Out of the Dark

by Sundae Leighton

  My ballet studio. When I had spoken to the realtor and explained to him I wanted to purchase the studio, he seemed surprised. After Madam had retired, no one had wanted to buy the building, so it had been sitting here empty for nearly three years. We had a quick meeting inside, where I got a quick glimpse inside, and I told him I would take it. I signed the contract, he gave me the keys, and that was it. Today was really the first day that I would have all the time in the world I would need to look around.

  As I pulled my keys from my pocket, I thought I heard my name being called out, and when I turned around, I saw Brooklyn, the photographer, from the wedding, waving before she headed toward me.

  “Hi.” I smiled at her.

  “Are you an early riser too?” She grinned happily with her covered coffee in her hand.

  I nodded. “I’m pretty sure it’s from the years of dance drilled into my head.” I giggled. “What about you?”

  “Rand.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder just as a giant man—covered in tattoos—came walking up behind her. “NASCAR is hard work. He’s up early for practice, races, meetings, you name it.”

  I stared up into the blue eyes of her husband as he gave me a quick glance only to wrap his arms around his wife. He was at least a foot taller than I was and amazingly handsome. Rand’s arms were thick and muscled, his shoulders as broad as they were wide. He planted a kiss on top of Brooklyn’s head. “Darlin’, this place reminds me of where I grew up.” His southern accent was thick. They seemed like complete and total opposites, but the way he looked at her was something else.

  “Rand, this Jillian Robinson,” Brooklyn said, adoration in her eyes for her husband before she smiled at me. “She was the maid of honor at the wedding last night.”

  Rand stuck out his hand. “Rand Shepard. Nice to meet you.” His hand swallowed mine as he shook mine.

  “We’re meeting Hutch for breakfast,” Brooklyn announced as Rand moved around her making sure to keep his arm around his wife’s shoulders.

  “Tell me he suggested the Angry Egg? They have the best breakfast in town.”

  “That’s the place.” Rand nodded. “He said something about blueberry pancakes.”

  I tried not to roll my eyes. “He’s absolutely right.” That’s when I noticed Hutch slowly walking down the street toward where we were standing. He had his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans while he had his eyes glued to the ground. Was he just nervous because he was going to meet his favorite driver, or was he struggling in general? I shouldn’t be worrying about him like that. Hutch’s mental wellbeing was no longer my problem.

  “Wait, you’re a ballet dancer.” Brooklyn glanced up at the studio. “Is this yours?” she asked as she took in the massive building.

  “Actually, I just bought it.” I dangled the keys in my hands. “I was going to take a look at all the work that needs to be done. Get an idea of what I got myself into.” I saw that Hutch had stopped and was staring in our direction. That couldn’t be good.

  “Hey, Hutch.” I flashed a quick smile, trying to bring him into the conversation, despite knowing he didn’t want to speak with me.

  Hutch’s head flew up in our direction, his eyes big and round. “Hey.” His expression was a combination of thankful with a side of unease.

  Brooklyn introduced her husband to Hutch, and as the two men spoke, she turned back to me. “You should join us for breakfast,” she suggested.

  Not happening. I shook my head. “Thank you, but I don’t want to intrude on—”

  “That’s a great idea,” Hutch chimed in, cutting me off.

  I stared at Hutch in shock. His brows were pinched together, his mouth tight, and as I looked at him, I wondered if he was going to have some sort of a panic attack. It was in the way his brown eyes had gone blank. “Hutch, can I talk to you?” My heart thudded in my chest. “Inside for just a moment?” I started to unlock the door to my studio. “Will you excuse us for just a second?” I asked Rand and Brooklyn.

  “I know what you’re going to say, Jills,” he whispered when I spun around to face him once the door was shut behind us.

  I narrowed my eyes. “You have no idea what I’m going to say,” I spat. “You made it perfectly clear you wanted nothing to do with me last night. I’m not having breakfast with you.” I folded my arms over my chest.

  “I can’t do this alone.”

  “Maybe you should have brought your wife.”

