Page 7 of Heartstrings & Horizons
Sunday, October 13th, 8:18pm
Paige: Do you ever feel like you could disappear and nobody would notice?
Cade: I think we all feel invisible sometimes, but I see you, Paige. I would definitely notice.
Monday, October 14th, 7:15am
Cade: Happy Thanksgiving, Sunshine.
Cade: In case nobody told you today, I’m grateful for you.
Paige: Thank you
Chapter 3
Cade
? Hollow - Noah Kahan
It’s a slow Tuesday evening at The Ridge. A few of the regulars are hanging out at the bar and there’s a couple sitting a few tables away at one of the high tops, but mostly it’s a wasteland. The bar is an Oak Ridge staple with its rustic charm and inviting atmosphere. Tables and chairs, each with their own story etched into the grain, are scattered around a low stage where we often host live performances. A collection of black and white photographs hangs on the wall behind the bar, chronicling the town’s history above the neatly lined bottles displayed along the authentic oak shelves.
Truthfully, I don’t have to work. I received a sizable inheritance from my grandmother’s estate when she passed away. I used a chunk of the money to renovate her home, and the rest went into investments, which have done pretty well. So, while I don’t have to work, Ineedto — idle hands, as the saying goes.
“Hey Arch. What can I get ya?” I say as I approach another one of our Oak Ridge staples, Archie Sullivan.
“Cade, my boy! A pint of whatever’s on tap. I won’t be here long.”
While I busy myself preparing Archie’s beer, my thoughts drift away, as they often have over the last week. I wasn’t lying when I told Paige she was already living rent free in my head. I might have stalked her profile a few times until I finally got up the nerve to send her a message. I’m not usually shy when it comes to hitting on women, but something about Paige stopped me in my tracks.
As I carefully set Archie’s beer down on the custom branded Ridge coaster, the sound of a chair scraping against the concrete floor reverberates through the empty space. A tall, dark-haired, imposing man towers over his date, brows drawn in a cold fury.
Across from him, the small, brunette woman shrinks in her seat as though trying to get as far away as possible, her face a mix of fear and apprehension. The woman speaks in a hushed voice as the man balls his fists at his side. And that’s all I need to see before I’m rounding the bar and approaching their table. Drawing closer, the man’s face is mere inches from hers as he hisses something, causing her to flinch.
“Is there a problem here?” I ask, stepping up to their table, keeping my tone impassive.
The woman glances at me, a flash of worry in her eyes, before looking down at the table. The man turns to me next, his expression quickly changing to a mask of civility.
“We’re fine,” he says. “Just having a minor disagreement. Nothin’ to worry about.”
Nodding, I turn to the woman. “My name is Cade. If ya’ll need anything,anything at all, let me know.”
She nods quickly. Too quickly. “Thank you.”
The man returns to his seat, his expression not giving anything away, and I’mforced to head back to the bar. Archie is still there, nursing his beer.
“She okay?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Discomfort twists in my gut, filling me with unease. Unless she explicitly asks for help, there’s nothing I can do to intervene. Situations like this one are too delicate and the last thing I want to do is make things worse for her. I know his type — the kind to put on a mask in public but let his fists fly in private.
Over the next hour, I check in on them discreetly, offering refills and making my presence known. The man’s anger was still evident in his stern expression, but the woman remained silent, her eyes downcast as he continued to talkather.
When they finally left, a feeling of helplessness clawed at me. The woman looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
“Hey Arch, do you know who that was?” If anybody would know, it would be the Sullivans. His wife, Rosie, is the resident gossip distributor of Oak Ridge.
“The little lady is Ivy. She volunteers for the local shelter on adoption days. Can’t say I’ve met the husband, but I’ve heard he’s a real piece of work.”
