Chapter 3 #2
Once, the Ashfords had been town royalty. And then Teagan’s father had come along. A murderer, a bastard, and the town drunk. He’d hurt his children, my friends. And while some of them had gotten out, some hadn’t. But now he was dead. And his adult children were prospering.
“Hey there, Elizabeth.” Rune wrapped his arm around my shoulder and squeezed, and I turned into him, hugging him right back.
“I thought you would be working.”
“The mayor asked me to be at this one because we have a few things to go over.” The roughness in his voice told me that he had tried to back out and failed.
The grumpy man sure loved this town but hated town activities.
Too bad he owned the Summit Grill, and therefore, as a proprietor, had to participate often.
“By the way, is Will doing well?” I asked. There was no use in being subtle. Rune and many of the town understood that I thought of my students as my ducklings, and I wanted them to fly away and find their futures.
“He’s doing great.” Rune’s smile looked genuine. “He’s as grumpy as I am sometimes, but he can handle being flustered when we’re busy. I’m glad I’m going to have him for this summer. Even though he won’t tell me what he’s going to do next fall.”
I winced. “I don’t know either. Not fully. I don’t think he has a support system, and he won’t let me help. There’s a guidance counselor, but there’s only so much she can do.”
Rune gave me a tight nod. “Okay, then. I will do what I can to see what his plans are. I can out-grump him.”
“Now that’s a sentence that I believe,” Atlas said as he came forward, only a slight limp evident. He elbowed his brother, and Rune slapped Atlas on the back of the head.
“Hey, nearly a minor concussion here.”
I sucked in a breath, unaware I had done so until Atlas looked at me, his eyes going kind.
“I’m okay. I’m just fucking with my brother.”
“Language,” Rune and Teagan said at the same time. The two met gazes and burst out laughing.
I was pretty sure Teagan and Rune cursed more than all of us combined.
“If everybody will take their seats, we can get started,” the deputy mayor said into the mic, and the room’s noise increased for a moment before settling down as chairs shifted and people found their seats.
Teagan moved to speak with Felicity, and Callum took Felicity’s other side.
Bodhi wasn’t here, and frankly, I wasn’t surprised.
He rarely came to town meetings if he didn’t have to, even after falling in love with Kiera and healing.
Kiera was out on tour and would be back soon, along with Briar.
I missed my friend, and I hoped that she would stay a little bit longer in Ashford now that her dad was gone.
I looked around before I took my seat, and realized that Thatcher, Finnian, Kellan, Promise, and a few others weren’t here.
Sterling and Bronwyn were, with Bronwyn sitting over with another group of people, and Sterling taking the other side.
A woman I didn’t recognize, but who looked familiar, came in with Keely, and the two sat behind us.
“That’s Tess,” Sterling whispered, and I nodded, remembering where I had seen her. School drop-off.
Rune took the other side of Atlas, and suddenly I found myself sitting next to my ex-boyfriend.
I knew for a fact there were phones pointed towards us, and this photo would end up in the town paper. Because why not?
“Really?” I asked.
“Hey. I can’t help it that I just happened to sit here.”
This time, I rolled my eyes and shoved him with my elbow slightly.
“Ow. I’m all broken.”
“You’re a hockey player, you’re always slightly broken.”
He smirked at me, and he opened his mouth to say something else, before the mayor began to speak over the mic.
“Welcome to our town meeting.” People clapped politely, and I leaned back into my seat, turning to see if my parents had come through when I hadn’t been looking. I frowned, looked down at my phone, but didn’t see a text from them.
“Your parents?” Atlas whispered, his voice barely audible.
“They may have decided not to come. I’ll text them after the big speeches are done.”
There was a no phones policy, and I was already breaking it. My parents sometimes decided not to come to town halls, not because of their age, but because they didn’t like the current mayor. But they usually texted me.
“The first thing on our agenda is to welcome home our favorite son.” I stiffened as Atlas sighed, but he kept a smile on his face. People cheered, even as Rune booed jokingly, and I shunned Atlas slightly.
“Stand up, or this will never stop,” I said with a laugh.
Atlas gave me a look that spoke volumes before he stood up and waved.
“Thank you. Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t bring the Cup home, but hopefully next year.”
“Does that mean you’re playing next year?” a voice said from the back.
I wasn’t sure anyone else would’ve caught it, but I saw the flinch on his face, the tightening around his eyes.
He hadn’t meant to mention next year. Nobody knew what his plans were.
He could end his contract early this year, having played his last game and not knowing it.
Or his next year could be his last since his contract was at its end.
Or he could continue on, breaking his body for a game that he loved.
“You’ll have to speak with my agent,” Atlas said with a laugh, and the others joined in, before he finally took a seat.
Without thinking, I reached out and squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.
I met his gaze, both of us freezing at the action, and I quickly pulled my hand away, hoping no one had seen.
I had a feeling that it wouldn’t matter anyway.
“Okay, our next item on the agenda is our reunion dance.”
Now, the groans were far more audible, but before the mayor could elaborate, Jasmine moved up to the podium and grinned.
It took all within me not to look at Atlas. I wondered exactly what he and Jasmine had done once I had left them. It wasn’t my business, though. After all, he was single. Jasmine was single. And they had always looked good together, even when he had been on my arm.
“With such small numbers in our graduating classes, it made sense to do an event every four years that celebrates the four years past. All graduating members are welcome to attend, and those who are at five, ten, fifteen, twenty, and so on reunions will have access to additional events. We hope you’re able to join us on the planning committee.
” Jasmine turned and spoke to Atlas directly, and I did my best not to look annoyed. I was probably seeing things, honestly.
“I’m in,” a man said from the other side, and Jasmine looked reluctant to pull her gaze from Atlas. For Atlas’s part, he looked down at his phone, not caring about the no-technology rule.
Jasmine smiled and continued on about planning, with others being added to the committees.
I worked with the school every day, and reunions were not my cup of tea. So there’s no way that I was going to volunteer. Or be volunteered for that matter.
Jasmine walked off, speaking to one of the tall, bearded men who I now recognized as Remy. We had dated a couple of times and had even slept together, but he hadn’t been my only. Remy smiled over at me, and I felt Atlas stiffen against me. Or perhaps I was only imagining it.
“Next up is the festival dance,” the mayor began, and Atlas leaned over to me, his voice low and deep.
“How many dances does this town have a year?”