Chapter 16 #2
“That was just for you. I imagined you like this so many times, and it didn’t do you justice.”
Breathing hard, she peers up at me. “You have?”
I chuckle darkly. “This is only the beginning of what I want from you, Philomena Joiner. Can I take you home tonight?”
“Story.”
“Is that the only thing stopping you?” Cupping the side of her face, I hold my breath.
“Yes.”
“Call her while I handle things in my office.” I kiss her. She steps back, collects herself, and crosses the store to check on the deposit.
Turning on the hallway light, I step inside the office. I see the blue bank bag on the desk and chuckle. Can’t blame the guy for being excited to take a trip with his buddies. Grabbing the bag, I put it in the safe and lock it.
Standing, I give the desk a once-over and freeze at the envelope.
The address reads Bellevue County Jail. The thick paper seems to seer my hand.
I drop it as my stomach plumets to my shoes.
A cold lump forms in my gut. My thoughts narrow.
He found me. Who else knows? The noise in my head drowns out rational thought.
Ears ringing, I back away from the desk.
“No.” His name blurs as adrenaline surges through me. Something crashes to the floor with a heavy thud.
“Korren? I have to go, Story. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I hear her words, but they aren’t registering.
Her voice sounds far away. The room spins. I sink to the ground, struggling to get enough air as images run through my head like a movie on fast forward.
A weight presses on my knee. I flinch, pulling away.
“Korren. Look at me, please.”
The weight returns. A face appears in front of me. I blink, and my vision comes back online.
“Korren?” Her face slowly registers. “Can you hear me?”
I manage a small nod.
“I want you to breathe with me. In for four and out for four.” Kneeling, she takes my trembling hand and places it over her chest. Her heartbeat anchors me. I feel her chest rise with her intentional breaths. I match mine to hers.
“Good,” she praises.
The soft words creep through the white static going off in my brain.
“Pepper,” I croak.
“Welcome back, Mr. Sunshine.” She caresses my face with her hand. “You just had a wicked panic attack.”
“Jesus.” Voice cracking, shame crashes over me like a monstrous wave.
“Hey. It’s okay. I had them a lot right after the company was bought.”
I shake my head, unable to reconcile the spillover from my past in front of her. “I need to go.”
“Not alone. You don’t have to talk, but I need to see for myself that you’re okay.”
I close my eyes. Now she sees the weak man I was instead of the strong man I’ve become.
“Hey, don’t go back into your head. Come on, let’s go get air.”
“I don’t know how he found me.” My voice cracks.
“Who?”
“Jared. No one has this address other than my parents.”
“I’m sorry, Sunshine. I’m not following you.” Her thumb runs up and down my jaw. It feels incredible. I move into the sensation.
“Let’s walk. There are things you should know.”
She stands and offers me her hand. The deep concern etched on her face is reassuring.
Gathering strength from her steadiness. Gaining my footing, I roll my shoulders and shake out my arms. Still off-kilter, I put one foot in front of the other.
The carpeted floor beneath my feet is solid.
The silhouettes of the display pieces are familiar.
I smell the freshly popped kernels from earlier.
Centering, it’s easier to remain in the present.
Phil takes my hand, staying beside me. We leave the store, and I tilt my head, soaking up the clean air and the moonlight.
Keys jingle. I watch her lock the front door.
She drops the keys into the small purse hanging on her shoulder.
“I know a place we can go.”
Interlocking our fingers, she leads me away from the shop and across the street. As we enter the park, I admire the mushroom-shaped solar lights casting a gentle glow on the footpath. Allowing her to steer me, I continue to work my way back into the present moment.
“We’re here.”
Lifting my head, I find myself staring at a pristine white gazebo. It glistens in the moonlight like a magical beacon.
Intricate floral designs are worked into the iron siding, traveling down the sides, and cushioned benches invite me to rest. Pulled by an invisible force, I walk up the few steps and cross the stone floor with floral inlays. Stress leaks from my body. Snuggled into me, she shares her body heat.
“Remember how I told you I was working in the traffic control tower the day flight #4678 crashed. Jared was there too. He’s been my best friend of five years.
” I stop, correcting myself. “At least I thought he was. The airplanes never should’ve been directed that close, let alone share the same airspace. ”
No, I won’t give his name power by being afraid to speak it. “The second he processed what had happened, he turned on me.” I close my eyes, seeing his disgusted face as he pointed to me.
“He made sure the doubt was cast on me, mentioning I suffered from insomnia and had just come off a vacation out of the country. He turned into a wild creature I couldn’t recognize: cruel, vicious, and conniving.
He threw me under the bus and ran me over repeatedly.
I don’t think I ever truly knew him. No one could switch like that.
” I lick my lips. “There was an investigation that turned our lives upside down. The scrutiny of news reporters and angry family members of the deceased was relentless. Everyone except my family left me. I’d never felt so alone or worthless. ” I shake my head.