  Hutch bit his bottom lip. “Right, of course, my wife.” He dragged his hands through his hair. “She doesn’t calm me down like you do. You are the only person that makes me feel grounded. I feel like I’m...I feel like I’m falling.” Hutch looked like he was going to draw blood with the way he was biting his lip so hard right now.

  “Stop.” I reached up to touch his arm. “Fine, but we’re not pretending to be a couple or something stupid like that.” I tried not to wince when Hutch laced his fingers through my hand. What did I just tell him? “Is she working today, because we’re going to eat at the Egg.”

  Hutch shook his head. “No, she’s going to visit her parents with Hazel,” he told me. “Thank you, Jilly.”

  “Don’t thank me yet, Hutch, we haven’t gotten you through this.” I removed my hand from his, and opened the door. “Looks like there will be four of us for breakfast.” I tried to put a big smile on my face and hoped it looked genuine. I liked Brooklyn and I actually wanted to get to know her. She seemed like a cool person to hang around.

  Brooklyn clapped her hands together. “Yay! I was wondering if maybe I could take some pictures of your studio afterward? It would photograph so well.”

  I nodded. “Sure, of course.” I had no problem with that all.

  She clapped her hands again before she threw her arms around me. “Thank you!” She crushed me tightly against her. “I have a feeling that you and I are going to be best friends by the end of the day.” She pulled back to look at Rand.

  “I thought I was your best friend, darlin’.” He winked.

  “I meant girlfriend, baby.” Brooklyn playfully swatted at his chest.

  I glanced at Hutch to find him staring at his feet again. “We should go eat.” I nudged his side before I reached down for his hand. “Pancakes are my favorite at the Egg,” I blurted out.

  “Usually I get chocolate and Hutch gets blueberry so that we can share.” His fingers tightened around mine as the four of us began walking. “But everything they serve is the best,” I added as Rand stopped to hold the door for us.

  “You two aren’t a couple, right?” His brows dipped slightly as he caught our fingers tangled together.

  I shook my head. “No, just good friends,” I said.

  Just friends; where one admitted he didn’t want to be around me, while the other only wanted to make things right. It was going to be a long and painful morning.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Jillian

  The four of us were now seated at a booth. Rand and Brooklyn on one side with Hutch, and myself on the other. I made sure that Hutch and I were facing the door because I knew he liked to have a view of the exit in case he needed it. I didn’t need to open the menu, so instead I casually looked around the restaurant to see if I recognized anyone before I brought my attention back to Brooklyn who was busy trying to decide what she wanted. I ordered my usual, Hutch got the blueberry pancakes, while the Shepards each picked Belgian waffles with strawberries—Brooklyn with a side of bacon, and Rand with a side of sausage.

  “So, Hutch,” Rand spoke first, “my wife told me you own your own automotive shop. Have you always enjoyed working on cars?” His giant hand curled around the handle of his mug, and I wondered how he and Brooklyn had met. She had mentioned they didn’t exactly get along at first, so I had so many questions.

  Hutch chewed nervously on his bottom lip. “Uh, yes, kind of.” His voice was hardly a whisper, and I gently placed my hand on his thigh to try to relax him. The muscles in his leg instantly loosened as his hand sough
t out mine beneath the table. “In the beginning, I wanted to be a big football star.” Hutch chuckled. “But...shit happens. I’ve always been good with my hands, and cars spoke to me, you know?”

  Rand nodded. “Me too, man.” A smile lit up his face. “I didn’t plan on racing stock cars but my big brother was into it, and whatever he did, I had to do, so here we are.” The two men shared a laugh as I turned to face Brooklyn.

  “How did you meet?” I blurted out before I could stop, myself making sure to keep my voice low and my hand firmly clasped on Hutch’s leg. He seemed to have calmed down now.

  Brooklyn blushed. “At a race. I was there to take some pictures.” She ducked her eyes before she looked over at her husband with love written all over her face. “He really pissed me off the first time we were introduced too. Rand was an egotistical, womanizer asshole, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him.” She gushed happily.

