Page 1 of Meet Me in the Valley (Oakwood Valley #2)

LOGAN

THEN

A reckless, selfish question rips through my mind, even as my lungs shriek for oxygen and the edges of my vision start to blur.

What if I don’t come up to the surface?

What if I stay here, submerged underneath the frigid water, until my body surrenders to the pain and gives way?

It’s easier to imagine myself sinking further and further down into the inky water until my back hits the earthy muck. Gritty and slimy between my fingers and toes.

All the noise would stop if I’m under here. It’s almost like I can erase bad memories. Memories I wish would leave my mind forever.

I focus on the pulse in my ears, a steady bum bum, bum bum . Then Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” plays a perfect soundtrack to my proverbial, slow descent to the bottom, where I don’t have to face reality. I don’t have to face her anymore.

She left you. She’s gone. You don’t mat ? —

“Hey!”

My eyes fly open at the sudden intrusion, blinking rapidly until I make out the dark outline of someone hovering over me. Even upside down, the dim light from the rickety wooden dock I’m lying on doesn’t hide her faint scowl and long dark hair.

I rip my earbuds out, pausing my music to see who the mystery girl is that tore me from my decrepit thoughts. Perhaps I should thank her. It was getting a bit morbid in there.

I sit up, turning my body to face her. She has one eyebrow raised in question, arms crossed over her chest with her hip popped out as if I’m the one who rudely interrupted her night of deranged dreaming.

She’s pretty. Really pretty. Straight, long onyx hair, cat-like eyes that regard me with annoyance— cute .

Slender and athletic, she’s got the kind of figure you notice without meaning to—her shirt riding up just enough to reveal a toned stomach, those jean shorts hugging legs that look like they’ve put in serious time at the gym or on a running trail.

We stay in this stare off for a couple beats when I realize I know her.

“Tia?”

“Yeah. Want to tell me why you’re here in my spot, Logan Harper?”

I let out a chuckle, clearly amused by the bite in her tone. I make no moves to stand, keeping my spot on the edge of the dock as the moon beams like a spotlight over the quiet lake.

Her spot?

I didn’t think anyone would come out here. Especially this late at night. Even though it’s summer and sophomore year is over, I figured kids our age are out at some random party or sneaking off through vineyards drinking and smoking weed.

I suppose I’d be one of those kids, but not tonight. Tonight, it’s me, myself, and I on Mr. Torren’s private property.

Well, me—and now, Tia Young.

“Your spot, huh? I’ve been coming to Torren’s property since the seventh grade. I’ve never seen you here before. How’d you even find out about it?”

Mr. Torren is an old-timer, a local favorite in our hometown of Oakwood Valley. His family property is massive. A couple hundred acres. This lake isn’t huge, but it’s been a place of solace for me in the valley for a long time.

“Mr. Torren is a good friend of mine. He always comes to the diner every Sunday morning when I’m working. He lets me come here whenever I want to…”

“Escape?”

There’s a shimmer in her eyes, widening ever so slightly as I finish her sentence for her. I know that look. She’s broken, too. Not sure why, but I won’t be the one to make it worse for her. Tia nods, a flash of vulnerability crossing her face.

“There’s room for two on this dock,” I say with a smirk, patting the space next to me.

I see a hint of a smile on her lips, and I don’t know why that sends a comforting warmth through me.

Taking my invitation, Tia lowers herself next to me, our legs swinging in time over the edge of the dock.

My lonely night becomes more interesting by the minute.

I know Tia Young, but I don’t know Tia Young.

We don’t run in the same circles. But with most small towns, you know everyone. Even if you don’t. And tonight—I could really use a friend.

“So,” I start, “what are you escaping?”

Tia’s gaze fixes on the lake, surrounded by wild brush and untamed foliage. It’s kind of perfect. I can see she appreciates the beauty of this place, so it makes sharing it a little easier.

“You first.”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I was here first. So, you go.”

“Exactly. You were here first. So you get to go first.”

I don’t miss the playful lilt to her voice and the upturn of her mouth. We both laugh under our breath, and it’s actually…nice.

It’s nice to laugh with someone who doesn’t really know who I am.

She doesn’t know what’s hurting me, what’s eating at me.

I don’t worry about judgement or unsolicited advice.

There’s a sort of ease between us. I know if I open up to her, it would be safe.

It’s a strange trust fall, but I know in my bones I wouldn’t fall flat on my face.

“You know, we have an entire summer to escape,” I tell her, dragging this out a little longer.

Tia sighs. “No. We don’t.” Her face falls, and there’s a slight wobble in her chin. “I’m moving.”

Oh.

“Where?”

“Texas. Austin, to be exact.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

Damn.

“But that’s not what’s bothering me. It totally sucks, but that’s the least of it. I don’t think I can … I don’t think I want to …” she trails off. Whatever it is, she doesn’t want to share.

Tia leans back on her palms, staring up at the full moon as a tear falls. I have the urge to reach out and brush it away, but I don’t.

