Page 6 of Love Me

“Preston school. Your new home.”

“How long will I stay here?”

He chuckles in response, sending a shiver down my spine. With that, the driver opens my door, forcing me out. I stand with my small luggage and watch the car depart, taking my past with it.

Stranded.

Rain is pouring down on me.

Nothing. I have nothing left but myself.

Water drips from the tips of my light-brown hair onto my trench coat as a gloomy atmosphere surrounds me. I taste the saltiness of my tears mixed with the rain and wipe them away, only for new ones to soak my lashes. What good have tears brought me anyway? With determination steeling my spine, I swear I won’t cry. Never again.

Through the rain, I see someone approaching. With my shoulders held high, I squint to see him better. He’s dressed in all black, and he’s tall. As he approaches, I crane my neck to see his face. Roughened features, cut jaw. My gaze locks onto steely eyes accentuated by thick lashes. He’s handsome, yet my heart doesn’t even flutter. How could it? It died.

“You’re here,” he says, with a tone of familiarity that has me tilting my head. There’s something warm in his voice, even though his appearance is anything but. “Follow me.”

“What’s your name?” I ask, but he’s already walking away. I grip my luggage and follow to catch up to him. For every step he takes, I take two. That never happened with Kaden. Maybe because he always walked at my speed and not vice versa. Missing him strangles my heart, but I shove my feelings into the furthest corner of my chest.

We climb the stairs leading to solid wood arched doors, then cross the threshold into an open, gray space. Antique furniture fills the entrance, and a murky scent permeates the air. Our steps echo in the hollow space, adding to the dark tone of the building.

“My name is Hunter.” He stops, and I bump into him.

“Sorry. My name is Celine.”

“I know.”

A pause stretches while we look at each other.

“I hope you’re ready,” he says.

Our shoes thud on the marble, leaving a damp trail of prints across the black and white checkered floor. Before I can ask what he is talking about, he opens the door at the end of the hallway.

Two men wait behind a mahogany desk, both dressed in impeccable suits. The one with a thread jacket is seated, but I stare at the one standing with tears in his eyes––the same as mine, dark blue. A myriad of emotions crosses his features.

“Celine.”

He says my name so tenderly that it ignites memories, and my mind blares with recognition.

“Dad?”

He nods, his hands trembling as he cuts the distance between us in three long strides, squeezing me into his embrace. I go limp in his arms. The shock is so great I have trouble discerning if he’s real or a figment of my imagination. Blinking, I take him in. His appearance has changed, and not merely with the passage of time.

He must read my confusion.

“Plastic surgery. I missed you so much,” he says, kissing the top of my head.

“What? How?”

My mouth stays open, but no more words come out.

I thought you were dead. Why are you here? Why didn’t you come for me?

The other man watches and says, “You’re safe. You’re with your family. We’ll give you a minute.”

He leaves the room, and Hunter follows. I lean against the desk, my body too weak to sustain me anymore. Everything feels fuzzy.

“I’ll tell you everything, but first, how are you?”

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