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I pulled into the gravel driveway, my headlights shining across a well-kept one-story cabin. It wasn’t necessarily impressive, but the fact that the yard was mowed, and the place was taken care of surprised me for whatever reason. I figured that he would be too busy living up to his reputation for that. The porch light illuminated the front, and as soon as I took in the small sitting area, Garrett was stepping outside.
My heart beat wildly in my chest as I took in the sight of him, wearing an old pair of jeans and T-shirt. He didn’t have a hat on, which left my mind running back to all the times I had ran my fingers through his dark hair, thinking I’d never touch another man—never mind marry one.
“You got here quick,” Garrett said to me as soon as I swung open my driver’s side door. “Guess your fancy Lexus sprouted wings.”
I shrugged, climbing out and immediately wrapping my arms around myself. “It’s a lot colder than I thought it was.”
He eyed me from where he stood, leaning against the knotted cedar railing. “It’s October, so the nights are cool, and the days are hot. But you know that.”
“Yeah,” I dropped my gaze as I walked from the carport area to the front porch steps. There was gravel the entire way, and the only sound between us was the rocks crunching under my feet. However, I could feel his eyes on me, making my head light and my face hot.
“We can go inside if you’re cold,” he finally said, as I made it to the porch. “Whatever you wanna do, Beth.”
I met his gray eyes, noticing their clarity as they scrutinized me. “Um, maybe not. I don’t know.”
“Okay… You want a jacket then?”
“Sure,” I told him, my mouth dry as I spoke. “Maybe something to drink, too?”
He nodded, slipping past me to the front door. As he opened it, I caught a glimpse of inside, and while it wasn’t quite as clean cut as the outside, what I could see was still surprisingly nice. There was a warm glow casting through the house, and I could just see the back of a nice dark brown leather couch. I stared as the door closed behind him, and then turned my gaze to the front yard.
It wasn’t large, per say, but the house set a few hundred feet back from the road. There were plenty of oak trees, but the view was still clear and if you knew what you were looking for, you could maybe make out the cabin when driving by. My phone buzzed in my pocket then, and I pulled it out, seeing a text from my mom.
Mom: Where did you go?
I glanced back at Garrett’s door, and then down at the phone. Carefully, I typed out a message, hoping that shewouldn’t dig any deeper.
Me: I just needed to clear my head. I’ll be back soon. I promise.
As soon as the message sent, the front door creaked open. Garrett held a black jacket and bottle of water, and then used the back of his boot to close the storm door. He held both out to me, a cautious expression on his face—like if he came closer than a few feet, I might attack him.
“Here.” He gave me a half-smile. “Problems solved.”
“Thanks,” I took the jacket first, sliding my arms into the sleeves and bunching them up around my wrists. In all reality, the thing swallowed me, and the scent of leather and sandalwood enveloped my senses as soon as I had pulled it around my body. It was familiar in a way that was almost comforting. I guess some things didn’t change.
Garrett watched me in silence, and as soon as I took the water from him, he went back to where he had been, putting more distance between us as he leaned on the railing. “So…” He folded his arms across his chest. “Why are you here, Elizabeth?”
I met his gaze as he used my full name, something he had done when we had been close. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“And that’s what we’re doing, isn’t it? Awkwardly talking.”
“It’s notthatawkward,” I reasoned, cracking open the water. “It’s just been a long time since we’ve seen each other. We’re almost strangers.”
“Almost.” His gaze was charged, holding mine with an endearment in his eyes. “But not quite, huh? Funny how that works. I thought that’s how it’d be when I saw you again—ifI ever did.”
“You thought we’d be strangers?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, running his hand across the darkstubble on his jaw. “But it’s hard to be strangers with someone whose secrets are burned in your head.”
I caught my breath. “They were just kid secrets.”
“Nothing about our secret was childish,” Garrett said, chuckling. “The only thing childish was the way I handled us. We went behind Sam’s back for over a year. Started at Halloween your junior year. You were the tag along to the party Sam had dragged me to. You were some kind of discreet vampire, and I didn’t even dress up.” He spoke with nostalgia in his voice, his eyes looking past me to the trees, as if he was seeing a film play in front of his eyes. “You said you didn’t have any friends there, and I told you, you were right. I’d never be able to just be your friend. Then I kissed you.” He let out a chuckle, but it faded to a somber expression.
My mind flashed to that night, the way I had felt when his lips had met mine, tinged with the taste of alcohol, as he’d pinned me up against the side of Ty Miller’s house. I shouldn’t have been there. I was in high school, and the party had been mostly graduates, going to the college in the town across county line. But Sam had insisted, lying to my parents about what kind of party it was. I was lucky Garrett had been there, watching over me while my brother drank himself stupid, as per usual.
Garrett’s eyes flickered back to mine when I hadn’t said anything. “But that’s not why you’re here, is it? You don’t want to talk about that part of the past.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, emotions welling up in my eyes. “It just seems moot to discuss something that happened so long ago.”