Tia’s eyes tell me she’s in pain. Something deeper is eating at her.

Just like me.

When our gazes lock, it’s almost like looking in a mirror. Two strangers. Two stories. Two hurting hearts.

It’s not my place to pry. And by the unspoken exchange between us, we’re not ready to spill our secrets just yet.

I look up at the moon with her when the roar of an airplane cuts through the night sky.

“Where do you think they’re going?” I quietly ask.

“What?”

“The plane. Where do you think they’re going?”

I watch her contemplate her answer as she swipes away the tear on her cheek.

I’d like to think the ultimate escape is to hop on that plane and let it take us away.

Far away. Away from problems that us sixteen-year-olds shouldn’t have to deal with.

Whatever secrets we have could stay here at the bottom of Mr. Torren’s lake, and Tia and I could get on that plane and dream up a new place to be. Clean slate.

Maybe she’d like that. Maybe I would too.

“Hmm. I’d like to think somewhere out of the country. Like France,” she finally answers with a slight tilt to her lips. I smile at that.

“And who are they?”

I watch the lone 747 as its red blinking lights travel farther away from us, almost like a taunt.

“Hmm,” she hums, biting her lip. “Newlyweds. The wife had a dream to go to Paris, where they can make out like crazy in front of the Eiffel Tower.” Her smile is contagious, and her answer surprises me in a good way.

This girl is a mystery, but I’m lost to the cadence of her voice, fully curious and intrigued.

“And are they happy?”

I came to this dock tonight in a daze. Lost, lonely, a little broken. The dull ache in my chest sat like dead weight, no matter how many times I rubbed the spot, hoping to ease it.

Even though I already know the answer to the question I’ve asked, the look in Tia’s eyes confirms it. And when she whispers her reply, that ache lifts just for a moment, giving me my first full breath of the night.

“Yeah, Logan. They’re happy. Always happy.”

Who knows how long Tia and I sit side-by-side on the old wooden dock with only the sounds of crickets and soft rippling of water to accompany us. Neither of us seem to be in a rush, just content to share silence and use our newly found bond to do what we came here to do.

Escape.

I’m nodding off, exhaustion from my day finally catching up to me when Tia’s hand brushes against my shoulder.

“I’m gonna take off.”

“Oh. Yeah, alright. I’ll go too.”

I stand, then offer my hand. The second Tia’s hand touches mine, something invisible—undeniable—threads between us. A soul-tie woven in an instant.

Every fiber in my being tells me that tonight won’t be the last time I see Tia Young. Distance be damned. It’s the trust fall. A strange sensation I cannot explain.

We walk in silence to the top of the hill. I see her car parked behind my motorcycle.

It’s like a fork in the road where Tia’s future is on the left, and mine on the right. We stand in the middle, unmoving—staring. Not quite ready to let go of this new friendship we’ve forged.

“It’s too bad we became friends right before your move. If I would’ve known you were this cool, maybe we would’ve had more nights like this,” I say, stuffing my hands into the front pockets of my jeans.

Tia runs a hand through her dark tresses, giving me a smile as bright as the full moon tonight.

“Ah, well, your loss, Harper,” she teases, a soft chuckle tumbling out of her chest.

I laugh along with her, that easiness settling between us like it was always meant to be this way. I’ve never had that type of connection before, especially with a girl.

“Good luck in Texas. Maybe one day, we’ll see each other again.”

“I have no doubts about that. It doesn’t feel like the end of us.

Friends, that is,” she stutters the last part as I bark out another laugh.

Her cheeks redden, and before I can overthink it, I’m hauling her into my chest, squeezing her tight against me in a bear hug.

She’s tense for a second, then relaxes as she circles my waist.

“No, it’s not the end of us. Friends, that is,” I whisper into her hair with a smile.

We pull apart, and reluctantly I let her go. Once she’s in her car, I start up my bike and put my helmet on. Her headlights beam, and I watch her drive by me, starting down the dirt path.

Her brake lights flash red and her car stops about twenty feet away. The next thing I know, she’s flying out of the driver’s seat, running toward me. I swing my leg off my bike, pulling my helmet off quickly when she launches herself into my chest, causing me to stumble back.

When the sudden shock of her in my arms wears off, I hold her tight, letting her scent of citrus and vanilla engulf me.

See? Soul-tie.

“Thank you, Logan,” she murmurs, her hazel eyes boring into mine.

“Anytime. Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

I knick her chin gently with my knuckles, taking in her features one last time.

“Good. Go on, get out of here.”

Tia walks backwards a few steps, her gaze never leaving mine. She waves goodbye with that killer smile, then drives away into the summer night.

I watch her car grow smaller and smaller until she turns a corner, and I’m alone again.

But after meeting Tia, I don’t think I’ll ever really be alone. Even if I have to go back to an empty house with a broken family, I ride back to that reality with a stupid smile on my face.

Because of her .

The mystery girl on the other side of my trust fall.