The late spring air is warmer than usual, too warm really. Georgia summers are always scorching, but it usually doesn’t get this warm until well into the summer, not in early May. I wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand and push forward, willing my body to go further. I have more than doubled the distance I used to run over the past few of months, now averaging six to eight miles a day.
I love it. I love the way my heart hammers inside my chest as my feet pound against the pavement. I love how free running makes me feel. I love that out here all of my problems seem to bleed into the background, and my only focus is my breathing, the wind whipping around me, the sound of the earth beneath my feet. It’s my one and only escape and about the only time I ever get to myself.
I round a bend in the road, slowing down slightly as I reach a busy intersection that runs through the center of town. Veering left, my pace slows to a jog as I make my way down the sidewalk toward my family’s restaurant.
The moment I reach the small diner on the corner with a black awning that reads Abbotts, I stop, bending over to grip my knees with my hands as I try to steady my breathing. After several beats I straighten my posture and stretch out my back, peering through the large glass windows that look into the restaurant.
Abbotts has been in my family for three generations. My great-grandfather started it when he was twenty-four, just a year older than I am now. He passed it along to my grandfather, who in turn passed it on to my father, who will eventually pass it on to me.
That wasn’t part of my original plan, of course, but I guess life happens. It’s funny how one choice has the power to alter our entire path. Two years ago all I wanted to do was finish school and move to New York to open my own clothing boutique, now, I can’t imagine being anywhere but here.
I will be the first female to take over the family business. Guess since my father only had girls and my sister Rylee has no interest in running Abbotts, I kind of inherited it by default, but that’s okay with me. I love Abbotts. Some of the best memories of my life happened in this small little diner.
The moment his face flashes through my mind a chill runs down my spine, causing me to shiver slightly despite the late morning heat. Okay, so not everything that has happened here has been pleasant, but I guess, like most things, you get the good with the bad.
I smile at my dad when he catches sight of me standing outside and waves at me through the large window. Grabbing the handle of the heavy wood door, I pull it open and step inside, shivering again at the cool temperature of the room.
“What do you have the air conditioner on, fifty?” I ask my dad, rubbing my hands up and down my arms as I look around the diner.
I can hear Todd, the cook, and a couple of the waitresses talking in the back, but other than that, the restaurant is completely empty.
“Nah, fifty-five,” he jokes, giving me a toothy smile as he continues to push in chairs and wipe down dirty tables left over from the morning breakfast rush.
Even though the diner brings in more than enough money to manage itself, Dad still insists on working every single morning. I think a part of him just likes the busy work. He hasn’t been quite the same since Mom left. After divorcing him when I was thirteen and Rylee was ten, she packed up her belongings and flew across the country to Washington State, to be with a man she dated years before my dad. She’s remarried now and last I heard traveling in Europe. None of us have spoken to her since the day she left. Some mom she is.
I know Dad misses her terribly, even after all this time, though I doubt he would ever admit it. I smile when he throws the hand towel he’s using over his shoulder and balances several dishes in his arms. The action looks so strange on a man of his stature.
I’ve always said my dad looks more like a wrestler than the owner of a diner. With his six-three height, arms as big as my head, and shoulders that seem to stretch on for miles, I think he could have gone into the profession if he ever had the desire to do so.
“What are you doing here anyway?” he asks, emerging from the kitchen moments later, dish free.
He cocks his head to the side and gives me a curious look, the spatters of gray that pepper his temples catching the light making him look older than his age of forty-eight. “Certainly you didn’t run all this way to lecture me about how low I run the A.C.”
“I was in the area, thought I’d stop in and see if you need any help.” I follow him behind the large counter that wraps around the left side of the square space.
Grabbing a glass, I fill it with water as my dad checks over the schedule that’s hanging on the wall behind me.
“You don’t know how to act without Landen around,” he speaks over his shoulder.
“I know. I honestly don’t know what I did to fill the time before him.” I laugh, taking a drink of water.
“I could use you later this evening if you’re up for it,” he says, my attention darting toward the entrance when the door alarm pings.
Time seems to slow down the moment my eyes land on the younger couple that steps inside. One swipe of his hand through his messy dark blond hair as he looks around the space, and I know instantly who he is. Considering I only met him a couple of times nearly two years ago, it’s likely he has no idea who I am, but I would know his face anywhere. I suck in a sharp inhale and immediately try to process what my eyes are seeing.
Killian Adair. Lead singer of Everything After, and his best friend.
“What time?” I ask, not really paying any attention to anything other than the famous rockstar now walking through my family’s diner with a pretty brunette on his arm.
Truth is, I feel like my body has gone into a state a shock. I have come to accept that I will never truly escape him, especially with how his band has taken off, but that doesn’t mean I ever expected to come face to face again with someone I know for a fact is extremely close to him.
