Chapter 22
CLEMENTINE
A day later, and I’m still reeling over the bathtub experience. Or more so, the words spoken afterward.
“… be my everything.”
That’s a heavy kind of responsibility. I became Carl’s everything without his consent and almost ruined his life.
Would I mess everything up for Griffith if I stayed?
The self-conscious, abandoned-by-her-parents part of me screams, YES! LEAVE NOW!
A wet touch on my hand has me glancing down. Shrimp stays by my side as we wander down Main Street. My pup glances up at me, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, his brown eyes full of devotion.
I’m his everything. At least I can make life work with a dog.
I pat his giant head affectionately and look for a place where we can pause so Shrimp can take a break from the sun. His days are built around power naps.
Folk Haven has gone through changes since I left, and those alterations are most notable on Main Street.
When I lived here, the town seemed to be teetering on the edge of decay. There were a few staple businesses that were holding on, but more storefronts were empty and abandoned than were open for business.
Now though, there’s maybe a handful of buildings out of commission, but for the most part, the town is buzzing with activity.
Through the window of Coffee & Claws, I spy a line at the counter.
There’s a dry cleaner that must also act as a custom clothing store because they have a few designs displayed in the window.
A restaurant called The Pond has a Grand Opening sign on their door with a date listed for two weeks from now.
We pass by a pet groomer, where I hear plenty of barking inside.
I wonder if any werewolves stop by when in need of a haircut.
Then, of course, we have one of my favorite haunts—Never Judge a Cover.
A pleasant little bell tinkles as I walk into the bookshop. Neri pauses in her shelving to wave a welcome.
“Hey, Clem! Just one pup with you today?” Her eyes flick to Shrimp with a smirk.
I snort. Every time I’ve been in here so far was with Griffith at my side. How would he react to being called a pup?
I’ll have to try it out and see.
“Yep. Just us. Anything new I should check out?”
The siren waves toward a recently opened cardboard box by the front counter. “Those are some gently used books. Feel free to call dibs.”
Shrimp wanders to an open spot on the floor and sinks down into a massive puddle of fur, appearing to fall asleep almost immediately.
With careful fingers, I draw out each of the novels from the box and stack them on the counter as I go.
Neri shelves new books by genre, but the used ones go on one bookcase all together, so I don’t worry about ordering them.
Only making sure I don’t damage them any further than their slight bit of wear.
Once I’ve reached the bottom of the box, I’ve set two rom-coms to the side to buy. Then I come across a surprise.
“Are you planning to stock records?”
I lift the vinyl out of the package, baffled by whoever thought it was a good idea to pack the fragile disk with a haphazard collection of books.
“Huh?” Neri appears at my side. “Was that in the box?”
“Yeah.” I turn it over to see Dolly Parton grinning up from the cardboard sleeve.
“Weird. I didn’t order it.” She glances around her shop. “Do you think I should though? Have records?”
“Is there a music shop in town?”
If we were in a big city, opening multiple music stores within walking distance of each other wouldn’t be a big deal. But in a small town like Folk Haven? There’s not enough of a customer base to support two of the same businesses. Not unless this town becomes a place known for music.
“Not that I know of, and I think I would.” Neri accepts the record from me, a smile starting to bloom on her mouth. “I could have a record player set up. Add some ambiance. Maybe the music would even coax people in if they’re walking by.” She turns her attention to me. “What do you think?”
I think this store will be a cool place to hang out if she adds a music element.
“I love it.” Another idea sparks. “I work with a few bands. Handle their websites. Could maybe get some signed records for the shop if you want to support indie artists?”
Neri gasps. “That would be amazing!” Her gaze goes slightly unfocused, as if in thought. “If only the town had a music venue so we could get them to play here.”
The stage at Local Brew comes to mind, and excitement flows through my veins at the potential I never saw in this town until now.
“You’re a genius.”
She smirks. “That’s what my mate tells me.”
“Here.” I pull out my business card from my wallet, then grab a pen and write down my cell number. “Once you decide if you’re going to stock records, get in touch. I can reach out to my clients.”
“I may need your musical expertise too. To know what records to stock.”
“Telling you what albums to buy honestly sounds like a dream.” My nerves buzz with anticipation over this new venture. Over the connection I just made with another mythic.
If I stay here, could Neri and I become friends? What would having a true friend be like?
Feels as though I’ve been running my whole life. Moving too fast to connect with anyone because that would just give them the power to hurt me.
But I almost died, and having no one to turn to except Carl was terrifying.
I don’t want to live my life scared.
I simply want to live it.