29. Terrible Things – Lauren
29
TERRIBLE THINGS
LAUREN
T he dinner rush at Sunny's is in full swing, and I'm running on autopilot. Take orders, deliver food, refill coffee, repeat. It's mind-numbing work, but today, I'm grateful for it. It keeps me from dwelling on unanswered texts and missed video calls.
As I'm wiping down the counter, the bell above the door chimes. A blonde girl walks in, looking a little worse for wear. There's something vaguely familiar about her, but I can't quite place it.
"Welcome to Sunny's," I say, plastering on my customer service smile. "Sit anywhere you like."
She slides onto a stool at the counter, her eyes scanning the menu. When she looks up, there's a flash of recognition in her gaze.
"Lauren? Lauren Hudson?"
I blink, caught off guard. "Yes? I'm sorry, do I know you?"
She laughs, a brittle sound. "I guess you wouldn't remember me. I'm Nikki. I used to date Miles back when he was with Earth Sign."
The name hits me like a slap. Miles. A flood of memories threatens to overwhelm me, but I push them back. I have customers to serve, and a job to do.
"Oh, right," I manage, my voice steadier than I feel. "What can I get you, Nikki?"
She orders a coffee and a burger, then leans forward, her eyes glittering with something that makes me uneasy. "So, how've you been? It's been what, three years since...?"
"Three years, two months," I reply automatically, then wince. I shouldn't still be counting.
Nikki nods, a knowing look on her face. "Yeah, it's rough. I heard about it through the grapevine. Such a shock, you know?"
I make a noncommittal noise, busying myself with pouring her coffee.
"I mean, who would've thought?" Nikki continues, seemingly oblivious to my discomfort. "Miles and that married chick. What was her name? Carly? Christie?"
My hand freezes mid-pour. "What?"
Nikki's eyes widen in mock surprise. "Oh shit, you didn't know? I thought... I mean, it was going around that Miles was seeing this married woman. Heard they died together. Overdose, right?"
The world tilts sideways. Miles... and a married woman? My mind races, pieces falling into place with sickening clarity. Dakota's wife, Chloe. The same night. The same way.
"I... I have to..." I stammer, barely aware of the coffee overflowing onto the counter.
"Lauren? You okay?" Nikki's voice sounds far away.
I nod mechanically, grabbing a rag to mop up the spilled coffee. "Fine. I'm fine. Your burger will be right up."
I escape to the kitchen, leaning against the cool metal of the refrigerator. My heart is pounding, my breath coming in short gasps.
It can't be true. It has to be a coincidence. Miles wouldn't...well, I can’t say that. Miles would. But Chloe couldn't... could she?
But even as I try to deny it, I know. Deep down, I've always known there was more to the story of that night.
The order bell dings, jolting me back to reality. I have a shift to finish and customers to serve. But as I pick up Nikki's burger, my hands shaking slightly, one thought echoes in my mind:
I need to talk to Dakota. Now .
After delivering her food without a word, I fumble with my phone in the break room, my fingers shaking as I dial Dakota's number. Straight to voicemail. Again.
"Dakota, it's me. I... I need to talk to you. It's important. Please call me back as soon as you can."
I stare at the phone, willing it to ring. Nothing.
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself and head back out to the diner. Nikki's still at the counter, picking at her fries. I approach her, my heart pounding.
"Hey, Nikki," I say, trying to keep my voice casual. "I was wondering if we could talk a bit more. About Miles."
She looks up, surprise flickering across her face before settling into a knowing smirk. "Sure, honey. Pull up a chair. Looks like you could use a friendly ear."
I glance around the diner. It's quieted down, and my coworker nods that she can cover for me. I slide onto the stool next to Nikki.
"So," I begin, not sure where to start. "You mentioned Miles and... and this married woman."
Nikki nods, leaning in conspiratorially. "Yeah, it was the talk of the scene for a while. Miles always had a wandering eye, you know?"
The casual way she says it makes my stomach churn. "Did he... I mean, when you were together..."
"Oh honey," Nikki laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Miles cheated on everyone. It's just what he did. Hell, weren't you the other woman at one point?"
I feel my face flush. It's true. Miles and I had gotten together while he was still technically with someone else. I'd convinced myself it was different with us.
"But that was years ago," I protest weakly. "He was sober when we got serious. He wouldn't have..."
Nikki's expression softens slightly. "Look, Lauren, I'm not trying to hurt you. But Miles... he had demons. Being sober didn't change that. I was with him, too, when he got sober at one point. It never lasted. From what I heard, things started going south again when you got pregnant."
The words hit me hard. She’s right. He did change then. I remember the mood swings, the late nights, the excuses. I'd chalked it up to nerves about becoming a father. The fighting had gotten so bad I had to move in with Shannon. Had I been that blind?
"Do you know anything about the woman he was with? The night he... the night it happened?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Nikki shrugs. "Not much. Just that she was married to some hotshot musician. Older than Miles. I think they met at a party or something."
Each word feels like another piece of a puzzle I never wanted to solve. Dakota's wife, Chloe. It had to be her.
"Lauren?" Nikki's voice breaks through my spiraling thoughts. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I manage a weak smile. "I'm fine. Just... processing, I guess. Thanks for telling me all this."
As Nikki gathers her things to leave, she pauses. "For what it's worth, I think Miles really did love you. In his own fucked up way. He just... couldn't love himself, you know?"
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. As the bell chimes with Nikki's departure, I'm left sitting at the counter, my world completely tilted on its axis. Or is it just me that’s about to fall off the planet?
My phone feels heavy in my pocket. Still no call from Dakota. But now, I'm not sure I want to hear what he might say. Because if Nikki's right, if Miles and Chloe really were together that night...
What does that mean for Dakota?
The lights of the police station buzz overhead as I shift from foot to foot, my backpack heavy with nursing textbooks. I'm going to be late for class, but I can't walk away. Not now.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the officer at the desk repeats, his voice tinged with impatience. "As I've explained, we can't release that information to you."
I lean forward, trying to keep my voice steady. "Please, I'm not just some random person. I was his girlfriend. I'm the mother of his child."
The officer's expression softens slightly, but he shakes his head. "I understand, but legally, you're not next of kin. Without a court order or permission from the immediate family, I can't give you access to that report."
"But it's been three years," I protest weakly. "Surely?—"
"I'm sorry," he cuts me off, not unkindly. "Those are the rules. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Defeated, I shake my head and turn away. As I push through the heavy glass doors, the morning sun feels too bright, too cheerful for the turmoil inside me.
I pull out my phone, thumb hovering over Dakota's name. Still no call back. Part of me wants to leave another message, to blurt out everything Nikki told me, to demand answers. But what if I'm wrong? What if it's all just a horrible coincidence?
No, I need to be sure before I say anything. But how?
As I walk to my car, my mind races. Miles' family? They barely spoke to him in those last few years, and they certainly don't talk to me now. Old bandmates? Maybe, but most of them fell out of touch after Miles died.
I slide into the driver's seat, resting my forehead against the steering wheel. The digital clock on the dashboard blinks at me, a reminder that I'm already ten minutes late for class.
With a sigh, I start the engine. For now, nursing school has to take priority. I've worked too hard to get here to throw it away on ghosts from the past.
But as I pull out of the parking lot, Nikki's words echo in my head. Miles and that married woman. Died together. The same night Dakota lost his wife.
It can't be a coincidence.
I merge onto the highway, my hands gripping the steering wheel too tightly. One way or another, I'm going to find out the truth. I have to.
For Roman. For myself.
And maybe, though it scares me to admit it, for Dakota, too.