Romance: Love Left Behind - A Mystery Romance: (Romance, Mystery, Mystery Romance, Romantic Suspense) by Paige Powers Page A
Authors: Paige Powers
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always saw crying as a weakness. It was going to be awful saying goodbye to his grandfather. The sound of Mina’s screaming faded into the background as the deafening roar of sadness rushed into his ears.
Chapter Five:
2014 – Starla
The few days after the beating went by without incident. Starla went to work, helped her customers, and then went home. At home she cuddled with Blair, cooked his food, and cleaned up. He wasn’t sweet to her, per se, but he was much more mild-mannered than usual. It was a pleasant break from the normal routine, but Starla didn’t think it would last for long. It never did. But for now she would enjoy the simplicity of monotony, the simple day to day existence that she had grown so accustomed to.
At the diner, Starla went about her business without a hitch. She filled coffee cups to the brim with piping hot brew, handed out slices of fresh blueberry pie, and gossiped with the other waitresses. Every so often, Katie would pull her to the side and ask her if she was doing okay. Every time, Starla reassured her friend that everything was going fine and there was no need to worry.
Maybe this wasn’t the way that Starla thought her life would turn out. But if she had figured out anything in her short twenty-five years on earth it was that nothing really ever went the way people thought it would. There was no point in making plans in life. The only thing that was certain about living was the constant ebb and flow of direction.
On Wednesday, Starla walked into the kitchen to find Katie pacing back and forth, a worried look on her face. Katie looked up upon her entrance and said, “Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” asked Starla.
“Cole Brindell passed away yesterday.” Katie tapped her long fake pink nails against the wall, drumming out a nervous beat. “The funeral is this upcoming weekend.”
“Oh my god.” Starla thought back to her childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Brindell had been like a second set of parents to her. Despite all that had happened between her and Ben, she knew that she could always go talk to Mr. or Mrs. Brindell if she needed anything. She didn’t know Grandpa Cole that well, though she had met him a few times. He was a kind old man, somewhat forgetful, but always very sweet. “Mr. and Mrs. Brindell must be devastated.”
A small whir of annoyance sounded from the back of Katie’s throat. “Yeah, I’m sure they are. But do you know what this means?”
“What?”
“It means Ben is coming back to town for the funeral,” said Katie slowly, as if she was spelling something out for someone who didn’t have the highest level of intelligence. “If you and your family go to the funeral to support the Brindells, you’re going to have to come face to face with Ben.” The tapping ceased as Katie walked forward and placed one hand on Starla’s shoulder. Her nails dug into Starla’s skin as Katie gazed deep into Starla’s eyes and finished, “That could be really good, the two of you together. But you know Blair’s going to throw a fit when he finds out.”
For the rest of the morning, Starla was distracted by the idea of seeing the only guy she ever truly fell in love with, again. She loved Blair but she wasn’t in love with Blair. At least she didn’t think she was. In Ben’s case, she knew that she had been in love with him. Of that, there was no doubt. She drifted through the diner like a ghost, barely interacting with her customers except to briefly pour coffee or take an order. At one point, she tripped on the carpet and sent the scraps of a half-eaten pancake breakfast sailing across the floor.
She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about Ben showing back up in Bellen after eight years of being gone. Of course she was excited. Starla and Ben had always had a special bond. She cared about Blair but she didn’t think she would ever feel the same way about anyone like
Chapter Five:
2014 – Starla
The few days after the beating went by without incident. Starla went to work, helped her customers, and then went home. At home she cuddled with Blair, cooked his food, and cleaned up. He wasn’t sweet to her, per se, but he was much more mild-mannered than usual. It was a pleasant break from the normal routine, but Starla didn’t think it would last for long. It never did. But for now she would enjoy the simplicity of monotony, the simple day to day existence that she had grown so accustomed to.
At the diner, Starla went about her business without a hitch. She filled coffee cups to the brim with piping hot brew, handed out slices of fresh blueberry pie, and gossiped with the other waitresses. Every so often, Katie would pull her to the side and ask her if she was doing okay. Every time, Starla reassured her friend that everything was going fine and there was no need to worry.
Maybe this wasn’t the way that Starla thought her life would turn out. But if she had figured out anything in her short twenty-five years on earth it was that nothing really ever went the way people thought it would. There was no point in making plans in life. The only thing that was certain about living was the constant ebb and flow of direction.
On Wednesday, Starla walked into the kitchen to find Katie pacing back and forth, a worried look on her face. Katie looked up upon her entrance and said, “Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” asked Starla.
“Cole Brindell passed away yesterday.” Katie tapped her long fake pink nails against the wall, drumming out a nervous beat. “The funeral is this upcoming weekend.”
“Oh my god.” Starla thought back to her childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Brindell had been like a second set of parents to her. Despite all that had happened between her and Ben, she knew that she could always go talk to Mr. or Mrs. Brindell if she needed anything. She didn’t know Grandpa Cole that well, though she had met him a few times. He was a kind old man, somewhat forgetful, but always very sweet. “Mr. and Mrs. Brindell must be devastated.”
A small whir of annoyance sounded from the back of Katie’s throat. “Yeah, I’m sure they are. But do you know what this means?”
“What?”
“It means Ben is coming back to town for the funeral,” said Katie slowly, as if she was spelling something out for someone who didn’t have the highest level of intelligence. “If you and your family go to the funeral to support the Brindells, you’re going to have to come face to face with Ben.” The tapping ceased as Katie walked forward and placed one hand on Starla’s shoulder. Her nails dug into Starla’s skin as Katie gazed deep into Starla’s eyes and finished, “That could be really good, the two of you together. But you know Blair’s going to throw a fit when he finds out.”
For the rest of the morning, Starla was distracted by the idea of seeing the only guy she ever truly fell in love with, again. She loved Blair but she wasn’t in love with Blair. At least she didn’t think she was. In Ben’s case, she knew that she had been in love with him. Of that, there was no doubt. She drifted through the diner like a ghost, barely interacting with her customers except to briefly pour coffee or take an order. At one point, she tripped on the carpet and sent the scraps of a half-eaten pancake breakfast sailing across the floor.
She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about Ben showing back up in Bellen after eight years of being gone. Of course she was excited. Starla and Ben had always had a special bond. She cared about Blair but she didn’t think she would ever feel the same way about anyone like
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