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I was curious about what else he hadn’t told me. Everyone changes after high school, and I wanted to know what he’d been doing, why he’d enlisted. I didn’t care why he and Delilah broke up. Teenage relationships rarely lasted, especially long-distance ones.
The deeper I got with Colton, the less I thought about Delilah. It seemed impossible that she had the same depth of emotion and feelings for him as I did, and I’d only been spending a short amount of time with him compared to their two years.
Maybe I was naïve, but I thought what we had was different. Special.
But I’d convinced myself of that before and been wrong. Sometimes, good feelings were false. Sometimes, people hid their true selves from you. I shouldn’t be so trusting of Colton.
Feeling like there was still something I needed to do with my excess energy, I called the owner of the new yoga studio down the street. I told her how I’d love to offer my post-workout smoothies and juices to her yogis, and I was shocked when she said she’d love to try it out.
It was a small thing, but I loved these collaborations. The chance to meet people and to work with the community.
I’d gotten distracted last night, and we hadn’t made any progress on planning the fundraiser. Not that my still-humming body was disappointed.
Pulling out my phone, I wanted to see Colton again, and the fundraiser was the perfect excuse.
Remi: Is it too early to reschedule our planning meeting? Like you said, we didn’t get much done.
I waited, wondering if he would respond right away or if he was actively working a call or case.
Colton: I’m not sorry about that.
I smiled, my cheeks hurting from the pressure.
Colton: Dinner at my place tonight?
My heart jumped in my chest. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he kept our interactions to my place or a restaurant in town. Something told me he didn’t invite many people to his home.
Remi: Should I bring anything?
Colton: Wine or whatever you’d like to drink.
Colton: Or just bring yourself.
Would we be able to keep our clothes on this time and work, or would there be more of what happened last night? More importantly, would he open up about his past?
* * *
When Kayla called to tell me to get back to the store, I didn’t ask why. I knew something had happened, and it wasn’t good.
I rushed across town, where a few people were standing in front of my window. Seeing Kayla, I hurried to her side. “What happened?”
She pointed at the window. There was spray paint covering it.
“When did this happen? It wasn’t there this morning.”
A flash of guilt crossed Kayla’s face. “I ate lunch in the back, and when I returned to the front, it was here.”
I didn’t like that whoever had done it covered the whole window, and in broad daylight. He was getting braver.
I wrapped my arms around my middle. “Did anyone see anything?”
“I asked around, but no one saw anything.”
Hailey touched my shoulder. “I don’t like this.”
I held myself tighter. “Neither do I.”
“Is it just kids having a good time?” I asked hopefully.
