4. Chapter 3
Marissa
Marissa stared as the restaurant door slammed shut behind Shane, unable to move.
Newport was a small city, and Piper Cove an even smaller town.
It was inevitable that they’d eventually cross paths.
Although she’d imagined various scenarios from screaming at him to pretending he didn’t exist over the past seventeen years, nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind of emotions that swarmed her.
Hurt, sorrow, compassion, and as much as she hated to admit it, love mixed with the heaviness of loss as she remained seated at the booth alone.
Shane O’Halloran had abandoned her…again.
Marissa never would have known Shane was breathing the same air if he hadn’t gone into alpha-protector mode as if she were some pathetic damsel in distress who needed rescuing.
Anyone witnessing the event must have gotten the mistaken impression that she still belonged to him by the way he fussed over her.
He’d even had the audacity to order her to drink orange juice and lecture her about forgetting to eat properly like she was still eighteen years old.
Her brain twisted with confusion, and her heart ached as she tried to make sense of what had happened.
She reached for her purse, her fingers brushing over the strap before something caught her eye.
Face-down beneath the edge of the booth was a photograph.
She leaned over and picked it up. The second she turned it over, her breath caught.
The picture was of her dressed in a pale-blue gown that she’d spent months saving for.
Shane stood beside her, one arm draped over her shoulders casually.
A devilish glint flickered in his expression as he stared straight at the camera, dressed in a black tuxedo with a cummerbund and bow tie matched to complement her prom dress.
They looked ridiculously happy and undeniably in love.
Her thumb trembled as she ran it over the aged photo.
The corners had softened, and one edge was slightly creased.
She slowly turned it over. On the back, written in her own looping handwriting, were the words she’d written with a silver marker the night of prom.
Forever starts tonight.
This wasn’t hers. It was Shane’s. She’d ripped hers up one night in a fit of anger.
He must have dropped it when he pulled out his wallet to pay for her juice.
Why would a man who walked away without a goodbye carry a picture of the girl he’d left behind?
Nothing made sense anymore. She needed answers.
Her eyes darted toward the front windows, hoping for a glimpse of him on the other side of the glass. Then she grabbed her purse and hurried toward the entrance.
Rain poured down in solid sheets, and wind whipped her hair across her face as lightning lit up the sky over Piper Cove Harbor. Oversized droplets of rain pelted her skin as she squinted toward the parking lot. She spotted Shane as he started to climb into an old black pickup truck.
“Shane!” Marissa shouted over the crash of the waves.
His head snapped up. Immediately, he jumped back out. “What the hell are you doing?” he bellowed over the storm as he hurried toward her. “Get back inside before you catch a fever.”
“No!” Marissa’s fingers trembled as she held up the photograph. “I think this belongs to you.”
He stopped cold. His gaze dropped to the picture and slowly lifted back to hers. Even through the curtain of rain, she watched every ounce of color leave his face.
For several long seconds, neither of them spoke.
Finally, he reached for it. “I’ve been looking everywhere for this,” he admitted quietly as he unzipped his motorcycle jacket and slid the photograph safely into the interior pocket.
Marissa searched his face, desperate for answers. “You kept it,” she said in disbelief.
His throat tightened. “Yeah.” Another flash of lightning illuminated his face, revealing his anguished expression. “I couldn’t throw away the best thing that ever happened to me.”
The words gutted her. She didn’t know whether to cry or to slap him. Instead, she whispered, “Then why did you leave?”
He glanced toward the row of parked cars. “You deserve the whole truth, and I promise I’ll tell you someday.”
“Someday?” Her shoulders stiffened, her body growing rigid. “You can’t possibly be serious.” She laughed bitterly. “I deserved the truth seventeen years ago.”
“I know you did. But I’m not going to tell you all the ugly details while we stand on the sidewalk in the middle of a fucking nor’easter,” he said through gritted teeth.
Marissa folded her arms across her chest. “Well, I guess we are going to freeze to death because you’re not getting rid of me until you tell me why you left.”
“Fine.” His voice carried that same calm authority she’d always struggled to argue with. “But you’re soaked, and you’re not driving home in this.” He looked toward his truck. “I’ll drive you home. We can talk then.”
She stared at him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“And standing in a parking lot during a monsoon is?” He shrugged, shaking his head.
“I’ll sleep on your couch,” Shane said, quickly changing his story when he saw her cock her brow.
“Or I can sleep in the car. Whatever you’re most comfortable with.
Then I’ll bring you back tomorrow morning to pick up your car. ”
Dark hair clung to his forehead, rain rolling down his stubbled jaw. His proposition did make sense. “I don’t know if I can trust you,” Marissa said, stalling because one look into his eyes made her afraid she wouldn’t be able to trust herself not to fall hard all over again.
He nodded once. “I know.” He didn’t make any excuses. Just accepted the statement as fact.
Thunder cracked overhead. A sharp bolt of lightning sizzled above them. What was she trying to prove? If they continued to stand outside, they would endanger themselves. She released a slow breath, swallowing her pride. “As you wish.”
Relief softened his features. “Thank you. Now, let’s get the hell out of here.”
Marissa found herself panting, unable to keep up with Shane’s long-legged strides as they reached his truck.
He hurried around the passenger side, opening the door before she could reach it.
Once she was inside the cab, he closed the door gently.
A moment later, he rounded the hood and sat down behind the wheel.
As the engine rumbled to life and the windshield wipers fought against the pounding rain, Marissa’s pulse raced.
She had no idea where the road would lead once Shane shared the information she’d longed for.
What scared her even more than hearing his truth was that, for the second time in her life, she placed her faith in the man driving her home.