ve come back,” he finished, a tone of defeat in his voice.
“But you didn’t,” I reminded him.
“Alyssa, I had to leave the way I did. I couldn’t expect you to stay here, worrying about me, not after…” he stopped short of finishing his sentence.
I knew he was referring to my brother and his death. He knew how much it scared me to risk losing him too.
“You broke my heart. It killed me that you left, and I still worried while you were gone,” I admitted.
The tears were falling freely from my eyes, no way to stop their flow. Liam just stood there, staring at me, a distant glaze over his eyes, and his lips tightly pursed together.
“Is this why everyone in the town has been acting so fuckin’ weird around me?” he asked.
My eyes widened, the tears slowly drying as I tried to look surprised. I wasn’t.
“Everyone knows?” he demanded.
I shrugged. “It’s a small town.”
“So that’s why Aiden couldn’t look me in the eye, why my neighbor was acting so strange,” he sighed, his anger still evident.
“When you left, and I was here, pregnant; it wasn’t hard for people to figure out,” I explained.
“Fuck, Alyssa, everyone knew, everyone but me,” he growled.
“I thought you’d come back after the accident, but you didn’t,” I sobbed.
“I was overseas; I lost everything. What did I have to come back to? I assumed you’d moved on; it wasn’t fair for me to come back and expect you to comfort me after the way I left. If I’d known, if I’d known I had something to come home to…” he breathed, shaking his head slowly as his eyes lingered on mine.
The hurt in his eyes broke my heart. I knew I’d messed up. I should’ve told him. He deserved to know.
