Chapter 9 Beckett
Chapter 9
Beckett
I tug at the collar of my blue dress shirt, feeling the smooth fabric against my skin. The mirror in my dressing room reflects a face that hasn’t aged much, but the scars tell a different story.
I was a freshman at UT in Knoxville when the wreck happened. Christmas break had just begun, and with my dad having recently passed, my mom and Margo decided to take a monthlong tour of Italy. I decided to drive to New York. I told myself it was for the adventure, but really I was running away. To Everly.
The mountain roads were blanketed in snow and ice, and I hit a slick patch. The car skidded, swerved, and ran off the mountain. It was metal against metal, glass shattering, then darkness.
I woke up two weeks later in a hospital bed, wrapped in plaster and bandages. My body was a road map of cuts, bruises, and broken bones. Learning to walk again was hell.
Through it all, I thought of Everly. She knew about the accident—word travels fast among the people of Rose. But she never came.
I never want to see you again.
I slip into my slacks and fasten my belt with a sigh. Next come the Italian loafers Mom got me in Europe.
Margo knocks and comes in, her eyes scanning my outfit like a drill sergeant would. Her small black poodle, Pipi, trots in at her heels.
“Good enough for you?” I ask dryly.
She tilts her head. “The shirt’s fine, but you need a tie.”
Arguing is pointless. She thrives on fussing over me like the son she never had.
“This one,” she says, waving a green-and-royal-blue plaid tie at me.
I take the tie and knot it around my neck.
“What? Did something happen?” I ask, pausing at her odd expression.
“I’m just wondering why you were so protective of Everly today. You went a bit overboard. I mean, you and Everly were friends for a long time, but after the basketball championship, it’s like she vanished from your life. Did you push her away because of Katerina?”
Yes, I cut her out of my life for my mom.
I shrug. “She’s only here for a little while.”
She thinks about that for a moment, then, “If Katerina were alive, she’d be disappointed about how things have ended up with you and Everly. Despite it all, she adored her.”
I start to say something to that, and she raises a hand to cut me off.
“The past is the past. You are you. Don’t live the rest of your life unhappily.”
I sigh. “Who says I’m unhappy.”
She looks at her nails. “Fine. Be obstinate. Should I rig the lottery so she’s your match?”
I raise an eyebrow. “You could be kicked off the committee.”
“I was kidding,” she replies with a haughty sniff.
Right. I see that determined glint in her eye. It’s like the time she got into a mini brawl at the Piggly Wiggly over the last watermelon. I had to pry her hands off the melon, apologize to the other lady, and drag her out of the store.
I mock glare at her. “Swear to me that you won’t fix the lottery.”
“Never. Besides, Fritz is in charge of the computer this year.”
She leaves, saying she needs to take one last look at her dress. I finish getting ready and head down the stairs. As I pass the hallway, I glance at the photographs of my mom on the wall. There are countless pictures of her from grade school onward.
I smile at them, especially the one of her holding a blue ribbon at the county fair when she was a girl. But my favorite is of her sitting on the front porch with me in her arms as a baby. It was probably taken by Margo. My mom looked happy then. Before my dad started cheating.
Later, I step into the Blackbird Bar. The place is bustling with townspeople and tourists. Fairy lights are strung across the ceiling, and the smell of barbecue lingers. The bar opens up to a huge outdoor space, a giant patio covered with a white tent and gas heaters scattered around.
I dropped off Aunt Margo earlier and then went to park. I weave through the crowd, nodding at familiar faces.
At the bar, I spot Carson, his tall frame and blond hair making him easy to find. “Hey,” I say, sliding onto the stool next to him.
He grins, clapping me on the back. “What’ll it be? First round’s on me. Honestly, I need a buzz. I did not want to do this but got wrangled into it.”
I signal the bartender for a Guinness on tap. “Aunt Margo?”
He lets out a slow whistle. “She’s scary, man. She showed up at the police station and barged right into my office.”
We laugh.
“Think the Titans have a shot this season?” he asks, taking a sip of his beer.
“They’ve got a solid lineup. If they can stay healthy.”
We fall into a comfortable silence. He’s still my best friend. I tried my hardest to stay loyal to him back then—unlike my dad, who was never loyal to anyone.
He glances toward the door, his expression shifting. “Well, dayum. Look who just came in like she owns the place. I heard she was in town.”
I take a long drag of my beer as I follow Carson’s gaze.
The world tilts.
My breath catches.
There she is, wearing a red leather minidress, and her pink hair is pulled back with sparkly clips. She looks like a real-life fairy. All she needs is a pair of wings.
A gold locket lies between her breasts, and a strange sense of panic hits.
Years ago, there was one picture in that locket.
I wonder if it’s still there.
Carson shifts uncomfortably. “The three of us have got some history, huh?”
