0.5 Chess Pie & Choices by Bella Falls

Author:Bella Falls [Falls, Bella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Evermore Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

The trail led me the short distance across the street to the Harvest Moon Cafe. I had my suspicions about the ring, but I didn't want to dwell on it. Based on the winding path and the stops I’d made, I wasn’t chasing a real thief, so I deserved at least a slice of pecan pie and a glass of sweet tea to ease my growing frustration.

The bells on the door jingled when I entered, and my friend Blythe looked up from cleaning up some plates. “Charli, good to see you. Your usual?”

With a nod and a whimper, I slumped onto a bar stool at the counter, collapsing my head onto its cool surface.

“Ooh, sounds like you need a double dose of whipped cream on top.” Blythe placed a glass full of ice in front of me and poured the sweet nectar of the South to the top.

“Aren't you going to ask me how last night went with the Hawthornes?” I asked.

My friend shook her head. “No need. If there’s something you want to tell me, you will.”

I loved her for knowing exactly what I needed. Too many people in town paid attention to the upcoming nuptials. Everyone had been surprised when Tucker had asked me out after high school graduation. I had never been the type of girl that anyone would have pictured with someone like him.

Back then, he hadn't cared what others thought. And I fell in love with that quality in him. We spent the summer before he left for the College of Charleston roaming about Honeysuckle and telling each other our dreams. Because I never had any real ones for myself, I fed off of his lofty goals for himself, like getting a business degree and finding a way to leave our small town and go anywhere in the world. Anywhere that didn't carry the burden of being a child of a founding family member with all the future expectations weighing on our shoulders.

There was any number of magical communities out there where we could establish a new life together, or maybe even hide amongst the normal humans, doing whatever we wanted to make ourselves happy. That summer had been one of the happiest of my life, especially since it came so close on the heels of Mom's death. Tucker gave me the strength to move beyond my sorrow, adding another reason I kept falling for him to the list.

But long-distance chipped away at our burgeoning connection. In Charleston, Tucker made friends with some of the most prominent families in town. Before long, I stopped hearing from him as often. He stopped coming back home to Honeysuckle on breaks, choosing instead to hang out or participate in the exclusive magical community in Charleston.

Over time, I had to hear updates about him through his parents or the town’s gossip grapevine. Still, Tucker never fully broke up with me year-to-year, choosing my company every winter break and summer. He still professed his undying commitment to me despite his changes.

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