He was a very attractive man, and there was nothing that said they couldn’t have a relationship even though she was an angel, but she wanted to be sure that she kept things on a path toward helping him heal. She needed to give him the strength to open up inside and let out what was hurting him, and then be able to move on.
But her thoughts kept returning to his eyes, those beautiful eyes in which she saw such hurt and pain, the kind that went so deep it was impossible to ignore.
Breaking Point
(Pink Melon: One Time More)
Written and sung by Brett Rhys-Falwyck
Your perfume lingers in the air
but you are no longer anywhere
I thought I saw you the other day
flipping your hair in that special way
I miss your sweet smile
all promise and guile
I miss your soothing touch
that heals my heart so much
I walk the streets we used to walk
by the bench where we used to talk
Lingering there, I feel you near
even though I know you are not here
I miss your sweet smile
all promise and guile
I miss your soothing touch
that heals my heart so much
The breaking point has come and gone
Darkness closes in
Missing you is so hard to bear
I wish I just didn’t care
Chapter 12
A knock on the door told Brett that Glenn had arrived. When he came out of the cabin, he was shivering, and Glenn chuckled.
“Cold?” he asked.
“Nope,” Brett said through chattering teeth. “Just fine.”
“Sure, we can go with that.” Glenn chuckled. “So, you called for a trip to town?”
Brett nodded. “And coffee. Coffee shop coffee. It’s always better.”
“I get that,” Glenn agreed, and he chatted all the way down the mountain and into town with a nervous energy Brett recognized.
After parking in the alley near the music store, the two made their way down the sidewalk and across the streets to the coffee shop.
They walked around what seemed to be the heart of the town, Glenn pointing out the shops and businesses. They passed near Whisper Falls Inn, and Glenn grinned as the owner of the inn walked onto the porch.
“Hey, Michaela,” he said, waving a mittened hand. She smiled and waved before shivering and stepping back inside.
“She’s pretty cool. She’s with Xandru Roca. She does a lot of things around the town as the owner of the inn.” They continued toward the coffee shop. “And this is Madame Tahini’s, and that’s Callie’s Consignments. I’ve never been to Madame Tahini’s—we have a lot of New Age stuff around here, but it’s not really my thing. Callie’s is cool, though. She gets vintage rock band T-shirts in all the time.” As he opened the door to Coffee Haven, Glenn pointed to the shop on the other side of the coffeehouse. “And over there is Shelf Indulgence, a local bookstore—a normal one and not all woo-woo, like Into the Mystic by the music store. It’s one of my favorite places to go, next to Coffee Haven, of course.”
They ordered coffees and stepped back outside to continue their walk around the town square. Brett appreciated the tour as Glenn went on to describe some of the other shops in town, which catered to a variety of tastes. There was a shop that sold outdoors equipment and clothing for those in town for the skiing. He noticed a tattoo parlor, and Glenn wasn’t exaggerating about all the New Age shops—there was one with crystals and candles and another with herbs and soaps on display in their windows. There was a jewelry store, an art studio, another coffee shop, and even a butcher shop. The two males laughed at the butcher shop’s motto: “Meet Your Meat.” Brett thought the town was quaint without being too touristy, and he liked it. For the first time in a long time, he felt like some of the weight he was carrying on his shoulders was lifting.
They talked a bit more as their coffee cooled in the frigid temperatures, and when Glenn dropped him back at the cabin a while later, Brett realized he’d had a great time with the young boy, and he couldn’t wait to get started at the camp.
He went into the cabin, showered, and lay on the bed. He was pleasantly surprised to find how comfortable the mattress was and how exhausted he was after the tour of the town.
His last thought before sleep took him was that he liked it here.
Cece slept fitfully, his presence so close and yet so far. She could hear him breathing, his heart beating, and around him, she felt the darkness growing. A darkness she knew she had to heal before it took him over completely.
“I hope I got you here in time,” she whispered to the night sky she could see through her window. The glass rattled in answer, but whether that was a good thing or not, she couldn’t be sure.
There was a knocking sound. Brett sat up and looked around, taking a moment to get his bearings. He remembered where he was and that Glenn was probably at the door. Yelping a bit at the feeling of the cold floor on his bare feet, he shouted for Glenn to come in.
The door opened, and Glenn tapped his feet, knocking the snow off his boots before entering. Brett could hear the teen go to the kitchen.
Tromping down the stairs, Brett rounded the corner to the kitchen, where Glenn handed him a bag with the Coffee Haven logo on it. It smelled like warm blueberries, which could mean only one thing.
“Blueberry scones?” Brett asked with an arched eyebrow.
“I stopped there on my way here. They were just taking a batch out of the oven. I ate mine already,” Glenn said with a wide smile. “Go ahead, those are for you. You cannot officially be a visitor to Havenwood Falls and not try a blueberry scone.”