I shrug, trying to be nonchalant. “Hmm. She’s just here for the podcast.” I finish my Guinness and immediately order another.
His gaze lingers too long on her. Not quite lust, but close.
My fists tighten, my pulse picking up.
He clears his throat and looks away from her and back at me. “You know, we never really talked about what happened back then.”
I stiffen, memories of that locker-room fight flooding back. True. We moved on. As if in an unspoken agreement, we never said her name. “We were kids.”
He nods slowly. “That night changed things.” He takes a sip of his beer, his eyes narrowing as he studies me. “I hurt you. You hurt me. We lost the most important game of our lives.”
“It was messy.”
There’s a tense silence as he narrows his eyes and studies my face as if looking for cracks. It breaks when he claps me on the back. “Some things are worth the risk, bro.”
What the hell does that mean?
He nudges his head at her. “She looks good. I can’t believe she never came home even once, but I guess since her mom is gone, she didn’t really have anyone to see.”
Me.
“She’s beautiful.” The words come out before I can stop them.
He cocks an eyebrow. “True. I’d take a match with her.”
I tense even more, but he doesn’t seem to notice.
He shakes his head ruefully. “I was nuts about her. Something about her, I don’t know what it was. I liked how she wanted to get out of Rose and do something big. Hey, remember that time we accidentally set the pasture on fire?”
“If I recall it correctly, it was your idea to build a bonfire and roast marshmallows in July, dumbass.”
“But she’s the one who insisted we add more wood. And what did we do? We added more. We’re lucky we didn’t burn your entire farm down. Did we really take our jeans off and swat at the fire?” he says, laughing. “Jesus, I remember Everly yelling at us to take our shirts off too. She probably just wanted to see us nearly naked.”
“Then the fire department came and the whole town showed up.” I grunt. “My dad was so pissed.”
“Those were the days, huh? Nothing but trouble and fun.”
I glance at Everly again, my smile fading. “Yeah, those were the days.”
He leans in. “I remember how your dad insisted the cops put cuffs on us and throw us in the patrol car. Took us straight to the station. I got grounded for a month. Your mom, though, she was cool about it. She wasn’t too upset. She even sweet-talked one of the officers into letting her snap a photo of us. There we were, sitting in a row with Everly between us, handcuffed and miserable. I wonder what ever happened to that photo?”
I start as I look at him. “It’s the one in Everly’s locket—or it used to be.”
“Right.” His shoulders slump. “Thinking about all that only reminds me that we might have been state champions. It still stings seeing that runner-up trophy in the high school display case. I couldn’t even walk past it when I went to basketball games.”
He runs his eyes over Everly again, and I watch him.
Does he still have feelings for her?
He looks back at me. “We never did figure out who stole her diary and spread that crap around, did we?”
“Hmm.”
“Right before the big game too.” He glances over at Abigail, who’s at a bar table with a group of women. “Think it was Abigail?”
“It was.”
Carson stares at his beer, mulling that over. “Damn. She’s a piece of work. She must have hated Everly. That might have cost me my scholarship.”
But it didn’t. He went on to college at Maryville and played basketball for four years.
I wait for Everly to see me.
She looks around the room, her eyes passing over me, then coming back and staying.
Finally, she sees me.
A long breath escapes my chest.
Ev. That used to be my nickname for her. No one else but me called her that.
“I haven’t seen her since graduation,” he says as he straightens his shoulders and adjusts his sport coat. “I’ve still got a great head of hair. You think she’ll give me a shot?”
“I heard she’s dating a lawyer in Manhattan,” I say quickly.
He lifts an eyebrow. “Are you saying a small-town cop isn’t good enough?”
“Just that she’s taken.” It’s what Tabby told me a while back.
“Huh.” He stands up, brushing imaginary dust from his coat. “Guess we’ll see about that.”
I frown. “Where are you going?”
“To talk to her. Flirt a little. Ask if she wants to dance. It’s been ten years. I want to catch up. Maybe in my bed.”
I drain my beer, setting the empty glass down with a thud. “I don’t think you should.”
“Jealous?”
“Fuck off.”
A grin curls his lips. “You are. Ah, I knew it. You and her. Maybe you didn’t technically cheat, but your mind was always on her. Still is, I bet.” He raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to reply.
He laughs. “All right. I’ll have the band play all her favorites from school. She was a huge fan of those retro eighties ballads. Remember how she used to sing them all the time? Wish me luck.” He salutes me and heads in her direction.
My entire body coils with anger. As much as I hate to admit it, the idea of Carson with her ignites a rage inside of me.
I stand and follow as I weave through the crowd, my eyes locked on him as he approaches her.
She glances up, surprise flickering in her eyes.
I quicken my pace, closing the distance.