Running With Devils

Two

"Sorry," I laughed awkwardly. "I'm just so happy you're here. I— I think I really just needed to see you."

He flicked my nose lightly, making me scrunch my face.

"Well, here I am," he grinned.

My smile softens. His familiar presence soothed me in ways that I still never understood. Letting him go live out his dream hurt me in ways that I would never recover from.

"Here you are," I breathed, unable to tear my gaze from his warm honey eyes that seemed to swallow me whole each time I gazed into them.

We walked into town in neutral silence. The streets were well populated with Halloween decorations and pumpkins.

"They still have that fair running on the thirty-first? That thing must be running over fifty years," James mused, breaking the silence.

I sigh heavily. "Fifty-three years and counting."

He frowns. "I was gone for five years?"

"Yea," I spoke, hiding the evidence of severe longing in my voice.

"Fuck. I'm sorry, Cory. I should have come to visit—"

"No. It's fine," I swallow. "You shouldn't have to be tethered to this town. Not because of me."

He shakes his head. "You shouldn't say that," he says tiredly. "You're not just some weight dragging me back here. You know that I still care about you. Don't you?"

My heart swells. "Of course I do. I still care about you too."

"It's really hard not being around you, you know," he says, looking over at me softly.

My chest ached. The decision to part ways was mostly mine. It left him hurt. But as much as he claimed I wasn't just something tying him to this place, I was. I always would be. I wouldn't leave this town.

He had the ability to leave and go out on his own. It would've been selfish of me to keep him.

"I know," I whispered.

"I tried dating after you and it didn't feel right," he laughed quietly. "In fact, it felt wrong."

Shit, James. Please just let it go.

"I know you'll get a good one," I sigh. "Just give it time."

He let out a heavy breath, chuckling softly. "Right. Time. The one thing that I don't actually have."

I snorted. "Jobs kicking your ass, huh?"
"You have no idea," he laughed.

"No hot single lawyers in your area?"

"None that aren't raging egotistical control freaks," he joked.

"Oh come on," I whined. "There has to be someone you'd like in a city filled with nearly twenty million people."

He just shrugged. "Maybe."

***

Merryweathers was quiet this afternoon. Gennevieve was casually cleaning the countertops when we walked in. Her face perked up.

"Well if my eyes aren't deceiving me, that is James Turner," she smiled. "How are you?"

"Hey, Genny," he greeted warmly. "I'm doing great. How are you?"

"I missed your latte art," she laughed.
"What? You don't like my blobs anymore," I asked, feigning a pout.

"Oh, you know I adore them. I just missed him is all," she laughed. "How's that big fancy lawyer job going? Having fun?"