6. KADENCE

KADENCE

M aggie watches as I push my eggs across my plate. It’s not that I’m not hungry.I am. Starving in fact, but I remember the look Cole gave me when I started shoveling food into my mouth. It was almost the same as the one Jeremy used to give me before making some remark about my eating habits or weight; whatever he deemed fit that day. A part of me knows that Cole meant nothing by it, but it doesn’t stop that tiny little asshole voice in my head.

“You all done, sweetie?” Maggie’s voice cuts through the toxic thoughts. I smile up at her and, with a curt nod, let Maggie take the plate. Before she turns to walk away from my table she pauses. “Ya know, Sweetheart, it sounds like you’re in for a long day. Why don’t I whip you up a sandwich to go?” I get the feeling that Maggie can read all my deepest secrets. “Just in case you get hungry later, on the house of course.”

“Oh, you don’t—“ I begin but am cut off by Maggie waving her hand.

“My treat.” She smiles knowingly at me before heading back towards the counter.

My throat tightens as a swell of emotions begin to wash over me. I’ve only been here for twelve hours and already I’ve been met with more kindness than I’ve had in over two years. Between the fake smiles and speak-when-spoken-to attitudes, I’d almost forgotten what it felt like for someone to just be kind to me.

After a few minutes, Maggie waddles back over to me, setting down the check for my breakfast and a sandwich wrapped in paper. “No rush, Honey.”

“Thank you,” I say softly, my voice breaking slightly.Maggie glances down at me, brows knitting together for a moment.

“You sure you’re okay, Sweetie?” She asks, stepping back to the table. “Because if you’re in some sort of trouble or somethin’—” I shake my head, cutting Maggie off.

“No, I’m not. Just… thank you for being kind.”

I glance up at Maggie and see the quiver of heartbreak flash over her features before a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes spreads across her thin lips.

“You’re welcome, Sweetie.” Maggie turns to head back to the counter as the low rumble of the tow truck pulls back into the parking lot.

I can see Cole in the driver’s seat. His face looks less warm than before, almost tired as he takes a moment to climb out of the truck. His shoulders have dropped slightly and he looks sad. He pulls open the door, and I down the last of my coffee as he makes a beeline straight to me. His features only look more sunken as he approaches and I wonder what in the hell happened in the last thirty minutes since I’d seen him.

His eyes meet mine and he tries to hide the gloom. “How was breakfast?” He asks with a forced smile.

I smile back at him for a moment before grabbing my things. “It was good.”

Cole gestures to the sandwich still wrapped on the table. “Lunch?” He asks and I nod as he turns. “Hey Maggs, mind makin’ two more of those for me?”

Maggie nods from behind the counter and starts working on them.

The air between us is awkward; it's not the same warm feeling I’d had around him before. His sunshine personality seems snubbed out by whatever happened while he was gone. “You okay?” I ask as his eyes flit back to me.

Cole slides into the booth opposite me with another forced smile. “Yeah, everything’s okay.”

I can tell he’s lying and he knows he’s not doing a very good job of hiding the pain written on his face but I don't push. It’s not my place and I don't feel the need to get close.

“You ready to go?” He asks.

I don't say anything, only nod as I slide out of the booth, taking my bag and sandwich with me. He follows suit, his hand resting on the middle of my back to guide me to the door as Maggie hands him a bag, holding onto it for a moment.

“Tell Holden we miss him, yeah?” She says, her soft eyes glossing over with tears.

“Will do, Maggs.”

We make our way out to the tow truck and I can feel the tension radiating from him. It’s a stark difference from the man I met last night and shared coffee with this morning. He’s rigid and almost defensive as he opens the door for me with a huff, letting me climb in before rounding to the driver’s side and climbing in himself.

The truck comes to life and I glance over at him, “If it’s too much trouble I can just wander the town a bit. You don’t have to babysit me.” I don’t mean for it to sound as bitter as it comes out.

“Wha–No. I’m not—” He sighs, turning towards me. “You don’t need a babysitter, Kadence. I just figured I’d take you to the shop to check out the car. If you don’t want to, I can just call you with an update,” Cole offers, his eyes scanning my features. I don’t miss the slight hurt in his voice and I feel like an asshole.

