Page 3 of Ever After Between the Lines (Montgomery Ink Legacy)

Chapter Three

STONE

Thanks to Arlo’s intervention, I had been in Colorado and away from the Ruin and the Kingdom for four weeks now. Four weeks of me trying to figure out what the fuck I was going to do.

Sarina hadn’t wanted anything to do with me, and frankly, I didn’t blame her. I had shown up out of the blue, not knowing what the hell I wanted, and she hadn’t wanted me. Had practically shoved me out of the way. And I get it. She walked away, and I probably would’ve done the same in her case.

I missed her, damn it. Of course, I had missed her when she left before, when she had gotten out and taken the step before I had. She was far stronger than I was, far stronger than I would ever be.

Not that she would let me tell her that. No, she wanted nothing to do with me, and while I was a bastard, an asshole, I wasn’t about to force her into spending time with me. So that meant I had to stay away. At least until I found some form of steadiness.

I didn’t go into Taboo or Ink on Tap. Those were the two places that I knew for sure that she worked.

In the past four years, she seemed to have found her place, a set of friends, maybe even a family here.

And I wasn’t part of that.

Maybe I didn’t need to be part of that. Hell, I wanted to be part of that. She was my goddamn forever, and I just wished somehow she would let that happen. She would fall for me again and not want to let go.

Only, if I pushed, if I crowded in, she’d hate me more than she already did. And considering I knew she despised seeing me, that was saying something.

“You ready to go, Stone?” I shook myself out of my funk and looked up at Luc, my boss.

I had been out of a job, in need of funds, and a new way to start my life.

In a past life, I had once considered becoming an electrician. I was good at it and can usually rig up anything around me that was needed.

That was what the King had used me for when I wasn’t a runner.

So I used the skills I had honed in the business to find a job here.

Now I worked at Montgomery Inc. and was working my ass off.

When I wasn’t helping Luc with setting up the electric, I was lifting and hammering and sawing, doing whatever else I needed to do for the company.

An entire family owned and operated this place.

It was nice seeing how one member of the family was the architect, the other the lead contractor, and one even a plumber.

Luc was the electrician. He had married into the family; his wife Meghan was the lead landscape architect.

They built homes and some commercial buildings, but whatever contract they got, they seemed to put their all in, always to code and worked with high-end materials.

They were the real deal, completely the opposite of what I used to do.

I felt like maybe I could find a home here, not that I thought I’d ever actually be able to stay.

No, eventually, I’d have to go. Because I knew the King wouldn’t let me stay for long.

Maybe it was a good thing that Sarina was gone then.

That she wanted nothing to do with me, because when the King found me, when he sent his men after the runner they had lost, if he even cared that much, they would find her too, and I would never let anything happen to her.

I was down on the ground, my hands covered in dirt as I lifted a box for Luc, when I heard a familiar voice. A voice that broke me.

I stiffened, even as Luc grinned widely on the other side of me.

“Hey man, we’re going to take a break.”

I cleared my throat and looked up at the dark-skinned man. “Excuse me?”

“My wife’s here.”

“Oh.”

I stood up next to Luc and wiped my hands on my jeans. “I’ve met Meghan.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty great, isn’t she?”

Only it wasn’t Meghan I was looking at. Yes, Meghan, with her dark hair and bright blue eyes was gorgeous, but she only had eyes for Luc, just like I only had eyes for the girl next to her.

Sarina stood there, her hair piled on the top of her head, her hazel eyes wide as she looked at me.

Whatever color had been in her face from her laughter earlier was gone. Instead, it leeched from her skin as she stared at me as if she had seen a ghost.

Maybe she had.

I wasn’t supposed to be here. I had done my best to stay away. Why the hell was she here?

Luc cleared his throat and looked at me. “I know you’re running. We all do. I guess you know Sarina?”

“From a lifetime ago.”

When we had been young, foolish, and thought we could take on the world. But in the end, we hadn’t been able to do anything. We hadn’t been able to save ourselves.

“You know, I almost made a mistake before by leaving and not fighting. You might be trying to figure out who you are, but if you think she’s worth it, apologize. Make sure she knows she’s the center of your universe. And don’t fuck it up.”

I looked up at the other man and frowned. “You can tell all that from a look?”

