Page 49 of Rekindled

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As the adrenaline left Molly’s body, the reality of the situation hit hard. Either or both of them could have died. What would she have done if it had been Spencer? The thought made her blood run cold. She would have been devastated, because she was in love with him.

Even though she felt that way about him, it didn’t mean it was reciprocated after what had happened between them. After all, he had plenty of opportunities to tell her he cared before she went home with her parents, but he never broached the subject.

Perhaps he was simply grateful for the help, but the romantic feelings for her were gone. If that was the case, there was no point in sticking around Bayfield. She had promised her boss a great story, and now she had one. It was time to get back to Seattle and make good on her promise.

Molly packed up her bags with her mother’s help.

“Promise me you won’t stay away so long this time,” her mother begged, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

“I won’t, Mom. There’s no reason to stay away now. With Tiffany locked up, and Spencer and me on friendly terms, it’s not hard coming home anymore.”

“What do you mean by ‘friendly’ terms?” her mother probed. “I thought you guys were back together.”

“I messed things up this time. I ruined our second chance,” Molly stated with regret.

“I think you’ve got it all wrong,” her father stated from the hall. “That boy has always been crazy about you. Some things never change.”

“It can if you make a big enough mistake, which I did,” Molly corrected. “He forgave me, but I can tell he only wants to be friends now.”

Her father adamantly shook his head. “You’re wrong this time, Molly. You get your stubbornness from me, and sometimes it’s a good thing because it makes you work hard and not give up, but it can also cause you to be blind to the truth.”

“I appreciate both of your concerns, but I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I need to finish getting ready to ride the train back to Seattle.”

Her parents left and Molly continued to pack the last of her clothes. Though she didn’t like to admit it, she had enjoyed being home. Enough that if things had ended differently with Spencer, she might have considered moving home.

She shook her head, trying to push the what-could-have-been thoughts out of her mind. It just didn’t work out the way she wanted, and she needed to find a way to make peace with it.

Molly placed her laptop and cable into her bag, then glanced around the room a final time before switching the light off. She closed the door to her old bedroom and padded down the hallway.

She glanced at her phone and realized she still had two hours before her train left. Should she pull out her laptop and work? If she did, and got into a flow, it would be difficult to quit. Better to wait until she was settled back in at her home office in Seattle. She considered watching a bit of a movie, but she hated starting one she couldn’t finish, so that didn’t appeal to her either.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced down. A text from Spencer appeared.

Can we meet?

I need to talk with you.

Molly contemplated her response. Part of her was thrilled at the fact he had reached out to her, but the other part was scared of being disappointed again. Maybe he just wanted to say goodbye. Could she gracefully handle that in person? She didn’t think so, as images of her crying her eyes out and running from Ruby’s Diner flashed through her mind.

It was better to walk away with a clean break rather than ending up hurt again. She ignored the text and decided watching a movie was her best bet.

She sat down on the couch, and flipped on the television. She scrolled down the guide, hoping to come across something she had already seen. Most of the movies were sci-fi, which she didn’t care for, or action films which often gave her a headache. She wanted to watch a comedy, hoping a few laughs would lighten her melancholy mood.

Her eyes caught a familiar title.Fool’s Gold. The Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey romantic comedy made Molly think back to the first time she watched that movie.

It had been one of the few times that Molly and Spencer had gone on a real date while they were secretly together. They had snuck over to Jonesville, a neighboring town, and watched the flick at their movie theater.

Her fingers couldn’t click to the next channel. Soon, an hour had passed and her alarm on her phone buzzed, reminding her it was time to go.

“You ready to head out,” her mother asked, picking up her keys and purse.

Molly stood up and grabbed her belongings. “Yes, I’m ready.”

The short drive to the train station passed with her mother talking about Molly coming home for Thanksgiving. Molly was polite, answering when there was a question, and agreeing with whatever her mother said, but her mind wouldn’t stop thinking about Spencer.

Molly kept wondering if she was going to regret not agreeing to meet with him. She would never know what it was he wanted to talk to her about, and more importantly, she was walking away without telling him she was in love with him.

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