“Sorry,” I mutter softly. “I’ll go with.”

He watches me for a moment, slightly taken aback by how easily I gave in. The caged animal he found last night has begun to curl in on herself. My instincts kick in to keep me safe as I lean against the door, biting the inside of my cheek to keep myself calm.

Without another word, Cole pulls out of the parking lot onto the road. The town is livelier now than it was this morning. People have started to clutter the sidewalks and shopkeepers are flipping their signs to open. Pine River is a cute little town, big enough that there’s plenty to do but small enough that I get the feeling everyone knows everyone, and that's what scares me.

Cole pulls into the lot for the garage; the line of motorcycles is still parked in front of the side building. A few men are standing outside of the garage, all wearing the same ‘O’Neil’s Garage’ shirts. The mural of the white wolf painted on the side of the building shines bright in the early morning sunlight. It’s beautifully done; details of its fur are etched into the wall, and its muzzle is pointed towards the sky as if it’s howling for the moon.

The Comet is parked near the garage, and when I see it, my heart twists for a moment. I love that car. I couldn't believe it when I ran across the listing on Craigslist. It was like my father was reaching out, giving me a way to escape the hell I was in. They don’t tell you how quiet the world becomes and how loud your mind gets when you’re in the car on your own. Late nights on the road when I couldn’t sleep were spent talking to his ghost as if he were a passenger in my front seat. Never judging, never interrupting, he just listened. If the car is dead, I know it’s dramatic… but it would feel like losing my dad all over again.

“There’s an office next to the garage. It’s air-conditioned, and there's a coffee maker. You’re welcome to help yourself,” Cole rasps as he rolls into a parking spot and turns to me. “If anyone asks who or why you’re here, you tell them you’re with me, okay?”

“Cole…” I say softly, my stomach churning at whatever he means.

“You’re safe here, okay? Just…stick to the office,” he says as he climbs out of the truck. I follow him, crossing my arms over my chest in defense. Defense from what, I’m not sure, but the tone in his voice brought a familiar fear back.

As we head towards the office, I notice a group of men standing outside of one of the garage bays watching us. A few of them are puffing away on cigarettes, and the others are peering over their sunglasses to look at me. Suddenly that warm feeling I got in the diner completely dissipates. One of the men, who is taller than the rest of them, with curly brown hair and green eyes, smiles at me. It's crooked and makes my skin crawl.

“Quinn!” Cole yells just as we get to the office door and I watch as the crooked smile falls from the man’s face as he stands to attention. “Take the Comet into the garage for me, will ya?” Quinn nods and takes one last drag of his cigarette before stomping it into the ground with his boot. I follow Cole into the office with Quinn following behind.

The room is barely big enough to be considered an office, almost like an afterthought. File cabinets line the wall and the small corner desk is covered in paperwork.

“Aye, O’Neil you got the keys?” Quinn asks over my shoulder.

I take a step to the side, letting him through the doorway and, truthfully, to get him out of my space. The only man so far that I’ve felt any sort of comfort with being close to me is the stranger currently rustling around in a stack of paper.

Cole stands up, glancing over at Quinn. “Shit, uhm...” He looks around for a moment, hands on his hips. I dig in my bag, pulling out my keys and holding them out to Quinn. He glances over at Cole who nods, like Quinn was waiting for permission to take them. “Thanks,” he mutters.

“No problem.” I smile, sitting down on one of the chairs.

He glances over at me before going back to the stacks of paper. A part of me cringes every time he swears under his breath, shoving papers aside, clearly frustrated with whatever it is he’s trying to find.I have some experience managing an office, and the lack of organization in this room digs at my obsessive compulsiveness to keep things orderly.

“You need some help?” I ask before I even have time to realize my mouth has started to move.

“Huh? Oh–” He chuckles, carding his fingers through his hair. “The woman who used to run the office passed about a month ago. It’s been hell in here since.”

I wince, “I’m sorry…”

Cole lets out another sigh, shaking his head. “It’s–” he pauses, “thanks.” He stands staring at the empty chair for a moment before he shakes himself loose of whatever memories he got lost in. “Uhm–Help yourself to the coffee and tea. It might be a bit.” I nod, getting comfortable in the chair as he heads back outside.