CHAPTER TWO
Amity
Old Mae was in spectacular form once I walked through the door of Majestic’s General Store.
“My word, is that little Amity Gage walking through my door?” she all but gasped.
Clem and I had decided to get last minute supplies before the storm hit Majestic.
I could have left to go back to the city, but as Clem had reminded me, I came here for a reason and the storms tended to hit hard and fast, and I didn’t want to be stuck on the side of the road in a flash flood.
“Hiya, Mae,” I said, heading to the counter where she stood with a big grin on her face. “It’s been too long, I’m sorry.”
“None of that, child. You’re living your life, ain’t nothin’ to be sorry about that.
What are you doing with yourself these days?
” she asked. Clem had slipped past me and was now shopping.
I was glad for the reprieve. The electricity in the air between us was almost stifling, and I had no idea why it was so awkward. We used to be the best of friends.
“Oh, just finished college, actually,” I told her. “Came up here to do some soul searching about my next step.”
“Ah, the serenity of Majestic will do that. Careful not to fall too in love with it, else you’ll be stuck here like Clementine.”
I turned to see Clem head down the hardware aisle without casting a glance this way.
“Clem moved here?”
Old Mae nodded. “A few months ago now. She’s done good for Majestic though, one of the best supplies of firewood the town’s seen in years.”
My mind reeled. I knew she had always loved it when we holidayed here, but to move here permanently?
“Best hurry along now, dear,” Old Mae said. “That storm won’t be waiting for you to get home to start.”
I nodded at her and moved off to the food aisle to stock up on snacks.
The news report said it should only last a couple of days but with the way the roads flooded, I knew I needed to stock up for at least a week.
Grabbing as many things as I could without using the stove, in case the power was cut, I stocked my basket full of packets of chips, biscuits and junk.
Then I grabbed some cans, just in case I could get the generator to work.
I’d never been able to get the generator to work but miracles were known to happen.
Grabbing bottles of water and soft drink, I all but ran into Clem in the candy aisle. She was just as surprised as I was when I reached for the same candy bar as her.
“Sorry, you take it,” she said, pointing to the last chocolate bar in the box.
“No, no, it’s okay, you take it,” I replied.
“Amity, we both know you love that chocolate bar.”
“I don’t need chocolate, Clem, it’s okay.”
“No one needs chocolate.”
I rolled my eyes and took the candy bar from the box. “Thank you.”
Clem nodded and moved down the aisle, grabbing a few things and loading her basket. I continued on my way through the aisles, grabbing matches, candles, batteries for the torches at the cabin.
When I turned the corner, I ran straight into Clem again. “I’m so sorry.”
My eyes collided with hers and it was as if I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt jittery and on fire at the same time.
“You ready to go?” she asked me, clearing her throat and stepping back.
What the hell was happening to me?
“Y-yeah,” I managed to get out before Clem took my basket and before I knew what was happening, she headed up to Old Mae. I followed after her, only realising Old Mae was smiling at us like she was in on some old secret.
Moving to pull my phone out to pay, Clem grabbed both bags. “On my tab, Mae,” she said, before she carried them both out.
I was dumbfounded. What?
“Best hurry on, Amity. That storm is barrelling toward us faster than a shark on a school of fish.”
I thanked her and ran out to find Clem was already in her truck, waiting for me. The air around me was cool, and the clouds above were darkening fast.
This storm was angry and it was coming fast.
I ran to the passenger side door and climbed in. Clem pulled out of the main street and headed back to the lake. Most businesses were closed already, prepared for the storm.
Majestic was known for her storms. As kids, we would come here to help with the cleanup of the particularly bad ones, our township coming together to show support. It was what I loved about Majestic. It wasn’t at all like a city or a normal suburban town. It was family.
Perhaps that was why I had come back here. I needed to feel something comforting.
The city held nothing but heartbreak and sadness for me.
“Why’d you move here?” I asked her, breaking the intense silence. Clem turned to me, briefly, before her eyes went back to the road.
“I like it,” she said, simply.
“I thought you were living with A–”
I stopped myself. I couldn’t say his name.
It had been a year since he broke things off with me.
I wasn’t sad so much about not being with him anymore, it was the friendship.
We’d become best friends, and my friendship with Clem.
I’d cut them both off, unsure of where I stood in their lives anymore.
Clearly, it had hurt them as much as it hurt me.
“I did live with him,” she started just as we pulled into the carport beside her cabin. “Until…I needed to move out.”
“Oh…did you two have a fight?”
Clem turned to me, taking her keys out of the ignition. “No. He uh…”
“Oh,” I said, realising what she was trying to not say. “I did hear he had another girlfriend. That’s good for him.”
“You knew?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I ran into Mary-Jane a few months ago and she told me. I’m glad he’s happy.”
Clem nodded. “She’s nice, but it got a little…tight in that apartment for me. I came here, and I prefer it here anyway so it works out for everyone.”
“Thanks for taking me into town, Clem. I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Am, if you need help, with anything, generator or anything…just call out, yeah?”
I nodded. “Thanks, Clem. I’ll be okay.”
Pushing out of the truck, I grabbed the bag with my supplies, and headed across to my cabin without looking back. It was so awkward between us, some sort of tension that fizzled between us that I didn’t quite understand.
I should have left.
And yet, I didn’t want to.
My eyes were tracking movement outside the cabin window, I moved the curtains to see Clem pulling a blue tarp over the back of the carport. She’d rolled her flannel up her arms and I could see how strong her forearms were as she prepared her cabin.
What the hell?
Since when did I notice Clem like that? Pushing the curtains back, I moved over to my phone and decided to text Nora and tell her I was going to batten down the hatches here.