Wren

"Thanks for closing for me tonight!" I yell back into the kitchen to Jim, my fry cook.

"No problem, sweetie. Go have fun at the party." He says with a warm smile that reminds me of my dad. Jim worked at this diner long before I owned it and is the best cook around. I'll always be grateful to have him.

"Someone has to keep Liv from getting sloppy drunk." I say with a laugh. Jim chuckles as he waves goodbye to me.

I pull my coat tighter around me as I walk the few blocks to the bar, smiling and waving at people as I walk by. I've lived in this small town my whole life. I know everyone and everyone knows me. I like it that way. There are hardly any surprises. People are dependable.

Well, most people.

I push through the bar's heavy door and take a deep breath of the warm air tinted with alcohol and that manly musk that old man Jesse just seems to permeate. He's owned the bar since I was a kid, mixing drinks and cooking up greasy food to soak them up.

I spot Liv, my best friend, and her eyes go wide when she sees me. She waves me down excitedly and I smile at her, waving as I walk over. It's her twenty second birthday and after mine a few months ago she said hers needed to be more exciting.

I'm boring apparently. But I'm cool with it.

I rush up to Liv and pull her into a hug, pulling away to smile at her.

"Happy Birthday!" I shout over the music.

"Thanks! Oh my God, Wren, I have something to tell you!" She screams and I'm pulled away from her by a hand on my arm. I spin around to Jace looking at me with a smile. His brown hair is touseled and his green eyes are bright.

"Hey, Wren! You wanna dance?" He asks and I nod with a smile. I've known Jace since I was a kid. He's been one of my best friends and he's also an excellent dancer.

"I'll be back soon, Liv!" I shout to my friend.

"Wait! I need to tell you something!" She shouts but I walk away, hand in hand with Jace. She's always chatty when she's drinking. She probably wants to tell me the general store got in a new kind of laundry detergent.

Jace spins me in a slow circle, taking in my tight black dress and sky high red shoes. I went with a dark red lip tonight too. It makes my blue eyes pop.

"You look gorgeous tonight, Wren." He says with a warm smile. I chuckle a little and run my hands along his chest.

"Thanks, Jace. You look pretty good yourself." I tell him, and it's true. He matched a black button down with dark wash jeans. He'll probably be the catch of the night.

But I'm not fishing.

Jace begins to move with the music and I melt into him, matching his movements with my own and getting lost in the music. His hands land on my hips and I swivel around until his arms wrap around my waist. It feels good to be held like this. To feel strong arms and a firm body pressed against me. It's been too long.

But it doesn't feel right. The kind of right like the missing piece to your soul has clicked into place. Jace feels good, but not perfect. He never has and he knows that. But he's a good friend anyway.

"Diner busy today?" He asks in between dances. I nod and sip on my water, checking on Liv. She's smiling and downing some curly fries so I decide she's fine.

"Yeah. With the weather cooling down people want that warm comfort food. Meatloaf, shepherd's pie, apple crumble." I say and Jace lets out a groan.

"You make the best apple crumble. And when you put that vanilla ice cream on top? Holy shit I hope someone serves that to me on my death bed. I want it to be my last meal." He says making me laugh.

"You hungry?" He asks and I shake my head.

"Let's dance some more." I say and he nods, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the dance floor.

Our bodies move in sync and sweat begins to glisten on my skin. My breathing gets heavy and my feet begin to hurt. As if the music can sense it, it switches to a slow song and Jace pulls me into his chest. I rest my head against his shoulder and breath in deep, closing my eyes to relax for a moment.

When I open them again they fixate on a figure standing by the bar, leaning against it with his arms crossed. The light isn't great and I have to blink a few times for the man to come into focus. When he does, I intake a heavy breath as my eyes widen in shock. The only thing holding me upright is Jace's arms around me as I take in the other man's appearance.

A black t-shirt paired with well worn jeans, huge tattooed biceps and a firm chest that lead up to a chiseled jaw line and a partway crooked nose that looks like it's been broken a time or two. But that's not what pulls me in. It's the eyes. The same caramel colored eyes I stared into for most of my childhood.

Huxley Daws.

He looks different from the last time I saw him four years ago when I gave him my virginity and he disappeared the next day. He's bigger now, stronger. And judging by the look on his face, he's fucking pissed.

I swallow and avert my eyes, trying to reel in my shock from seeing him after such a long time. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my pounding heart when Jace looks down at me with a worried frown.

"You alright?" He asks. I nod and give him a half-hearted smile.

"Yeah. Just tired. And thirsty." I say. He nods and pats my back affectionately.

"I'll get you a water. You wanna go sit by Liv?" He asks and I nod, walking away from his steady, warm strength and over to my friend who is clearly intoxicated.

"Wren! Wreeeeeeeen!" She screams and I grimace a little at how loud she is.

"Yeah, babe. I'm right here." I say with a chuckle as I slide into a chair next to her.

"I have something to tell you! But I don't remember what it is right now." She says with a disappointed frown and I roll my eyes a little.

"Is it maybe that Huxley Daws is back in town?" I ask and her face lights up with excitement.

"Yeah! That's it! Wait, how did you know?" She asks and I can feel my face turning sad.

"He's here." I say and she gasps, smacking her hand over her mouth dramatically.

"Ho. Ly. Shit. Did you talk to him?" She asks and I shake my head.

"Hell no. And I have no plans to." I say just as Jace ambles up next to me and hands me a bottle of water.

"No plans to what?" He asks and I shrug.

"Hold Liv's hair back when she pukes tonight." I say jokingly as I run the cool bottle along the heated skin of my chest. I turn to look at Jace and I catch sight of Huxley in my peripheral vision, my heart rate kicking up a few notches having him so close.

Part of me wants to run to him. To hug him. To smack him. To ask him where he was the last four years. But most of me doesn't care. It doesn't matter where he's been. All that matters is I passed out sometime after my fourth orgasm and woke up alone in my bed with nothing but a note.

I had to leave. I love you my little bird. -Hux

I poured over those words for months, trying to figure out their meaning. At first I thought it just meant he needed to leave my house. It wasn't until later that week I realized he meant leave my entire life. Sorrow fills me as the memories surface. I push them back, not wanting to spiral into the dark thoughts that they bring about.

I crack open the bottle of water and chug it down as if I can find all of the answers to my problems at the bottom. Jace watches me curiously. He knows me well enough to know when something is off.

"You want something a little stronger?" He asks and I shake my head.

"No. Actually I don't feel very well. Can you keep an eye on Liv? Make sure she gets home alright? I think I'm going to head out." I say, nerves roiling in my stomach making me want to vomit. He nods and pulls me into a hug.

"I'll check on you tomorrow." He says and I give him a grateful smile as well as a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Jace." I say and grab my purse, reaching for my keys. I beeline for the bar's front door. Just as I'm about to push through it, a large, dominating force stands in front of it, muscled arms crossed in front of his chest and caramel colored eyes locked on me.

"Where do you think you're going, little bird?"