Brett took a bite of the sugary confection and nearly died, the taste was so delicious. He didn’t even mind that it was still so warm, it burned his tongue slightly.
“Oh my God,” he said with a look of euphoria on his face. “They need to franchise Coffee Haven and sell these in LA. They’d make a fortune.”
He finished the whole thing while Glenn laughed. “But then why would people need to come to Havenwood Falls?”
Brett nodded in agreement. As they reached Glenn’s car, he said, after taking a long swallow of the coffee, “Do we have time to stop by Coffee Haven before getting to the store? I think I might like some more of those delicious scones. They are a bit addicting.”
Glenn laughed. “Your wish is my command.”
The two entered Havenwood Falls Music & More a short while later with blueberry-tinged lips and full bellies. Brett thought he’d never had a more satisfying breakfast. Cece laughed at them when she caught sight of them trying to wipe the blueberry stains off their mouths.
“Where’s mine?” she pretended to whine.
“I didn’t forget you,” Glenn said, pulling another small pouch from his pocket and handing it to her.
Brett watched Glenn stroll to the back of the store, a wide smile on his face as he greeted customers.
“Nice kid,” he said, turning to face Cece.
He frowned, surprised at the expression on her face as she watched the teen at work.
“You okay?” he asked her, touching her on the arm, then jumping back slightly at the tingling in his fingertips. “What was that?” he exclaimed, examining his fingertips.
Cece pulled her arm closer to her side. “The air is so dry here in the store. Darn static electricity. And yes, Glenn is awesome. Ready to get to work? Michelle Hamlin, our local news anchor, will be here in about an hour to interview you about the camp, and then we have a few details to go over. I thought we could maybe plot out an agenda?”
“Sure.” Brett rubbed his fingertips together, not sure what had just passed between them, but certain it wasn’t static electricity, no matter what she said. That tingle had gone all the way to his heart, and he felt better for just having touched her.
After the interview, Ms. Hamlin promised to air the spot the ne
xt morning and also said she wouldn’t miss the final performance night on Saturday. Then Cece and Brett were left alone in the store for the first time. Brett swallowed tightly.
Sitting in the back at one of the small tables where they’d held the interview, Cece watched as Michelle left, then realized she and Brett were alone. Glenn had left to run a personal errand, which probably meant he was trying to track down Meghan, who had mysteriously not been in the store so far today. With it being spring break, Cece had expected her to be here the whole day, but she hadn’t put in an appearance yet.
Cece shifted in her seat at the feeling of being watched to find Brett looking at her with a puzzled expression. He was trying to figure something out, and Cece had a feeling she knew what it was.
“So,” she said, surprised at how nervous she felt. The store was eerily quiet, and she prayed for a customer to walk through the door to alleviate some of the silence.
“So,” Brett repeated. He leaned closer to her, and she could smell the musky cologne he wore that was tinged with an orangey smell. She found herself lost in his scent and had to pull herself back mentally by shifting her position in the chair slightly.
The sound of the chair scraping against the floor made her jump.
Brett had stood up, his back tight and straight. She wondered if he felt the same tension she did. She waited for him to speak, not wanting to break into his thoughts.
“What about this recording studio? Do you mind if I look at it?”
“Not at all,” Cece said. Happy to have something to do, she walked toward the front. “Let me get the key.”
She returned a moment later. As she handed him the key, she accidently touched his hand, and the images that flooded into her mind were dark and sad. She gasped before grabbing the back of a chair as her knees weakened slightly. When she’d regained her breath, she reached out, her fingers gently brushing against Brett’s skin along his wrist as she attempted to pull some of the darkness from him and replace it with something more pleasant. At first she felt she was succeeding, but then a tingling went back up her arm as she felt something transfer from him to her. There was a rustling sound as a small, dark whisper entered her mind.
I am coming, and you cannot stop me this time. The voice was venomous and evil.
And she knew who it was.
She knew what was holding the darkness in Brett.
She grasped the cross on her chest as she fought to simply breathe.
Inside the Darkness
(Brett Rhys-Falwyck solo album: Oceans)
Written and sung by Brett Rhys-Falwyck
I am a lonely bird flying high
You cannot hear me sigh
I am calling out for you
but on winged promise you flew
Inside the darkness we all fear
nothing reaches us, we’re
adrift on the hopeless sea
in a world that’s forgotten peace
Reaching, clawing, scratching to get out
I cannot leave the feelings behind, doubt
creeps in like a monster under the bed
inside my heart, inside my head
Inside the darkness we all fear
nothing reaches us, we’re
adrift on the hopeless sea
in a world that’s forgotten peace
Find me, bring me to the light
Keep me in the day, not the night
I don’t want to be without you
for to live that way is a life untrue
Inside the darkness we all fear
nothing reaches us, we’re
adrift on the hopeless sea
in a world that’s forgotten peace
Chapter 13
In spite of his resolve to remain cool, Brett felt his heart pounding in his chest. There was something about this woman that was making it hard for him to breathe. She was calming and exciting at the same time, like no one he’d ever met before. He felt something inside break away when she touched him. Something that was small and dark and hurtful, and he didn’t understand it, but he felt a desire to crush her in his embrace.