  I tried not let my own feelings show, but when Brooklyn reached across the table to touch my hand, I realized either I couldn’t stop them or she just knew. “Do you have any kids?” I didn’t want to talk about me so I tried to keep the conversation about her.

  “Do you want to see pictures?” Brooklyn quickly slid her phone from her purse. “This is our son, RJ.” She flipped through her Instagram. RJ was the spitting image of his father with his dark hair, blue eyes, and long legs. Even the smile was a carbon copy.

  “How old is he, because he looks like he’s almost as tall as I am!” I teased.

  Brooklyn snorted. “He’s five, but since Rand is half giant, I think he’s going to be seven feet by the time he’s done growing.” She had a happy twinkle in her eye. “Do you have an Instagram account? Can I add you?”

  I told her my IG name and then pulled my phone out to accept her as my account was still private. It was something I did when I left Hutch, and still regretted it. I followed Brooklyn back and then made my account public again just as the server came with our order. I glanced over at Hutch who gave me a half smile as our plates were put before us.

  “Sharing with me, Jills?” He waved his hand over his mouthwatering pancakes.

  “Do you have to ask?”

  We quickly split our pancakes between us and began to cut them up before we ate them. Why did this have to feel so natural, so normal between us? Why did Hutch want to push me out of his life instead of at least trying to be my friend?

  Rand finished chewing his food. “Please excuse my bluntness, but what’s the deal with you two?” I saw Brooklyn’s head spin as she turned to glare daggers at him. “You’re not together or anything, are you? Because I see the way you’re eye-fucking one another.” He chuckled as he stabbed at another bite of his food.

  “Rand Shepard, you can’t just say that to people you just met!” Brooklyn warned.

  He shrugged. “Sorry, darlin’, I can’t help myself. I know I’m southern and I’m supposed to be nice, but the heat coming off the two of them is hot enough to burn my face.” He grinned at her.

  “We broke up,” Hutch answered. “I’m married with a daughter now, and it’s...fucking complicated.”

  “Complicated is not the word, man, you two look like—”

  “Stop it,” Brooklyn cut him off.

  Rand grimaced. “Sorry, sorry, I can be a bit much at times,” he admitted.

  “It’s fine,” Hutch muttered, but he didn’t say much the rest of the meal, and when Rand tried to pay the bill, I thought Hutch might actually throw a punch. What was it they say about meeting your idols? Never meet your heroes, because they're sure to disappoint you?

  After we finished eating, the guys went down to Zed’s Automotive while Brooklyn and I went back to my studio. Hutch assured me that he would be fine now with Rand, but I told him if he needed me, all he had to do was call or text. I hoped that he wouldn’t freeze up or freak out, but something told me he was comfortable now after what had happened.

  “Can I be nosey?” Brooklyn placed her phone in her back pocket after texting her friend to check up on her son.

  I let out a nervous laugh. “It’s that obvious?” I had hoped I had kept my feelings hidden.

  “He knows you still have feelings for him.” She dragged her teeth across her bottom lip.

  I let out a slow breath. “I left him without saying goodbye the night we confessed our love to one another, and broke his heart. Hutch is a gentle soul, and I have never met another man like him, Brooklyn.” I dropped my head down so she couldn’t see the tears that threatened to fall.

  “First of all”—Brooklyn touched my arm—“we’re friends now that you’ve cried in front of me, and since my friends call me Sully, I insist you call me that.” She pulled a tissue from her purse, which I took to dab at my eyes. “The man I was with before Rand was a horrible, terrible person, Jillian. I was so closed up to anyone when I met him, and I had said no to dating any more NASCAR drivers, too.” She pulled me into a hug. “The whole friends thing seems to be working out alright for the two of you.”

  “He told me we can’t be friends.”

  The look on Brooklyn’s face was priceless when she pulled back to look at me. “Then why did he want you to come today?” She looked confused.

  “Because I would do anything Hutch asked me to do.” That was the truth. “Anyway, I’m glad he did because we got to spend time together.”

