Restraints & Rebounds by Eliza Black

Author:Eliza Black [Black, Eliza]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Mike

The brisk, winter air was a shock to my system when I stepped out of Tangled Pages, coffee in hand. I typically didn’t drink coffee in the afternoon, but I needed it after the day I’d had. I knew I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was ten, but even a job you’re passionate about could kick you in the nuts some days. And for those days, there was extra coffee. And sometimes whiskey.

I turned in the direction of my house, which was just a few blocks from downtown, and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Erin was back. Or at least, I thought it was her. A woman with long, curly hair was walking down the sidewalk with Marlene, but they were walking away from me, so I couldn’t be sure. I started to speed walk in their direction, fully intending to catch up and ask her every question that I’d been dying to ask her since she left. When did she get back? Why did she leave? How long was she here for this time? Did she want to go out with me again?

But I stopped myself. The last thing I wanted to do was overwhelm her and send her running for the third time. The third time was supposed to be the charm, but not if I screwed it up. Instead, I let them go and planned to go to Marlene’s house the next day for answers. The more I watched them, the more I was sure it was Erin. I was a little offended that Marlene hadn’t called me the minute she came back. She was supposed to be on my side. Did Erin ask her not to contact me? Maybe she was only back for a day or two and had a full schedule. Or maybe—

Stop it, I told myself. I was letting my thoughts run wild. I just needed to go talk to her. Hopefully, she’d realize I wasn’t scary and she didn’t need to run at the sight of me.

The next day, I knocked on Marlene’s door. She pulled it open, and I was greeted by the sight of her laughing while she wiped her hands on a flowery kitchen towel.

“Mike! What a surprise,” she said. “Come in, we’re just making some biscuits.”

“You always know just what I’m in the mood for, Marlene.” I smiled when she swatted me with her towel.

“You’re in the mood for whatever I’m making.”

I held my hands up in surrender. “Guilty. And who is helping you bake today?”

She smirked knowingly. “It’s Erin, which I’m guessing is why you’re here.”

“I thought I saw her yesterday,” I admitted. “Will she be okay with me stopping by?”

“Only one way to find out. Come on.”

I followed her back to the kitchen and immediately burst out laughing. Erin looked up in surprise, then her expression quickly changed to one of horror. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t want to see me at all, or she

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