She looked up at the dark rafters and took a step inside. Dusty, hollow bookshelves entombed the front half of the store, but the back half was mostly empty.
He flipped a switch, but the electric must have been shut off. “Just give me a second.”
Searching the drawers of what used to be the old cashier desk, he found a jar candle and a pack of matches. In the back, he located an old shawl hanging on a peg and a few empty cardboard boxes.
His phone vibrated, creating a glow in the shadows as his brother’s name flashed on the screen. Glancing at Julie who stood by the front window staring at the dark street, he kept his voice quiet and answered the call. “Hey.”
The racket from the bar was brash and contrasted with the silence of his surroundings. “Where are you?”
“Something came up. I had to leave.”
A moment passed where only the background noise of his loud family came from the phone. “Julie?” Ryan finally asked.
“Yeah.”
“I figured, when I couldn’t find either of you.”
“Do me a favor and cover for me.”
“Okay. Does Jo know—”
“She knows.”
Another pause. “This is messy, Pat.”
“This is life.”
“All right. Call me if you need something.”
“Thanks, Ry.”
Chapter 8
Pat ended the call and tore open an empty cardboard box, breaking the sides apart. Returning to the main area of the store, he laid the cardboard flat on the floor while Julie watched curiously. He lit the candle and placed it on a stack of books to the side. Shaking out the shawl, he held it out for her, as if it were a cape suited for royalty.
The most fragile smile curled her mouth as she stepped into it. They sat on the flattened box and leaned against the wall, staring at the flickering candlelight.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“It’s the only place I could think of where we could be alone.”
Her head turned and she looked at him. “You wanted to get me alone?”
“I wanted a place where we could talk—or sit. I just wanted to be with you.”
A pucker formed between her brows. “You and Jo—”
“Are only friends. I swear. We’ve never been anything more.”
“But you kissed her—”
“Another stupid move on my part. As soon as you left, she hit me for it.”
That got a small smile out of her.
“She’s my best friend, Jules, but that’s it. I wanted her to come home with me, but she didn’t want to get fixed up with anyone by your mom and her friends, so I told her I’d pretend to be her boyfriend. It was stupid.”
Her smile stretched to her eyes. “Not stupid. Sweet. You love her.”
“As much as a guy can love his best friend, yeah, I do. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do for your sister.”
Something sad flashed in her eyes. “Why did you stop talking to me? It used to be the three of us, you, me, and Jo. What happened?”
“Well, you started dating Lance. Then I went away to school, and I guess, we just lost touch.”
“I was so mad at you.”
“Me?” Her words shocked him.
“Yeah. You just cut me off. And then you took Jo away.”
He blinked, trying to see it from her perspective. He supposed it might seem like that, but that had never been his intention. “I never meant to hurt you. And I didn’t take Jo away. She ran away.”
“I know. But sometimes it was easier to blame you. I resented you for a long time, wondering why my sister loved you more than me, why she couldn’t stay here with me. After she left, Jasper Falls was never the same.”
He hadn’t considered what it would have been like for her without her twin sister. They had always been inseparable.
“It wasn’t about you. Not for Jo. She needed to get out of here. This place… It’s not good for her.”
“I don’t believe that. I know she and my parents argue, but if she just—”
“No.” He had to side with Jo on this one. “They don’t accept her for who she is. In the city, she’s free. She can be whoever she wants to be. She’s beautiful there. Happy.”
“You two were never dating?”
“I told you, we’re just friends.”
“It’s not just you, is it? I mean, there have been other guys who seemed right for her. She doesn’t…”
It wasn’t his place to have this discussion. “You need to talk to your sister. I think it would clear up a lot of stuff for you.”
Her head tipped back, leaning against the wall, and her eyes closed. “Do you know what it’s like to try to keep your eyes as wide open as humanly possible and still feel like the blindest person in any room?”
“You’re not blind. Some people are just really good at hiding their secrets.” She remained still and silent, keeping her eyes closed, like she hadn’t heard his words. His voice softened. “Jules, what did he do to you?”