2
BECKETT
Age 13
I held the book up closer to the window, trying to use the light of the moon to read. I wished I could use the flashlight, but I didn’t want to risk waking Riley. I turned the page, just as I heard a sharp gasp from the bed across the room. Riley sat up in a panic, clutching the red blanket tight with both hands. He looked around wildly, as if trying to remember where he was. When he saw his old, stuffed dog on the floor, he scrambled for it and held it tight to his chest.
He let out a startled yelp when he saw me awake, clearly embarrassed. I wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what. We silently stared at each other for several long seconds until he finally relaxed. After a while, he seemed relieved to see me awake.
“Do you like comic books?” I asked in a quiet voice.
He shook his head.
“That’s okay. Me either, but I found this one on the bookshelf earlier. It’s not too bad. Wanna read it with me?”
I shifted to make room for him on my bed and clicked on the flashlight. He hesitated for a moment, then quietly crossed the room to sit on the bed next to me.
***
We arrived in the small town of Reedsport, South Carolina with an empty stomach and after checking into the hotel, walked across the street to the diner, Five Leagues Under. It was shaped like a submarine, complete with a periscope and lights. There were anchors and buoys lining the walkway leading up to the door and an intricate ship mounted on the side of the building that immediately caught my eye. I had to stop to admire it.
The ship was roughly three-feet-tall and four-feet-long, with brass sails that had been beautifully colored with age. The body and deck were made with a mixture of metals and rope, and upon closer inspection, I saw tiny fishhooks interlocking in several of the layers for added texture.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have a weird obsession with ships?” Jake asked impatiently, holding the door for me.
I ignored him as I entered. The scent of fried food, cold beer, and peanuts hit my nose, reminding me just how long it had been since the two pieces of toast I had for breakfast. Right away, I could tell I was going to like the place and judging by the decent sized crowd, several of the locals did too. There was a full-service bar to the right but the rest of the place seemed to be a diner aimed to please the adult crowd. The atmosphere was relaxing, with dim lights and soft oldies rock.
We took a booth in the corner, and within a few minutes, our server came over with menus. He was a cute little thing with spiky blond hair and dimples that would make anyone swoon. I noticed Jake checking him out just seconds before some flirty comment slipped from his lips, making the poor guy blush. He stumbled through explaining the daily specials, his bright blue eyes darting over to my cocky friend every so often. I could tell Jake barely heard a word of it, staring at our waiter like the only thing he wanted to eat was right in front of him. I finally kicked Jake under the table when the poor guy fumbled and dropped the beer menu.
“What was that for?” he asked as soon as the cute twink left.
I glared at him. “Could you have been more obvious?”
“So? Someday you’ll learn there’s nothing wrong with a little harmless flirting.” The silent stare-down that followed would have been comical if anyone noticed. Finally, Jake huffed. “What the hell is up with you? You were a grump the entire ride here, and seriously, don’t you ever wear anything besides grey and black? It looks like your entire wardrobe fell in a bucket of ink and died.”
I didn’t need to glance down to know I was wearing my favorite black pullover. It was wearing thin in some places, but it was also too damn comfortable to get rid of. Besides, the six-hour drive from Atlanta to Reedsport demanded a practical wardrobe.
Our server returned with our drinks and a platter of cheese-covered fries.
“We didn’t order that,” I said.
Once again, he blushed before giving Jake a wink and strolling away with a little more sway to his hips than before.
Jake gave me a cocky grin. “See? It pays to flirt. You really need to come out of your shell, Eagle Eye.”
I dropped the fry I’d just picked up. “I told you not to call me that.”
“And I told you the best sharpshooter on our military police force deserved the nickname. Deal with it.”
“Don’t,” I growled. “Don’t ever fucking call me that name again. Got it?”
Jake froze, his familiar blue eyes narrowing into thin slits. I knew I was being a jerk, but I was wound tighter than a spring lately and I didn’t know why.
Yes, you do…my mind taunted.
The haunting gray eyes had woken me up twice last night, and I hadn’t been able to get back to sleep. I ended up going for a run at four in the morning just to chase away the bitter feelings. I was growing desperate but had no fucking idea what to do about it.
Suppressing another growl, I slapped a twenty on the table and used a napkin to dish out several of the fries before sliding out of the booth.
