Page 16 of In the Light of Day

Taking my hand he gives it a squeeze before walking to the bathroom door, pausing as I call out his name.

“Ace ... I think I’d like to go see my family.”

Distrust flickers across his face and I know deep down I shouldn't want to. They didn't look for me.

They didn't want to find me.

“I just need to know ... need to be sure.”

He nods at my explanation. Accepting the situation, his brow furrows as he takes a towel from the rack and holds it under the hand dryer before putting it on the vanity, mumbling, “It’s nicer warmed,” and moves to leave.

“The door ... I locked it?” I question. Knowing that I would never leave a door unlocked if I had the option.

The water still dripping from his clothes, he stops in the doorway, his head dipped slightly and I hear the creak of the wooden door under the strain of his grip. His body still facing away from me, his face half in shadows as he turns his head, just enough so his profile is revealed.

“I picked it, darlin'. I wasn’t going to let a door stop me from holding you.”

My heart stills while I process his words. He must have heard me from the hallway. But before I could ask him anything else the soft click of the door latch cuts the lingering silence between us.

Removing my water logged clothes, I place them all unceremoniously in the bin. Relieved in being able to shed a small reminder of everything that happened. However, the jumper Ace lent me earlier, I ring out, taking my time to ensure it’s clean before folding it nicely. It’s still wet, but ready to take with me as I surround my body in the oversized clothes he had in his bag. They are soft and comforting, and they smell like him. It takes the edge off my anxiety feeling him wrapped around me like this, that even if he's not physically here, he's still with me. Connecting me to him. Leaving both my breath and heart lighter when I wear them.

Chapter 13 - Ace

Overcome - Skott ?

I follow the sheriff back to the forest where Nova first stumbled out. My truck overshadowing his vehicle in both size and equipment. One deputy remained on the roadside to keep an eye out for any disturbances, but I think everyone knew that whoever's blood was all over Nova, wasn't going to be alive for much longer.

I didn't think I would feel that pull toward her. That need to have her near. I never imagined I would feel torn when we made a plan to search for the bunker. The one that told me not to leave her but also it was okay to. She would be safe without me. Martha is staying with her at the station and there are several deputies mulling around.

It took me a minute to figure out what was happening but I saw the sheriff talk to one deputy, who then talked with another, and suddenly the hum of activity stopped. The paperwork ceased, and Nova just became an extension of Martha and the sheriff. She was no longer the missing girl covered in blood.

She was just Nova.

How fast and easily they stopped working on her case showed that this was not the first time something obscure had crossed through this station. I wonder how many others have found themselves being helped by this small town and the sheriff's department looking the other way. If they had someone to support them through it, or if it simply started with being treated like a human.

With being believed.

We have a few recent satellite pictures of the forest and a rough idea of how long she walked to get there that first night. She also said she was scared and enough time had passed that any estimates could be completely wrong.

But we will try.

There's something about her that I've not felt before but at the same time is all so familiar. It's a connection I'm not sure how to describe other than I know I need to be near her. This visceral need to right the wrongs of my past. Don’t get me wrong, she is absolutely breathtaking but this thing we share, it's not sexual, but it's not like the love of a sibling either. Not that I really understand what that feels like, but I have my best friend Dante, and a few of the other guys I serve with which I consider brothers.

Sometimes family is who we choose and not made by the blood we share. There's an intimacy between Nova and I that is just sitting there, waiting to ignite every time we touch. An instant familiarity between strangers that words can't describe. She is a person Ineedto be connected to in whatever fashion that looks like.

???

The cool breeze gently blows against us and I thank the gods for granting us a perfect day to gohunting. There's been no rain, and barely any wind to interfere with the trail of clues Nova would have left running through the forest last night.

The sheriff, two deputies and I stand at the edge of the trees looking at the dense undergrowth we need to venture into. I have an almost full tactical setup while the others wear a simple bulletproof vest with their handgun attached to their belt.

“Are we waiting for anything or just standing here hoping for Majin Buu to attack us?” I question, waiting to hear some logical reason as to why we are standing here. There are several broken branches with dried blood on them which seems the obvious trail to start with, but who am I to stand in the way of the local law? I'm going to do what I need to regardless of their plan, but I can at least give the illusion of following their orders until it no longer helps Nova.

“Here's the thing ...” Sheriff Miller starts to say but when I look over to where he’s standing, I can see him rubbing the back of his neck trying to figure out what comes next.

“The last time I had a reason to search this forest was maybe, 7 years ago when some cattle got loose. If you have any expertise in this matter I would appreciate it if you took the lead,” he says, somewhat sheepishly.

I’m starting to like the sheriff more and more when things like this come up. He's not too blinded by his own authority to step aside if someone else has a better grasp of what's happening.

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