Harmony Island Gazette

20. Boone

Juniper wasn’t back yet.

I stood at the register, staring at an elderly woman unloading her groceries onto the conveyor belt. I knew she wasn’t actually moving at a snail’s pace. My frustration had nothing to do with her and everything to do with the fact that Juniper had made plans to meet Kevin and didn’t tell me.

I’d only found out from the texts that were currently blowing up her phone. I’d tried to ignore the buzzing coming from the drawer under the register. I’d figured that Juniper had unknowingly left her phone behind. But when the noise became constant and incessant, I pulled the drawer open only to find that the sender was Kevin, and—from what I could see in the message preview on her lock screen—he wasn’t coming to lunch.

I was now in the midst of trying to figure out when she made these plans and why she didn’t tell me. I thought we’d gotten closer. I thought she trusted me. And even though she had no obligation to tell me where she was going, I’d deluded myself into thinking that she would.

I thought I meant enough to her to at least deserve that.

Apparently, I was wrong.

The conveyor brought the woman’s groceries to me, so I started scanning them. I wanted to force thoughts of Juniper to the far corners of my mind, where I shoved a lot of things, but no matter how much I tried not to think about her, it wasn’t working.

She was all I could think about.

I don’t know if it was my anxiety about Juniper or my growing ability to run the register, but I finished scanning the woman’s items, bagged them, and walked around the register to load them into her cart in record time.

I loaded her groceries while she used the pin pad to pay. The register clocked the payment and spit out the receipt, which I tore off and handed to her. She took it and thanked me before she pushed her cart through the sliding doors.

Now alone, I stared at the register as I tried to ignore the newest text message that had just come through. Kevin was nothing if not persistent.

And where the hell was Juniper? She’d left forty minutes ago. Actually, she’d told me she was going to go eat lunch forty minutes ago. I had no idea when she actually left the store.

My stomach twisted at that thought. How was I supposed to protect her if she didn’t tell me things? And why did she feel like she needed to lie? I wasn’t here to stop her—I wasn’t going to do that. But I would make sure she was safe. She had to know that.

Or maybe I just misread everything that had transpired between us over the last week. Maybe I was the only one who hoped our time together meant something more. And Juniper was just trying to figure out how she was going to get back with Kevin.

I was going to be the idiot left holding my heart after she tore it from my chest.

I cursed as I pushed my hand through my hair and tipped my face toward the ceiling. If that was true, then why did I want to grab my keys, get into my truck, and drive to find her just to make sure she was okay?

Even if I found her in the arms of Kevin—I needed to make sure she was safe.

I was an idiot.

I grabbed my key and locked the register. I slipped Juniper’s phone into my back pocket as I headed toward the bakery. I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate until I knew Juniper was safe. Even if it meant breaking my heart, I was going to find her.

Kate was behind the bakery counter, wiping down a mixer. I tapped on the metal counter, which drew her attention over.

“Hey, Boone,” she said as she set the rag down and headed over to me. “You okay?” she asked as she got closer and raked her gaze over my face.

“Juniper left for lunch, but I’m not sure if she got there. Her”— I swallowed at the acid that rose up in my throat when I thought about Kevin—“lunch date keeps texting her. And she left her phone at the register.” I pulled her phone from my back pocket and held it up for Kate to see.

Kate’s eyes widened as she nodded and started pulling her apron strings. “Of course. Yes, I can help,” she said as she slipped her apron over her head and set it down on the counter. “Go find Juniper.”

I left the register key with her and headed to the back room. I was grateful that Kate knew what to do and I wasn’t going to waste time walking her through how to run a register. I pushed through the back doors and over to my locker to grab my truck keys. I slammed the door shut and didn’t stop until I had yanked open my driver’s door and climbed inside. Juniper’s car was gone, which meant she’d driven. I was thankful for that. All I needed to do now was find her car and then I’d find her.

I didn’t know where to start looking, so I drove slowly around the neighboring buildings. When I came up empty-handed, I went further out. When I passed by Harmony Island Diner—now Sunny Side-Up Diner—I paused. Last time she went out with Kevin, it had been there. Maybe Kevin was a man of habit.

I flipped on my blinker and turned right into the parking lot. I found the nearest parking spot and pulled into it. I grabbed my keys from the ignition and climbed out of my truck.

The diner was quiet when I pulled open the door. The woman who ran this place was in the process of cleaning a table when I rounded the hostess stand in search of someone to talk to.

“Table for one?” she asked when her gaze met mine.

“I’m not here to eat.”

Her lips formed a “o” shape.

“I’m looking for Juniper Godwin…” I flicked my gaze down to her name tag. “Willow,” I added.

She nodded. “She left about fifteen minutes ago. Some guy came to meet her, and after he left she was in tears. Didn’t really want to talk to me and left.” She waved to the plate of half-eaten chicken strips and fries. “This is all that’s left of her lunch.”

I paused as I glanced toward the door and then back to Willow. “Did she tell you where she was going?”

Willow shook her head. “No. She just left in a hurry.”

I nodded, grateful that she’d at least gotten here safely. Now to figure out where she went. I thanked Willow and headed back out to the parking lot. Once I was in my truck, I threw it in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. When I got to the road, I glanced left and then right before making the choice to turn right.

I’d drive through town quick, and if I didn’t see her car, I’d head to the Godwin’s house. I doubted she’d go home, so that was going to be the last place I checked.

