Forever My Home (The Aster Lake Series Book 1)

by Unknown

  Madi told me that Aster Lake hosted summer and winter activities, and that the fishing competitions were the biggest draw. The town was named after the lake, which was the only significant body of water within a two hundred mile radius. Aster flowers surrounded the lake, hence its name, and they boasted different shades of purple, pink, and blue. It was easily one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. With activities almost all year round and the beautiful and serene scenery, there was always an abundance of tourists, which kept business steady in this small town. According to Madi, two celebrities even visited the town last year during the annual celebration, Aster Lake Days.

  I liked that but at the same time I didn’t. I would just have to try to blend in the best I could. If that meant partaking in the activities the town had to offer, ones I had no idea how to do, then I would just have to fake it until I made it.

  Madi was jumping around, doing what I have come to learn was her happy dance.

  “You’re number 1,000 Adalyn!” She squealed again and yelled, “We’re celebrating.”

  “I almost forgot,” I said giving her a fake smile. I didn’t want the attention. I had no intention on celebrating and putting myself in the spotlight. All I wanted to do was lay low, and try to figure out what the frick happened in the last six weeks, which passed by in a blur.

  No one had moved to Aster Lake in over ten years, making me the center of attention, which is definitely not something I think my parents would have liked. Honestly, I couldn’t do a thing about it and they weren’t here. The whole town had driven itself into a frantic frenzy over my arrival. Everyone wanted to meet me; everyone had a million and one questions for me. “Where did you come from?” “Why did you pick Aster Lake?” “Why did you come alone?” I asked myself those same questions all the time, and I myself couldn’t even answer them, so my brain went back into create something out of nothing mode. I lied. I lied to all the sweet people who wanted nothing more than to get to know me. I lied because I had to. It upset me all the time that my parents ran me off, but I tried to stay positive. I had to remember what I was doing was protecting them in some way.

  Madi, her parents, and the store itself, were benefiting from the extra business I was bringing in; that part of course did not bother me, considering they took a chance on me. It’s more than paid off for the both of us. I liked working here and it wasn’t a hard job to do. I ran the cash register, and slowly learned other things I could do to prove myself useful.

  Other than work, I try to spend most of my time at the hotel. I looked forward to listening to music by myself, maybe getting lost in a good book. I thought solitude would be easy to find considering the size of the town. My ‘celebrity status’ chased away my solitude, and of course, being friends with Madi didn’t help the situation.

  “This is my first house party and it’s going to be perfect!” She clapped her hands a few times and starting talking; checking off things she had on her mental list. I had offered to help her a few times, but she denied me. I wasn’t allowed because the party was for me.

  We both had to work the morning shift tomorrow, but she made sure we were both off the schedule by three. I went along with it because really, what was I going to do? I couldn’t hide from her and she had gone through all this trouble so far. I’d show up, have a drink, and meet some new people, then get the hell out of there. I never had friends, unless you count my tutors, and you couldn’t because my parents paid them to teach and spend time with me. So here I was, in Aster Lake, working and slowly learning that maybe I could trust someone for the first time in my life, other than my parents. It was scary, but I was doing it. I was living my life on my own terms. I felt proud of myself for all that I had accomplished so far. And nothing bad has happened, but then, my parents also haven’t contacted me.

  I didn’t know how to be a friend to anyone, but Madi never mentioned anything to me. She’s been with me every day for the last two weeks, so I must be doing something right.

  “Thank you, Madi. For everything.” I needed her to know.

  “Don’t thank me yet, sweetie. Wait until after the kickass party.” She winks and grabs her tool belt. “We better get clocked in and open the doors.”

  Madi wears a tool belt every day, along with a dress, which helps her in the summer heat. Her dresses are awesome; they are so different and so unique, nothing you would find in a typical clothing store. I asked her about her dress my first day, and interestingly, she told me she designed them all herself online. She showed me the website she uses once, but I didn’t pay much attention at the time. Today’s dress was an olive green, with the empire waist and wide straps like the rest. The pattern was unique in an ‘almost camouflaged’ look, where light green, brown, and muddy-yellow polka dots littered the fabric. If anyone could pull off this dress, it was Madi. Her parents, Carol and Harold Buckle, came in to work the closing shift. Her parents were sweet and always nice to me. It was also clear how much they loved and cherished their daughter, and in that regard, they reminded me of my parents, causing a lump to form in my throat every time they stroked her hair or told her they loved her. Even though I get upset and mad about everything that happened, I missed them more than I thought I would, and I find myself grasping their wedding rings as a reminder that they are out there somewhere, missing me just as much. The first few days were hard. I was lonely and cried a lot. But every day it got better, and now I have Madi and she helps me forget it all.

  Madi and I parted ways after our shift and I walked back to the hotel. I had a vehicle but there was no use for it when the hotel was only six blocks away. It would be my last night at the hotel. The owners were a sweet old couple that I had coffee with a few times. They just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and it was cute watching them still hold hands when they walked the grounds. The amount of love they had for each other was obvious, but refreshing to see after all this time. They were proud hands-on owners of the hotel, and weren’t afraid to work long hours to make sure their customers were happy. Built right off the office of the hotel was their apartment, giving them a sense of separation, while still being right on site in case of an emergency. I was going to miss my morning chats with them over coffee, but I promised them I’d come back and visit as soon as I settled into my new apartment.