  We talked for a while as she snapped off some pictures with her camera she took out of her giant purse. She told me she had a sister named London, and how they grew up in Connecticut but now lived in North Carolina since that’s where all NASCAR race shops were located. She liked it, but sometimes got homesick. I told her I grew up here, lived in New York for the past four years, but wasn’t planning on going back. I hated it.

  Hutch stuck his head in the door. “I’m sorry to just barge in, but Rand wanted me to ask if Brooklyn could take a few pictures?” His eyes darted nervously around the studio as he avoided looking at me.

  “That’s what I do best!” Brooklyn exclaimed as she waved her camera.

  Hutch blushed. “This wasn’t my idea.”

  “It’s my job, and trust me when I tell you that I love taking pictures, so don’t even try to apologize.”

  We went down to the shop where Brooklyn did just that. She took a few pictures of Rand and Hutch together, which I did too, with my phone, and then she took a few of a couple of the cars that Hutch happened to be working on in the shop for his own personal use. She took a couple of me, had Rand take some of us together, and that was right around when Madison made her appearance with Hazel.

  It was the first time I had actually seen Hutch’s daughter, and even though she was sleeping, I could already tell she was the most beautiful baby on the planet. Her blonde hair fell in twisted curls around her chubby baby face, and it made me realize another thing I was missing out on with Hutch.

  “What’s going on here?” Madison’s blues eyes moved around the room before they landed on me. “Having a party without me?” A smirk spread across her face as she fussed with her baby in the stroller.

  Hutch took a step forward. “I told you I was going to have breakfast this morning,” he reminded her.

  “You forgot to tell me that it would also include Jillian.” Madison said my name as if I had run over her family’s cat or something.

  Hutch squared his shoulders. “No, with Rand and his wife. Jillian was—”

  “Why is she here then?” Madison’s nostrils flared as she placed the baby seat on the floor. “She’s your ex-girlfriend, Hutch, and in case you’ve forgotten, I’m your wife. This is our daughter, and I don’t think you should be spending any time with Jillian.” She bared her teeth like an animal.

  “I invited her,” Brooklyn spoke up.

  Madison didn’t even look in her direction. “Was I talking to you, bitch?” she snapped.

  “Don’t talk to my wife like that.” Rand took a step forward, and I saw his eyes flash with anger. I had only just met the man, but someth
ing told me he was someone you didn’t piss off and get away with.

  Brooklyn touched his arm. “Rand.”

  “You’re being rude to my guests, Madison, and I think you should apologize,” Hutch growled and dropped his chin.

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Is this how it’s going to be for the rest of our marriage? I’m going to come home every night to find her here? I thought you said you were done with her.” She rolled her eyes before she looked back at me. “I want you to leave,” she demanded. When I didn’t move, Madison’s blue eyes turned dark. “Are you deaf or something? I said I want you to leave.”

  “Madison!” Hutch roared. “That’s enough! Take Hazel and go upstairs. We will deal with this later.” At first, I thought Madison wasn’t going to listen, but then she quietly picked up the car seat, and left to go upstairs to their apartment, leaving the four of us alone.

  Hutch looked mortified. “I’m sorry.” His eyes were on me before he looked at Brooklyn. “She never should have spoken to you like that, and I apologize.” His shoulder slumped slightly.

  Rand snaked his arm around his wife’s waist. “You didn’t do anything, man, that was all her. I’m just sorry you have to live with her.” He surely didn’t sugarcoat things.

  “I should go now.” I started toward the door only to have Hutch grab my elbow and pull me against his chest. He didn’t say anything as he held me, his arms tight, and his heart beating wildly in my ear. When he released me, we stared up at one another before Hutch gave me a quick nod and then I started back toward my studio.

  That’s where Brooklyn found me half an hour later with color swatches, trying to figure out just what would look best. “Knock, knock,” she called out. “I just wanted to say goodbye, in case I didn’t see you before we left tomorrow.”

  “I’m glad you did,” I told her. “I hope we get to hang out again soon.”