Thirty minutes later I was cursing myself for not having to gone to the Godwin’s house first. Every place I drove, I came up empty, so I headed out of town to the Godwin’s place. Of course, her car parked in the driveway was the first thing I saw when I turned down their street.

Relief flooded my body as I pulled up alongside her car and turned off the engine. She was here and she was safe.

I was out of my truck and across the yard in record time. I’m sure I looked strange to all the neighbors with how fast I was moving. I pulled open the front door and kicked off my shoes before shutting the door behind me.

“Juniper?” I called out when I didn’t see her in the living room or the kitchen.

No answer.

I made my way down the hallway, glancing in all the rooms with open doors. She wasn’t in any of them. When I got to her room, I knocked on the door and waited. She had to be in here. Unless…

Unless Kevin picked her up and she really wasn’t home.

I closed my eyes, cursing myself for being so stupid. Just as I turned to leave, Juniper’s door opened, and suddenly, I was staring into Juniper’s bloodshot eyes. My gaze drifted down to her tear-stained cheeks and her downturned lips.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice coming out deeper than I’d intended. “Did he hurt you?” I was over this man. I was finished sitting on the sidelines while he hurt Juniper.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, fire burning in her gaze in a way I’d never seen before.

I frowned. “You didn’t come back to the store. I was worried about you.” I stepped closer to her as the desire to wrap my arms around her and pull her close washed through me. She was safe, and that was all I cared about.

“You shouldn’t have come.” She stepped back as if we were two magnets repelling each other.

“You left your phone.” I pulled it out of my back pocket and offered it to her.

She looked at it for a moment before she held out her hand and let me drop her phone into her palm. “I need you to leave.” She wrapped her fingers around the phone.

I stared at her, confused by her reaction. “Are you okay?” I asked. “Did Kevin?—”

“I’m not going to talk to you about Kevin.” She wrapped her arms around her chest as if she were hugging herself.

“Okay,” I said. I’d never tried to push her out of her comfort zone. If she wanted to keep to herself, I was more than willing to let her do that.

“You should be ashamed of yourself.” Juniper’s words were cold and sliced through me like a hot knife through butter. I stared at her as I tried to figure out what she was saying. “How could you do that? Make me trust you when it was all a lie.” Her eyes narrowed.

“Juniper, I…” Did she find out about my mom? Did she learn about how I’d failed her? Did she realize it was a sad joke that I thought I could somehow make up for my failure by saving her?

“How long were you going to keep pretending? Was it until I told you all my secrets?”

Tears flooded her eyes, and that’s when I realized why she was crying. It wasn’t because of Kevin. It was because of…me.

“You made me trust you. I told you things I wouldn’t tell anyone else.” Her voice was cracking, and with each tear that slid down her cheek, my heart shattered again and again. “Get out of my house.”

I stared at her. I didn’t want to leave. She made me feel alive. She was my sun, my moon, the air I needed to breathe. I feared that if I left, I’d die.

I didn’t want to leave, but my presence was breaking her. I wanted to fix this; I just didn’t know how.

“I wish you’d never come here,” she whispered. “I can’t believe I listened to your lies.”

“I’m so sorry, Juniper.” That was all I could say. I wanted to change her mind about me, but anything I said would be a lie. She was right for walking away. For asking me to leave. I didn’t deserve to be around her. I’d been selfish for too long. And if I didn’t obey her request and leave, I was never going to have the strength to walk away.

“Yeah right.” Her gaze was dark as she glared at me. “Just tell Kevin that we’re over.”

I frowned. Tell Kevin? Why would I tell Kevin?

But before I could get the question out, she stepped back and closed the door behind her, leaving me to stare at the dark wood. I wanted to knock on the door. I wanted to ask her what she meant. But I realized that was an exercise in futility. She wanted me gone, so I was going to leave.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, and standing in her hallway seemed to be breaking her in a way that I could never forgive myself for. So, I was going to walk away.

I headed into the living room and shoved my things into my bag. I grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste from the bathroom and walked back into the living room. I passed by my bag and grabbed the strap as I swung it up onto my shoulder.

I pulled open the front door and locked it before I shut it behind me. I bounded down the front steps and over to my truck. I threw my bag into the bed and climbed into the driver’s seat. I threw it into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

I wasn’t sure where I was going. I thought about going back to the shop. After all, I’d kind of left Kate there to fend for herself. But the last thing I wanted was for Juniper to show up and see me there. It was apparent that I’d already put her through hell, I wasn’t going to do it again.

I drove around town for about an hour before I found myself parked outside of Harmony Cove. I stared at the houses that lined the main road leading into the community. This was the only place on the island where I actually belonged. And that was a stretch.

I took a right and drove until I found myself parked in front of Mom’s house. It looked exactly like it had yesterday morning. I turned off my engine and threw my keys onto the passenger seat before reclining all the way back. I stared up at the ceiling of my truck and took in a deep breath.

I closed my eyes as my conversation with Juniper played in a loop in my mind. I shook my head as my entire body ached to go back to her. To pull her close and protect her forever. She was hurting, and I would do anything to take that hurt away.

The problem was, I was the one who had hurt her. I would never, ever forgive myself for that. She deserved the world. So, I was going to leave her alone. And when everything was settled with my mother’s house, I’d leave Harmony for good.

I’d fallen in love with Juniper, but she didn’t feel the same. I didn’t blame her. After what I’d done, she was right to walk away. I just hoped she’d find the happiness she deserved. I’d wanted to give her that happiness—but it was clear now, I’d never get the chance.

I was already dead, but she has so much life left. It was time I got out of her way and let her live it.