Broken Hero

She sighs. “No. I’ve tried to convince him for days, but he just says that it doesn’t interest him.”

“Yeah, he’s not seen around town that often.”

“He says he doesn’t like it anymore.” Sarah leans closer, her voice conspiratorial. “He used to be such a lively guy.”

“Oh?”

Sarah nods. “The life of the party. Sure, he was always a bit rough around the edges, but the whole town loved him. I used to be so envious of that, of his easy smiles and popularity.”

I frown at the wistful way she’s describing him. “I think he’s still pretty lively.”

“Oh, of course, Luce. I’m not trying to imply that my brother isn’t still a great guy. He is. The greatest. But something changed after he came back… he just wasn’t the same. Not as quick to laugh, or to smile. There’s wariness in his eyes that I’m not sure will ever go away.”

I think of the sly smile he’d shot me yesterday and how his entire being had seemed to relax out by the glen.

I don’t for a second believe he’s a lost cause.

“I think what’s been hardest on him has been this town. Everyone’s poking and prodding, you know?”

“Nothing ever stays secret in Claremont.”

“Exactly. And if you’re a private person…” Sarah shrugs. “That’s hard. Even now, on a Saturday, he’s working.”

“Really?””Yes. He’s up in that office right now, working away. I said hi earlier. I’m sorry, but I have to run. I have to go get the kids ready.” She rolls her eyes. “My youngest said she wanted to wear her swimsuit, so I’m probably looking at a thirty minute fight just to get her into anything else.”

“Of course, go ahead. I’ll see you down there tonight.”

“Do you want a ride?”

“No, I borrowed my aunt’s car today.”

“Right, well, see you later then.” Sarah waves and heads off towards her car, and before I have time to start towards mine, she’s fired up the engine.

I glance back towards the big house. Working away, huh? I fumble with my car keys as she drives away, and just as she disappears from view, I turn and head back to the main house.

My heart is beating fast. We haven’t spoken since the kiss, not since I apologized and he asked me not to. His eyes had been soft, softer than I’d ever seen them before.

I don’t know which Oliver I’ll encounter now. I don’t know if it’s the one who was so angry at me, Jack and Tim, or if it’s the one who shared his lunch with me behind his house. I don’t know what I’m going to say about the kiss. Great, Lucy, I think. I’m going in blind, but the desire to see him again is overwhelming.

The door to his office is half-closed. I pause, suddenly remembering that I’m dressed in old yoga pants and a sweaty top. I’m not wearing a shred of make-up.

“Sarah? Is that you?”

I freeze in the hallway, caught between my desire to find a mirror and the draw of his deep voice. The latter wins. It wasn’t really a fair contest, anyway.

I push open the door. “It’s me. Am I bothering you?”

Oliver’s hair is messy and his green sweater is casual. He looks as if it’s his day off, like he’s not in armor, and my chest warms at the sight.

“Hi,” he says. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

I don’t miss how his eyes momentarily flick down my body. We’re both dressed down today, and there’s an unexpected intimacy in that. “I didn’t mean to barge in.”

“You’re never a bother.” His eyes are dark and piercing, and I know he’s thinking about the exact same thing that I am. About our kiss yesterday. How close we had gotten, out there in the glen. I lean against the door frame, my mind blank.

“I wanted to say thank you for yesterday.”

“It was my pleasure. You’re a really good rider.” His smile is crooked. “Well, for a big city girl.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Acton counts as big?”

“It’s ten times the size of Claremont.”

“It’s hard not to be. This town is so small that everyone knows one another’s zodiac signs.”

He shakes his head, a smile hovering around the corners of his lips. “Not yours, though. No one knows quite what to think about you.”

“They’re getting to know me,” I say. “Slowly.”

Oliver nods. “And I’m sure they like what they see.”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face at the compliment, and it’s mirrored in the sparkle in his eyes. My stomach is a mess of nerves, of butterflies, of excitement.

I want him to kiss me again.

“So, the fair is tonight,” I say, running my hand along the door frame. “Apparently, the whole town is going to be there.”

He frowns. “So I’ve heard, yes.”

“Your sister told me you’d don’t usually go to things like that.”

“To amusement fairs? No, there aren’t many in Claremont.”

I shoot him a small smile, and I appreciate the effort of humor, but it’s not what I meant. Oliver knows it too, because he glances away and sighs.

“This town talks too much,” he says.

“I’m with you on that one. I can’t imagine having been talked about for… five years?”

He snorts. “Try all my life.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Maybe their opinions don’t matter. Maybe it’s just background noise, you know,” I say. It’s still something I’m working on myself.

His gaze grows thoughtful. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I’ll be there if you want to come.” I smooth my hair back behind my ear, suddenly awkward. “So will Sarah. Just wanted to let you know…”

“Thank you.”