No Return by Stacy Claflin

Author:Stacy Claflin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stacy Claflin

Eighteen

“Want to sit?” Rusty asked as they neared a set of benches. He and Laura had walked around the empty park on the high hill several times, stopping near the edge each time they passed it. It overlooked the lake he’d jogged by that morning. The people looked like ants, and after the way he and Laura had been treated, an immature part of him imagined stepping on them. And liked it.

“Sure. Front row seats to the sunset.”

“Is it really that late?” He pulled out his phone and checked the time. Sure enough, it was.

They sat, and he was close enough to put his arm around her. He hesitated, not wanting to ruin the good thing they had going. What if she got offended? Not only that, but he hadn’t been involved with anyone romantically since Lani. Guilt kicked him in the stomach. Or was it the wine from earlier?

Surely, Lani would have understood. It had been years since her death. She wouldn’t have wanted him living a solitary, lonely life for his remaining decades. Lani would have wanted him to move on—it had been his choice to keep everyone at a distance.

“It’s beautiful,” Laura said.

Rusty brought his attention to the sky. Pink and orange hues were beginning to crowd out the blue. “It really is.” And he was with a gorgeous woman with whom he’d just spent the last couple hours exchanging memories of Mandy. They’d laughed, shed a couple tears, and she had given him her stunning smile a few times.

He didn’t give himself another moment to talk himself out of putting his arm around her. If she didn’t want him to, he would simply apologize. He stretched his arm, awkward like a middle school boy who’d never kissed a girl before.

Laura scooted closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Rusty’s pulse pounded in his ears, but he managed to relax. It was good to be away from everything and everyone else. And the human contact… it felt good. When was the last time someone had been in his arm?

The sky changed colors before their eyes.

“This is nice,” Laura said.

Did she mean the sight or being with Rusty? He cleared his throat. “It really is.”

“I love the colors. I’ve tried getting a picture of the night sky so many times, but it never comes out as magnificent as the real thing.”

He played with a bit of hair resting on her shoulder. “I think that’s the way nature intended. We weren’t meant to quite capture it with photos. It’s not just how it looks, but the entire experience.”

“Hmm. I think you might be right.”

Before long, darkness took over most of the sky and stars shone brightly overhead.

Laura shivered. He squeezed her bare shoulder. “We should have brought something to keep you warm.”

She nestled closer to him. “I did.”

Rusty’s cheeks warmed. He really did feel like a gawky kid—he was so out of practice. Plus, part of him felt like he was being untrue to Lani.

He’d always blamed himself for the accident.

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