“You can tell a lot of things when you’ve been there before.”

Luc shrugged, set down his equipment, then walked over to his wife. “Hey there, baby.”

“Hey there, baby, right back.”

They kissed each other like they weren’t on their worksite, as if they hadn’t been married for years.

“What’d you bring me?”

“Hailey was busy today, a conference downtown had heard about Taboo, and now she’s stressed out. She sent Sarina here with our lunches, and I said I would help.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sarina,” Luc said as he held up his hand. Sarina smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. After all, she was looking at me, then she shook her head, smiled for real, and took Luc’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you. Hailey always talks so well about the family. I’m glad I could finally come out here.”

“I’m glad you could too.” Luc swung his arm around Meghan’s shoulders. “Are you going to join us for lunch?”

“Oh, I should go back. Hailey needs me.”

“Okay then, just let me know what you need. I’m going to go take my wife to neck around the side.”

“Luc!” Meghan laughed, but she didn’t counter that. Instead, she followed him, leaving Sarina and me alone.

“You’re here,” she whispered.

“Yeah. I’ve been working here for a bit.” I cleared my throat. “I didn’t know you’d be here. I know you said you wanted space, and I figured I’d do the one thing I should’ve done a long time ago and fucking listen to you.”

She shook her head and looked down at the baskets around her. “I just brought lunch for the crew. Hailey does that every once in a while. Her bakery is right next to Montgomery Ink. The two families own the business, and they’re all close.”

“That’s cool. Luc was telling me a little bit about it.”

“So, you’re an electrician now?” she asked as she stared at me.

“I always have been. I didn’t do it for the right things.”

“No, I guess you didn’t.”

I shuddered, pushing away thoughts of what I’d been forced to do in the past, because I wasn’t that person anymore, at least, that’s what I told myself.

“Anyway, I’ll leave you be. If that’s what you want.”

“I don’t know what I want, Stone. How are you here?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t expect you.”

“Well, to say that I didn’t expect you would be an understatement.”

“I’m sorry. For taking up your space. For being here. But I missed you, Sarina.”

“It’s been years, Stone. I already told you we’re not the same people.”

“You’re right. We aren’t. I’d still like to get to know you.”

“Really?” she asked, and I could tell she didn’t believe me.

“I do. I want to get to know you. I’m here for the long haul, Sarina.” As long as they didn’t find me. But neither one of us needed to say that.

“I left all that behind me. I don’t know if I’m ready to see it again.”

“I’m not that person. I left. I should’ve left a long time ago, but I never crossed that line. I was never that guy.”

We both knew what I was talking about; there was no need to say the words aloud.

“I was so afraid that you’d be pushed into it. I never thought you’d willingly take that step.”

“Sarina,” I whispered.

“I’m just so afraid. What if you wake up and realize that you miss that life?”

“No,” I said vehemently. “I’m not that guy. I left because I needed to, because I wanted to. Because I missed you.”

“Don’t put that all on me. Don’t say that you left only for me.”

“I didn’t. I left because I wanted to, because I needed my life back. I stayed because of my brother, and that was wrong, but he’s gone. They all are. I don’t want to be part of that life anymore.”

“That life is long behind me, Stone.”

“Good. Then let’s start over.”

I held up my hand. “Hi, I’m Stone.”

She looked up at me, then down at my hand, her body shaking slightly as she sucked in a breath.

“Stone,” she whispered. Then she let out a breath, met my gaze, and slid her hand into mine. “I’m Sarina.”

“Sarina,” I whispered, relief hitting me like a two-by-four.

“I’m scared,” she said, with a hollow laugh. “What if you leave again? What if I have to leave?”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Sarina.”

“We both know you can’t promise that.”

“I’ll try my damned best. But we’re going to start over, remember? I’m just Stone. You’re just Sarina.”

She looked at me then and shook her head.

“I don’t think there’s anything just about that.

But we can start over. Because walking away from you hurt, it killed me, and I don’t think I’m strong enough to do it again.

” And so we stood there, as others milled about, and I stared at the woman that I loved, the girl that had walked away, and the woman she had become.

I had to hope this wasn’t a dream, that this wasn’t going to fall around me.

I knew better.

I had always known better.

I just hoped it wasn’t too late.