Page 3 of Meet Me in the Valley
I watch the lone 747 as its red blinking lights travel farther away from us, almost like a taunt.
“Hmm,” she hums, biting her lip. “Newlyweds. The wife had a dream to go to Paris, where they can make out like crazy in front of the Eiffel Tower.” Her smile is contagious, and her answer surprises me in a good way. This girl is a mystery, but I’m lost to the cadence of her voice, fully curious and intrigued.
“And are they happy?”
I came to this dock tonight in a daze. Lost, lonely, a little broken. The dull ache in my chest sat like dead weight, no matter how many times I rubbed the spot, hoping to ease it.
Even though I already know the answer to the question I’ve asked, the look in Tia’s eyes confirms it. And when she whispers her reply, that ache lifts just for a moment, giving me my first full breath of the night.
“Yeah, Logan. They’re happy. Always happy.”
Who knows how long Tia and I sit side-by-side on the old wooden dock with only the sounds of crickets and soft ripplingof water to accompany us. Neither of us seem to be in a rush, just content to share silence and use our newly found bond to do what we came here to do.
Escape.
I’m nodding off, exhaustion from my day finally catching up to me when Tia’s hand brushes against my shoulder.
“I’m gonna take off.”
“Oh. Yeah, alright. I’ll go too.”
I stand, then offer my hand. The second Tia’s hand touches mine, something invisible—undeniable—threads between us. A soul-tie woven in an instant.
Every fiber in my being tells me that tonight won’t be the last time I see Tia Young. Distance be damned. It’s the trust fall. A strange sensation I cannot explain.
We walk in silence to the top of the hill. I see her car parked behind my motorcycle.
It’s like a fork in the road where Tia’s future is on the left, and mine on the right. We stand in the middle, unmoving—staring. Not quite ready to let go of this new friendship we’ve forged.
“It’s too bad we became friends right before your move. If I would’ve known you were this cool, maybe we would’ve had more nights like this,” I say, stuffing my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.
Tia runs a hand through her dark tresses, giving me a smile as bright as the full moon tonight.
“Ah, well, your loss, Harper,” she teases, a soft chuckle tumbling out of her chest.
I laugh along with her, that easiness settling between us like it was always meant to be this way. I’ve never had that type of connection before, especially with a girl.
“Good luck in Texas. Maybe one day, we’ll see each other again.”
“I have no doubts about that. It doesn’t feel like the end of us. Friends, that is,” she stutters the last part as I bark out another laugh. Her cheeks redden, and before I can overthink it, I’m hauling her into my chest, squeezing her tight against me in a bear hug. She’s tense for a second, then relaxes as she circles my waist.
“No, it’s not the end of us. Friends, that is,” I whisper into her hair with a smile.
We pull apart, and reluctantly I let her go. Once she’s in her car, I start up my bike and put my helmet on. Her headlights beam, and I watch her drive by me, starting down the dirt path.
Her brake lights flash red and her car stops about twenty feet away. The next thing I know, she’s flying out of the driver’s seat, running toward me. I swing my leg off my bike, pulling my helmet off quickly when she launches herself into my chest, causing me to stumble back.
When the sudden shock of her in my arms wears off, I hold her tight, letting her scent of citrus and vanilla engulf me.
See? Soul-tie.
“Thank you, Logan,” she murmurs, her hazel eyes boring into mine.
“Anytime. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”
“I won’t. I promise.”
I knick her chin gently with my knuckles, taking in her features one last time.
