Page 71 of Your Last First Kiss

“Kai is okay. Physically, anyway. He’s home now with Pen and Matty.”

He takes the seat across from me. His kind eyes, wrinkled with age, hold a million stories and it makes you want to open up and tell him all your secrets. It’s unnerving and comforting at the same time.

“I hate that Kai saw me like that. So out of control. I’ve never felt such anger,” I say quietly.

“Anger and fear often smell the same,” he says, settling deeper into the metal chair.

“I was terrified,” I agree.

“’Cause you love hard.”

“I—”

“And you know this kind of pain.”

“Jesus.”

“I can see it in your eyes. I can also sense that you’re a good kid.”

I bite my lip instead of telling him I’m almost forty.

“Do you know what Chance Lake, Faith Falls, and Hope Hollow all have in common?” he asks.

“Really shitty town names?” When he doesn’t answer, I say, “They’re the three towns connected to the TAC.”

“Connected by the TAC,” he corrects.

“They’re still terrible names.”

“Are they? I don’t think so.” He lowers his elbows onto the table and suddenly appears tired. Bone tired. The kind that comes from years of carrying the town.

“Chance, hope, faith,” he says, ticking them off on his bony fingers. “They’re all dependent on someone else. You can have hope for a better life. You can have faith in a better life. You can even leave it up to chance, but without the missing piece, they’re just empty wishes.”

“But you still have to work to make them happen.” I’m not really sure where this conversation is going.

“Yup. But everyone needs someone to survive, too. Not everyone has someone.”

I stare at him as pieces of the puzzle form in my head. “You became their someone,” I say with a hint of awe in my voice.

“I became their someone. It’s important to have a safe space to land.”

My throat feels itchy. “What are you doing here, Remy?”

“I came to see if you care enough to work for it.”

“I care.” I release a heavy breath. “I care,” I repeat, holding my head in my hands.

“I know you do, but I’m not talking about the TAC.”

That has me lifting my head a little too quickly. My neck crackles, and I try to sit back in my chair. “What are you talking about then?”

“Penny. Those kids. The town. Stepping into someone else’s shoes is one of the hardest things to do. You’re a leader. You were never meant to follow. But you’ve been wandering without direction for some time now.”

“Let me guess. You had a talk with Ashton?”

“No, I looked into your eyes.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and count to ten. If he’s about to tell me he’s some kind of fortune teller or something, I’ll officially think he’s off his rocker.