But why? He’d never felt this way before. And then the feeling was gone from him, and he was left shaking, like he was in some weird kind of detox.
Checking out the studio seemed the safest way to be away from her, but he hadn’t counted on the narrowness of the room. The equipment was good, not top of the line, but good enough for what she had it there for, and reminded him of the equipment he’d seen in the radio station at college where he’d spent some nights spinning records and romancing Lucy Albertson, the night-shift DJ.
He hadn’t gotten anywhere with Lucy, but he had discovered a love for anything music, and recording equipment was his jam. He loved playing with the buttons and knobs and trying to find the right sound for the right moment in a song. He loved the purity of bringing a note from a guitar, but didn’t mind getting into the studio and manipulating some weird blends when they were recording.
“What do you think?” Cece asked, stepping into the room with him. She stood close enough that he could hear her breathing, and he shoved his hands in his pants pockets to keep from reaching out for her.
She’d given him the quick instructions on the equipment and how to use it, and even though he didn’t need them, he listened carefully, his attention fully on her.
Glenn came back a few minutes later, his expression sad, and informed them he couldn’t find Meghan.
“Oh, she’ll be by when she can,” Cece said with confidence. “She’s probably doing something for her mom.”
Glenn nodded and went back to work.
Cece pointed to the door of the store. “Would you like to get something for lunch? We have a decent pizza place. Napoli’s is just a little ways across the square. Care to join me?”
“Love to. I just had some scones, but there’s always room for pizza,” said Brett. “Should we see if Glenn wants anything?”
“Oh, I already know what he’ll want. A personal pizza with everything on it, right Glenn?”
Glenn nodded, but without enthusiasm. Cece studied him for a minute, but he refused to turn around.
“Let me get my coat. Glenn, will you watch the store?”
“Sure,” Glenn said. “I have nothing else to do.”
Cece hugged him. “She’ll be here. Be patient.”
When they got to Napoli’s, the lunch crowd was just leaving, so they were able to snag a table in the back. Cece moved the green tablecloth around and smoothed it out, her OCD showing, which made Brett chuckle.
They placed their orders and silence descended.
“So, what do you think of Havenwood Falls so far?” she asked, trying to make conversation to cover the awkward silence.
She studied him while he twirled his empty water glass. His eyes were a magnificent green, with lashes girls would pay a fortune to buy at the makeup counter. His nose was long and slender, but not overly large. His lips, though, were fantastic—full and round—and she felt herself wanting to wipe a drop of water beading on the center of the bottom lip.
“I think this place is named quite well. I could certainly fall for this haven in the woods.”
“Yep.” Cece laughed. “That’s what a lot of people say.”
“Why have I never heard of it before?” Brett asked her, his eyes trapping hers, as if waiting for her to lie.
“Because we value our town just as it is,” Cece said after a moment’s thought. “It is a place people come to, and then leave. We like it that way.”
“Ah, so come and spend your money, but take your life’s tragedies, and stories, and dramas home with you.”
“Something like that,” Cece agreed, before taking a sip of her water even though she wasn’t thirsty. “But not in quite that cynical of a tone,” she admonished him softly.
“Sorry,” Brett mumbled as their order arrived.
Conversation stalled as they finished their meal. Cece insisted on paying, telling hi
m it was part of the expenses for running the camp.
They hurried back to the store with Glenn’s lunch, and when they returned, they found the store bustling with teens, all of whom wanted to meet Brett. He greeted his fans with a grace any politician would envy as he chatted with them, signed whatever they put in front of him, and told them to be sure to come to the performance on Saturday night at the Annex.
“Ms. Amundson?” said a girl standing at her elbow. “I’m Zoey. I cannot wait for the camp to begin. What time do I need to be here?”
Cece handed the girl a packet she’d prepared for the camp and then called Glenn to the front. Handing him the rest of the packets, she asked him to give them out to any of the other camp members who might be there.
She saw Kase chatting with Elle Martin, or maybe chatting wasn’t the right word. It was much more like flirting, and she smiled, watching their innocent banter. That’s what love should be like, Cece thought.
“Penny for your thoughts,” said Brett at her side.
“Hardly worth it,” Cece said with a grin.
Brett’s eyes darkened for just a moment, and she felt herself drawn into him. The pull of his physicality was so strong, she felt her breath catch and put her hands at her sides to keep from reaching out to touch him.
“I need to step outside for a minute,” Cece said. She rushed out the door and around the corner, standing on the side of the building while breathing hard.
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