What is he even doing here? You would think musicians of their caliber wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without a posse of bodyguards with them. Just as the thought crosses my mind, I catch sight of a large black SUV parked on the curb directly in front of the restaurant. Correction, I guess they can’t go anywhere without them.
I lift the glass of water to my lips again and numbly take a long drink, just trying to give my brain a chance to catch up.
If Killian is in town, then so is he.
I thought the whole band, and most of their families, lived in L.A. now? Why would they be here? My mind struggles to swallow this bit of information, and I only vaguely hear my dad’s voice pushing through the fog.
“Rae, did you hear me?” Dad waves his hand like he’s trying to get my attention.
“Yeah sorry. What were you saying?” I shake my head, trying to push away my thoughts.
“I asked if you could work the five to ten shift this evening,” he repeats.
I think on it for a long moment before finally remembering I have plans tonight at eight.
“Actually, I promised Corey and Amber I would go see that new action movie with them tonight,” I say, finally meeting his gaze.
Corey, my best guy friend since third grade, hates going to the movies, but my other best friend, Amber, loves them. Somehow she always manages to convince him to go with her even though I know it’s the last thing he wants to do.
“I’m sure Corey and Amber can wait one more night.” He sighs.
“Landen is only with Josie until morning, so this is really the only night I can do it,” I explain.
Landen has sleepovers at my aunt Josie’s once every few weeks. Not having any children of her own, she loves having him over.
“Okay,” he agrees without hesitation, knowing I rarely take time out of my schedule to do anything for myself; other than run, of course. “But when you get home, can you tell your sister I’m gonna need her? She owes me for the four hundred dollar purse she charged on my credit card. I think it’s about time I make her pay up,” he murmurs more to himself than to me.
My eyes follow Lou, a middle-aged woman in her early forties who has worked at the diner for nearly five years. She stops at the corner booth where Killian and the girl have taken a seat, scratching down their order on the notepad in her hand.
“Cause she’ll be so much help,” I finally speak, rolling my eyes at the thought of Rylee doing anything productive, like ever.
I know with almost complete certainty that my younger sister will likely spend more time flirting with the guys that come in, typically from campus, than actually working.
She’s never been much of a worker in any aspect of her life. She’s always been too pre-occupied with her friends and guys to really put forth any actual effort. I swear she’s likely to spend ten years in college just so she doesn’t have to get a real job and can live off of our father.
“Rae.” My dad nudges my shoulder, following my gaze that is locked on Killian. “Someone you know?” he asks curiously.
“No.” I shake my head, flipping my eyes back to my dad.
“I probably should go. I have a lot to do this afternoon.” I give him a one-armed hug, ignoring the nagging feeling that has settled into the pit of my stomach.
I give him a half-smile before taking off through the diner, throwing my hand up in a wave before pushing my way outside.
The warmth once again engulfs me, a stark contrast from the temperature inside the restaurant. The second the door closes, every part of me wants to go back inside and find out more.
Is he here?
If so, how long will he be in town?
Even if I tried, it’s likely Killian would just look at me like I have five heads. How could I ever possibly explain to a man, who probably doesn’t even remember me, that the summer before they left on tour I spent five incredible weeks in the arms of the guitar player for their band? Or how that said guitar player disappeared on me without as much as a text message telling me he was leaving for tour. Not to mention the fact that over the course of the last two years he has never once tried to contact me or return the many phone calls I have made both to his personal cell phone until his number was changed, as well as to the label directly.
Gabe Preston didn’t just break me that summer, he annihilated me. Something I have yet to truly recover from. How could I? He gave me nothing; no closure, no explanation. He just walked away and discarded me like an old toy he was done playing with. He doesn’t know anything about the life he left behind.
Taking one last long look through the restaurant window, I let out a slow exhale before I take back off down the sidewalk, wishing I had never stopped in to begin with. Pushing into a full run within seconds, I try to push down the sudden flush of emotion I feel.
Not knowing Gabe was coming to town and unexpectedly running into him would be so much easier than the anticipation I feel knowing that after all this time I might actually have to come face to face with him again.
And even though it could potentially give me the closure I needed so desperately two years ago, honestly, I don’t know that I even want it anymore. I don’t care enough to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he hurt me or informing him of what he left behind when he just up and disappeared.
Men like Gabe Preston think they own the world. I’m not about to add to that. No matter how deeply he hurt me, he will never know the damage he caused when he walked away from me; the young, carefree girl who was so madly in love with him she couldn’t imagine the world without him, let alone face one when it became her reality.
I’m not that girl anymore. I’m stronger, better, more mature than I was two years ago. I had to grow up. Unlike him, I didn’t have a choice.