  ***

  The next morning the store was just as busy as it had been the last week. Every minute that passed, felt like an hour. I was growing more excited about moving in and making it feel like home. I never thought my parents would ever let me have this.

  The apartment had come furnished with a brand new bed, kitchen table, and a couch, which was a blessing since I didn’t have that much money left from my travels.

  “Let’s get out of here before my parents ask us to stay longer.”

  I ripped my vest off and shoved it in my locker, grabbed my purse, and followed her out the door. We swung by the hotel and tossed everything in my car; the large suitcase my mom helped me pack and my duffle bag. It was the third car I had bought before staying here. It was an older vehicle, but had air conditioning, and that’s all that mattered considering how hot the summer was proving to be.

  The feeling of going home felt more concrete as we made our way to the house. It was a few miles out of the main part of town, but I didn’t mind. The distance was a good thing because it meant I wouldn’t run into people.

  “I still can’t believe you only have these two bags,” Madi said as we got out of the car and reached the back door that led up to my apartment.

  “I already explained this to you,” I said, fumbling with my keys. I had two doors to unlock, one at the bottom on the stairs and one at the top of the stairs.

  “Blah, blah, blah. You needed a break and sold all your stuff. Midlife crisis crap. You’re such an old lady,” she teased with a smile on her face.

  “Would you rather be carrying up boxes?” I smirked back at her.

  “I’m glad mine has wheels on it,” she mumbled
as we made our way up the steps.

  I opened the door, set the suitcase off to the side, and went straight to the patio. I flipped the two latches open, swung the doors to the side, and said, “Look at this view.”

  I took a breath of fresh air and slowly let it out. The patio was small, being built on part of the house, but there was enough room for two small chairs, which I will purchase tomorrow. I get a fifteen percent discount at the hardware store, and I already had two chairs picked out along with a small table. The party hasn’t even started so I knew I wouldn’t be able to see the sunset tonight.

  “Wow. I never knew.” She came to stand next to me. “I mean, I knew he was on the lake and all, but this is just amazing.” She sighed. “You’re lucky, Adalyn. There aren’t many houses on this side of the lake.”

  “You’re right, Madi ... I am lucky.”

  I was lucky she found me and gave me a job. I was lucky to have this apartment with such a beautiful view. I wasn’t sure what I did to deserve a friend like her or this apartment, but she made my days brighter. She was always happy, so outgoing, and I was always laughing with her. Madi didn’t make me feel so alone either.

  I gave her a side hug and thanked her again. She didn’t care much for the mushy feelings, so she shrugged me off and we left a few minutes later.

  ***

  “You’re having fun, right?” Madi asked standing next to me in her living room.

  “Yes, thank you for the party Madi.”

  If I wasn’t at the hotel, I was at Madi’s house. She’s learned a lot growing up in the hardware store and does design workshops once a month. The subject is always different and she charges twenty dollars a class, plus supplies. She’s begging me to take the next class—framing. I haven’t decided yet, because I don’t know if that’s something I’m interested in. So far, my life was all about cooking, reading, and being with my parents. I needed to find out who I was as a person and what other hobbies I liked, but at the same time, I didn’t have the motivation.

  Madi’s house had an open floor plan so she had lots of space. Like her personality, it’s very vibrant and full of color. I’m not sure how she manages to pull of this much color, but she did. She’s a genius and has an eye for details. Hardwood floors, black furniture, and bright accent colors strategically placed around the room. She also has several huge paintings full of color. They look like someone sprayed some paint on it, and then framed it. I hope she didn’t spend too much money on them, because they looked like I could have painted them.

  Her home was beautiful, and I always felt like it welcomes you when you walk in the door. I planned to ask her to help decorate my apartment.

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “A town doesn’t turn 1,000 every day, you know.”

  I chuckled. “No it doesn’t.” Even though I really didn’t know what I was talking about.

  She nudged my shoulder. “I think I would have thrown you a party even if you weren’t number 1,000.” She walked away before I could say anything.

  Six weeks ago, I never thought I’d be happy. I never thought I’d have a friend like Madi.

  ‘We have our reasons...’ my parents said more than once. That was their answer to everything. I fought it sometimes, asked tons of questions, but they never gave me clear answers. It was always vague and they were always changing the subject. Maybe I should have tried harder, but it’s all I knew. They were my life. I knew they loved me, they showed it all the time. They were my parents after all, why wouldn’t I listen and trust them.

  I missed them.

  I’d been lingering around the party, not really talking to anyone unless Madi was introducing me to people. I felt out of place and a little claustrophobic with all these people around, but I put on a brave face and always smiled around Madi.

