Beauty in the Ashes

“My story?” It seemed like such an odd question to ask someone you had just met.

“Yeah,” he shrugged. “You must have one. I’ve never seen you before and then we meet twice in one night. Coincidence? I don’t think so.”

“Not much to tell,” I answered evasively.

“Ah,” he breathed, his eyes twinkling, “so you’re one of those girls.”

I shook my head roughly. “What the hell does that mean?” I was offended that I could possibly be lumped into a statement such as that.

“You know, one of those girls that acts all mysterious to hook a guy.”

“Trust me,” I gave him a deadly glare, “I’m not acting. If you’re sensing something mysterious,” I shrugged lightly, “then I guess you are.”

“Where are you from, Sutton?”

I stilled, enjoying the sound of him saying my name way too much. “I don’t understand why you’re so curious about me,” I retorted.

He chuckled, still smiling. “Well, when a man likes a woman, he typically wants to get to know her. That means talking and asking questions. Does it scare you that you fascinate me?” He eyed me, making me squirm uncomfortably.

“No,” I said too quickly. Swallowing, I added, “You don’t scare me.”

He shook his head. “That’s not what I said and you know it.” Straightening, he shoved one hand into the pocket of his black slacks and kept the other hand wrapped firmly around his cup of coffee. “I can see you’re not interested in answering a questionnaire tonight, so until the next time,” he tipped his head in my direction, and pushed the doors open.

The chime clinked again and I was tempted to rip the annoying thing off the door handle.

Emery appeared from the back. “Well, that was fun.”

I whipped around to glare at him. “You mean you were listening and you didn’t help me! The guy could’ve been an ax murderer or something!”

He laughed heartily and I worried he might not be able to breathe. “Oh, Sutton, I hardly needed to save you. Rest assured, if you needed actual saving, I would’ve hopped aboard my mighty steed and come to your rescue.”

I couldn’t resist punching him in the arm for that ridiculous line.

“What was that for?” He still laughed, completely unfazed by the punch.

“For not saving me when I needed rescuing!” I retorted, throwing his words in his face.

“Trust me, Memphis is a good guy. You would never need anyone to protect you from him,” Emery’s voice softened.

“You know him?”

Emery nodded. “He comes in here a lot, and we went to school together. It’s a small town,” he shrugged like that explained everything.

I glanced at the door Memphis had departed through only moments before and then back at Emery. “Why do I feel like you’re trying to play matchmaker?”

Emery smiled innocently. “I don’t need to play matchmaker when fate will do the work for me.”

CHAPTER 6

Sutton

It had been four days since I’d last seen Caelan. I didn’t know why that fact bugged me so much.

No amount of noise I made sent him running out of his apartment.

I hated to admit it, but I missed our games…and maybe I missed him.

Nah. It wasn’t possible to miss someone you didn’t know.