****
“What’s up your ass tonight, Rae?” Corey bumps his broad shoulder into me, causing me to stumble slightly to the side.
“Just tired.” I shrug, following Amber as she exits the theater.
“Bull shit.” He rounds on me the second we step outside into the cool night air. “You would think that after fifteen years of friendship, she would know we know when she’s lying,” he says to Amber, his handsome face turned up in a humorous smile.
Corey is the definition of a college frat guy—tall, lean, and sporty. He always wears Georgia Bulldogs tees and a backward baseball cap over his stylishly messy blond hair, no matter where we go. It could be the fanciest restaurant in town, and he would still wear his usual attire. I don’t think the man has dressed up a day in his life.
“One would think,” Amber retorts, crossing her arms in front of herself as she pins her large hazel eyes directly on me. “Spill, Abbott.” She calls me by my last name, something she’s done since we were kids.
“I think he’s here,” I say, twisting my fingers in front of myself nervously.
“Wait, what?” she questions, knowing instantly who I’m referring to.
“I mean, I’m not a hundred percent.” I glance down at my feet before looking back up at my two best friends. “But Killian came into the diner earlier today.”
“Killian, as in Irish rock God, Killian?” Amber sweeps her long blonde hair over her shoulders like she’s fixing to go track him down and throw herself at him.
“The one and only.” I let out a frustrated sigh.
“You know he’s from here right?” Corey adds on, his annoyed stare locked on Amber. Of course, he knows she knows this. “They’re just people,” he grunts.
“Yeah, really attractive, incredibly sexy, super rich and famous people.” Amber rolls her eyes and hits Corey with a glare.
“Whatever.” He shakes his head, turning his focus back to the matter at hand. “So do you know for sure the rest of the band is here too or is it just Killian?” he asks.
“They are,” Amber adds, hitting me with an apologetic look.
“And you know this how?” I ask, shock lacing my voice.
“I read in some magazine that they were returning home this summer to record their follow up album. You know they recorded some of their first album here, too.”
“I’m aware,” I grind out, trying to fight off the memories of Gabe that flood my vision. “And why are you just now mentioning this?” I tack on, shaking off the emotions that rake over me.
“I didn’t want to upset you.” She scrunches her forehead.
“Seriously?” Corey seems more upset by this fact than I do. “You didn’t think she would want to know? Like it would be cool if she just bumped into him on the street instead.”
“Rockstars don’t just walk down the street, dumb ass.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m sorry, Rae. Honestly, I thought you’d just freak out if you knew he was coming home.”
“It’s fine.” I let out a slow exhale.
“I could always just hunt him down and beat his ass,” Corey offers.
“Pretty sure his team of bodyguards would have something to say about that,” Amber retorts.
“Bodyguards? Yeah right. Asshole isn’t that important,” he huffs.
“Um, pretty sure he is. Sorry, Rae,” she tacks on, hitting me with a stiff smile.
“I am well aware of how popular he is.” I shake my head. “And you two aren’t making me feel any better about his. I thought it was your job to reassure me everything would be fine.”
“Everything will be fine,” they both reply in unison followed by laughter.
“Jinx, you owe me a Coke,” Amber teases, sticking her tongue out playfully.
“What are we, ten?” Corey shakes his head at her.
These two behave like they can’t stand each other, but I know it’s just their thing. I think Amber harbors a small crush on him, but I doubt she would ever admit it. I know everyone thought me and Corey were a thing growing up, but honestly, I’ve never looked at him that way. Sure he’s attractive, but it’s just never been there for us. Amber and Corey, however, I think they’d make an amazing couple. Secretly I’ve kinda always wished they would get together, but the older we get the more I realize that will probably never happen.
Honestly, I’m a little surprised someone hasn’t snatched Amber up already. She’s gorgeous. I mean, magazine cover kind of beautiful. She stands eye level with me at about five-feet-five, but instead of my athletic build, she has the most feminine and sexy curves. Add on long blonde hair and big hazel eyes, and this girl is a total bombshell. And what’s even better; she has no idea how pretty she is.
I turn on my heel, leaving the two to bicker playfully behind me until they finally realize I’ve moved, at which point they both jog toward me to catch up.
“So what’s the plan, Rae?” Corey drops his arm over my shoulder the second he reaches me, slowing down his stride to keep my pace.
“No plan.” I shrug. “Gabe Preston existed yesterday just as he exists today. Makes no difference where he is physically. It doesn’t change my life.”
“That a girl.” He smiles down at me, his blue eyes full of approval.
I don’t believe myself, not even for a second. But it feels good to pretend, even if it’s short-lived. I can’t change what may or may not happen. All I can do now is try to prevent Gabe Preston from altering my life any more than he already has.