Page 59 of Stolen Sun

“Was it him?” Kate asks.

“No,” I reply, unable to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

She looks at me like I’m missing something. “So, call him, Noel.”

“Maybe later.”

“Okay. Why don’t you tell me what really happened between you two in high school?” She asks, crossing her arms.

I sigh and decide it’s time to come clean.

“Declan and I met at school and exchanged numbers for a group project. After the project was done, we kept talking. My parents found out about him after we had hung out with groups a few times and basically wouldn’t let me do anything with anyone. They never told me I couldn’t talk to him, but they started coming up with other plans or excuses as to why I couldn’t leave the house.

When I finally convinced them to let me go to a baseball game with friends, my dad showed up early to find us right before we kissed. That same weekendthere had been a party that I wasn’t allowed to go to because my parents were keeping me from him. He got mad because I refused to sneak out to meet him there.

That Monday, the rumors were everywhere. He had hooked up with two girls at the same time. I didn’t want to believe it. The guy I thought he was wouldn’t have done that. But he avoided me the rest of that week.

I finally worked up the courage to call him the following weekend. He immediately asked me if my dad knew I was calling him, and the conversation crashed and burned from there. He wouldn’t admit or deny the rumors, but I didn’t push. We ended up agreeing that we couldn’t be together because of my dad, and that was that.”

Kate sits quietly when I finish giving her the gist of the situation. It sounds so simple and silly, but it didn’t feel that way at the time.

“So you never found out if he really did it?” She asks.

Surprised by that being the part she focuses on, I shake my head. “Not until last night.”

Kate clears her throat. “And…?”

“My dad threatened to send me away to an all girls boarding school if he didn’t make me believe it was true. He said he didn’t want to put me through that and that my dad had resources to keep us apart. I’m not sure what that last part meant. I guess that he knew my dad could send me to a school like that?”

“Damn,” she says in disbelief.

“Yep. I need a change of subject.” Grabbing my wine glass, I gulp the rest down.

“Then let me tell you about the ridiculous first date experience I had last night!” Kate takes the sad mood and flips everything upright again with her bubbly story.

“I thought you were in love with the other guy from the charity event?” I ask, laughing.

“Oh, I am! But we’re seeing other people when he’s out of town,” she explains as though this is perfectly normal.

We spend the rest of the evening cooking dinner, watching TV and drinking way too much wine. We both stumble into her bed, and I don’t even think to look at my phone before I pass out.

The pounding in my head wakes me up to Kate’s sunlit room. My eyes and mouth are dry and scratchy from too much wine last night, so I stumble out of bed rubbing my eyes on my way to the kitchen.

The aroma of fresh coffee fills the air. This will be the first time I’ve tried Kate’s newest blend. It smells amazing, and I desperately need it. The Cozy Cup’s Ember Roast. Based on our conversation last night, Kate is ready to talk to Declan about shipping logistics.

Declan.

The thought of him has me searching for my phone.

Know this, sunshine. I'm in every shadow.

“Jesus Christ!” I yell.

Kate comes running. “What’s wrong?!”

I show her the message from Declan, and she stares at me with wide eyes.

“Stalker, much?” She says, laughing.

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