  I walked into the kitchen to grab another drink. Madi said she didn’t drink much and I told her the same. I wasn’t about to tell her I’ve only have alcohol two times in my life. My parents let me have a drink on my twenty-first birthday and I didn’t really care for it. I had tried something new a few weeks after that, and I had the same reaction. However, the wine coolers Madi had bought were delicious and I was on my third since we got back to the house. Everyone else bought their own drinks, and the fridge was full of them as well as a cooler on the back porch.

  “He did what?” I heard Madi yell, so I turned in her direction to see what was going on. She was standing in front of the sliding glass doors that led to the porch. She was talking to a guy who had his back to me. He was blocking my view and using Madi as a comparison, I had to say he was easily over six foot. He had dark black hair; short but long enough that it curled around his ears. I could tell he crossed his arms against his chest by the way he stood. His shoulders were very broad, his light gray shirt stretched across his back, ready to rip at any minute.

  I took a step to the right to get a better view and Madi had her hands on her hips. Her lips were pursed together and she was scowling at the man in front of her. I couldn’t hear what he said to her, but it made her turn on her heel and she walked out the sliding glass door to the back porch. The man followed her and so did I. I moved around a few other people who were also on the deck, watching the events unfold. I wanted a better view though, so I stood right by the steps.

  Madi was approaching her fence line and she yelled at the red house next store, “Old man Jacobs, come out here right now!”

  I looked at the other house. A bald man wearing thick glasses opened the window, popping his head out. I was certain this was Old man Jacobs, and he matched the grumpy disposition Madi warned me about. Madi said he didn’t like her, and I was sure the feelings were mutual. “Too much noise.”

  “Not my fault you go to bed so early,” Madi snapped back. It wasn’t dark yet, the sun wasn’t fully set.

  “Damn wild kids,” he muttered.

  “We are not kids! But you sure are acting like one. The music is not loud! No one is even drunk. I don’t understand what your problem is Jacobs.” She swung an arm out, I’m assuming towards the tall man who was now strutting across the yard with confidence. His long legs had him reaching Madi in only a few steps. He stood with his hands on his hips, and even though his back was to all of us, he was irritated. I’ve never seen anyone so tall. I got the feeling he was well known and respected. “You called him!”

  The old man must have called the mystery man.

  “Too much noise,” he stated again.

  “No. There’s. Not,” she retorted.

  I tried not to laugh and Madi was right. You could barely hear the music, because people were playing board games, hanging out, and talking to each other. There were several people outside on the back deck though, so maybe that’s what he was talking about. I haven’t been to any parties, but I’ve seen them in movies. This was the total opposite of what I thought parties were all about.

  The mystery man twisted his head to the side and said something. His lips were moving, but I don’t think anyone heard him. With his change of posture, I was able to see a hint of a beard. I wasn’t sure if he skipped a few days of shaving or kept it like that on purpose.

  “Wrap it by ten, Madi.” His voice was deep and rough, which matched his looks. “Jacobs, get back inside and keep the window shut.” The old man cursed under his breath, but listened. He popped his head inside the window and slammed it shut. The tall man had authority, and definitely not one you would go against.

  “The music is hardly on,” she hissed. “We’re celebrating-”

  “I know what you’re celebrating, but wrap it up by ten o’clock,” he interrupted. “I don’t need Jacobs calling all night. I’ve got better shit to do than break up a fucking party.”

  “Whatever,” she huffed and stomped across the yard and joined me on the porch.

  “Damn it. Old man Jacobs hates me, I swear.”

  “Old man Jacobs?”

  “That’s what I call him. He’s never liked me. He’s always short with me when
he visits the store. Now I have to deal with this shit. I bought this house because I got a good deal on the price, and I didn’t think he’d be such an asshole.”

  I was trying to pay attention, but I found myself looking over her shoulder to watch the mystery man walk between the two houses and out of view.

  “Who was that guy?” I asked while following her back into the house. No one seemed concerned with what just happened and were doing their own thing.

  “That man was your landlord.”

  I choked on air.

  Landlord?

  I followed her into the living room and watched her as she turned the music up. Not much but still, she turned it up. She was such a rebel.

  “My landlord?” I asked. This couldn’t be right. I mean, I never met Rudd Archer, just the realtor. He took care of all the paperwork and gave me the keys.

  “Yeah, and he’s an asshole. I can’t believe I have a curfew.” She started picking up empty cups and walked back into the kitchen, putting them in the trash.

  “Madi. My landlord? Care to explain?”

  “Archer,” she said as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “I told you he owns the house.”

  She grabbed another wine cooler from the fridge and chugged half of it. I understood she was agitated, but I need her to focus and talk to me. I took the wine cooler from her and set in on the counter. I grabbed her by the shoulders nicely and forced her to look at me.

  “Madi, please explain.”

  She stared at me for a few seconds before her jaw dropped open and her eyes went wide. “Oh. My. God,” she whispered and I watched her light brown eyes grow with confusion.

  My contact!

  “What’s wrong, Madi?” I tried to play dumb.

  “Your eye,” she said slowly.

  “Yes, I have two of them.”

  “You’re wearing a contact.” She looked at my blue eye. “Just one though.” She reached to touch my face, and I moved my head. “I never noticed before,” she said quietly. “It barely moved, but I saw it.”