Dark Hearts: A Collection of Four Novellas: Black Canyon, Rewind, Run & Neighbors by Jeremy Bates

Author:Jeremy Bates [Bates, Jeremy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ghillinnein Books
Published: 2015-08-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 2

Charlotte’s mind reeled. She was thinking this couldn’t be real, Luke couldn’t be standing in the foyer, looking up at her. Someone was playing a trick on her—only she knew it was real, he was standing there, it was no trick.

“Hey, Char,” Luke said in his deep, gruff voice. He was dressed in black jeans and a black pullover that covered his sleeve tattoos. His hair was longer than it had been before, scruffy. His skin was pale, but he was as lean and muscular as ever, and she had to admit he looked good, healthy. Nevertheless, that was a clinical observation. Charlotte didn’t feel nostalgia for him, nor attraction. She didn’t feel anything right then except a cold lump of fear in her throat.

What the fuck was he doing here?

“Luke?” she said.

“Surprise.” He opened his arms in a ta-da type of way.

Rashid, who was standing in the foyer next to Luke, frowned.

“Rashid?” she said, clearing her throat. “Can you give us a few minutes alone?”

“You sure?” But he was already heading to his bedroom, which was off the living room. “You need anything, I’m here.” He closed the door.

“Luke?” Charlotte said again, forcing a smile.

“I would have called,” he said. “But your number wasn’t working.”

“I lost my old phone.” That wasn’t true. She’d gotten a new number precisely so Luke wouldn’t be able to get in touch with her when he got out of prison. “How’d you know I left New York?”

“It’s not a secret, is it?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Your friends told me you were accepted to UNC. Congrats, by the way.”

Charlotte was livid. Which of her friends would tell Luke this? They all knew what happened on the Catskills trip. However, she kept her expression neutral. She had no idea of Luke’s state of mind, whether he was still a ticking time bomb, what might set him off.

“How did you—when did you get here?” she asked.

“To Asheville? This afternoon.”

“How—?” Her nice-to-see-you act crumbled. Her forehead creased. This was all too bizarre. “How’d you get this address?”

“The university gave it to me.” He took a step forward, and she resisted the urge to back up a step. “Look, Char,” he said, “we have some things to talk about. Can we sit down somewhere?”

Sit? I want you to leave. Go home! You’re not supposed to be here.

She said, “I’m heading out in a bit, to a friend’s birthday.”

“It won’t take long.”

Charlotte hesitated, then decided she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter short of throwing him out. “This way,” she said, descending the rest of the stairs. She led him to the kitchen and gestured at the table. He sat in one of the metal folding chairs. Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to sit across from him. It was too close. In fact, the entire kitchen seemed suddenly too small for two people. “Do you want a glass of water or anything?” she asked, an excuse to keep on her feet.

“Sure,” he said.

She took two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with water from a Brita jug in the fridge.

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