Heart of Stone - Book 1: Fighting Fate

Aubree felt like shit the next morning. She couldn’t even pull herself out of bed when Dan got up to get ready for work. She just lay there on her side facing the wall, thinking about what happened the previous day.

Something had changed inside her. Dan’s touch didn’t excite her the way it had before, and she wanted it to. She desperately wanted to feel that spark she got when he kissed her passionately. The butterflies that swarmed her stomach when he trailed kisses over her breasts and down her navel.

What was wrong with her?

It’s not like the sex was terrible. It was as incredible as it always was, but something was missing, and that scared her.

Had they lost the magic in their relationship already?

She rolled over, chiding herself that that couldn’t be it. It was too soon for it to be gone—they had just moved in together.

Then why did it hurt inside so much?

Once she heard Dan leave the apartment, she pulled herself up and went into the bathroom. She scowled at her reflection in disgust. Her honey brown hair was matted in huge knots from tossing and turning all night. Her hazel eyes had huge puffy bags underneath. Her creamy white skin looked all splotchy as if she’d been crying when she hadn’t.

“Look at yourself. You’re a mess.”

She picked up her brush to tame her hair before getting in the shower.

She went to the café for breakfast, but even the delicious pastries didn’t entice her this time. She ordered her coffee and sat down at an empty table in one of the corners.

She sat there for an hour, glancing at the door and scrolling through her phone as a distraction.

She knew why she was there, and she was disappointed when he didn’t show up. What was his angle? Why go through the trouble of scaring her half to death and then walking away? It didn’t make sense.

She strolled around the neighborhood again that day, but even the strange sensation she had gotten in the days prior was gone. She could walk comfortably in the morning sunlight and enjoy it for a change, but no. Not today. The sun was cold on her skin and she hugged herself to keep warm even though it was a warm morning in May.

The day passed by uneventfully, as did the next. And the next.

By Friday morning, she had pretty much given up. She’d never see him again.

For some reason, it disappointed her. She didn’t even know his name, for god’s sake.

She’d arrived that morning a little earlier than usual at the café, and the morning rush was still in full swing. She waited in a small line for her turn when a woman bumped into her from behind.

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” she said looking at Aubree over a book with apologetic chocolate brown eyes.

Aubree smiled at the brunette with her long, rich, copper-flecked brown hair that hung in loose waves over her shoulders. She looked to be about the same age as Aubree, maybe a year or two younger, slim and trim, and a few inches taller as well.

“That’s okay,” Aubree said. “It’s a little crowded in here anyway.”

The woman’s eyes widened a touch. “I know, right? I come here all the time, but never this early!”

Aubree blinked in surprise at her. “Really? I’m only fifteen minutes earlier than I usually get here and I’ve never seen you before. I am new in town though.”

The brunette tucked her book into a large sunshine yellow purse hanging off her right shoulder. “Oh, you’re new? When did you move in?”

Aubree gave her a friendly smile, realizing that the woman was trying to engage her in friendly chitchat as they stood in line. She fully expected the woman to bid her farewell and leave once she placed her order, but instead, she picked up her tea and continued chatting away with Aubree as she moved to a table by the window.

“I’m Gwen, by the way,” she said, putting her cup on the table and reaching across it to shake Aubree’s hand.

Aubree shook it and introduced herself before they both took their seats.

“Moving in with your boyfriend is pretty exciting though, isn’t it? I mean, you guys were in a long-distance relationship for how long?”

“About two and a half years.”

“Wow! I couldn’t have done that. I mean, meeting someone special and then having them leave for a few days is hard, but years?” She clucked her tongue. “Girl, he must be something special.”

Aubree smiled. “Yeah, he is.”

She felt a twist in her heart and tried to push the thought of the strange man from her mind. He kept flaring up from time to time and it was not only distracting but also annoying. The guy had issues and she hadn’t seen him since. Why did she keep thinking about him?

Maybe it was just a way of trying to avoid running into him again?

Yeah, that had to be it.

As Gwen took a sip from her tea, Aubree asked her about her significant other.

She shook her head. “Nope. Never found him. Not yet, anyway.”

“Oh, well,” Aubree said, searching her mind for something to say. “Hopefully you’ll find Mr. Right. No rush. We’re still young. Might as well have fun.”

“Hell yeah,” Gwen said, lifting her paper cup to toast Aubree to it.

Laughing, Aubree touched her cup to hers and they both took a sip.

“My father keeps telling me to go to Europe and try my luck there,” Gwen said with a sigh. “But I can’t leave my boys here. They need me too much.”

Aubree raised an eyebrow. “Your boys?”

Gwen’s head tilted a bit. “Yeah, my dad and brother. It’s been the three of us for some time. Oh, and a few close relatives, but yeah.”

Aubree pressed her lips together. “What about your mom?”

Gwen chewed on her bottom lip before she glanced out the window to the people walking by. “She died a long time ago.”

Aubree’s heart constricted as her fingers itched to reach out and touch the young woman’s hand, but she hesitated at the comforting gesture. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Gwen’s sorrow-filled eyes glanced back at Aubree with almost a pleading look within their depths. “It’s okay. My dad still struggles to let go, and who can blame him? She was his soulmate. You only ever get one in life.”

Aubree swallowed. She wasn’t sure if she believed in soulmates. Was Dan her soulmate? Were her parents soulmates? How did couples know if they were soulmates or not?

Silence fell over them. Aubree didn’t know what to say after that.

Gwen tried to brighten up a bit. “My dad likes to come here too sometimes. He said it makes him feel at home. Must be the smell of vanilla in the air.”

Aubree gave her a small smile in return. “Yeah, I noticed that too. Have you tried the pastries? They’re delicious.”

“Oh, I know!” Gwen almost squealed and Aubree couldn’t help but grin back at her.

She liked this girl. She had no friends here, and she knew she couldn’t live without a girl’s company that she could go out with every now and then. Gwen seemed to like her too. Was there a chance that they could be friends?

“So,” Aubree hesitated, feeling awkward with how to word it. “Since I’m new here and everything... and I don’t have any friends... you wanna... you know...”

“Hang out?” Gwen finished, flashing Aubree a perfect set of pearly whites.

Aubree nodded, feeling sheepish. “Yeah. Can I get your number? Maybe meet up with you for coffee every now and then?”

“Of course!” Gwen said, practically dancing in her seat.

They exchanged numbers and Gwen quickly added, “Oh, by the way, my family and I share this phone. So if you get a guy answering it, it’s either my dad or brother, so don’t mind them.”

Aubree’s eyebrows arched up. “You guys share it?”

“Of course. Have you seen cell phone prices? They cost a fortune! We rarely use it anyway, so why bother wasting money when one person won’t be able to use all the data, minutes and whatnot on their own plan? But yeah, just shoot me a text or call me, and we can definitely meet up for coffee again.”

She nodded but felt weird about sending her messages if someone else might see it. She guessed it couldn’t be helped since she didn’t hold the purse strings for that phone.

It must have been hard for her father to raise two kids on his own. As Gwen continued to chat her up for another half hour or so, Aubree couldn’t help but wonder how she could be so cheerful despite having no mother. She loved her mother dearly, and yeah, sometimes she drove her crazy, but she wouldn’t want to trade her for anyone else in this world.

I should call her later and let her know how things are going, she thought as she emptied her cup and licked her lips.

They got up shortly afterward and said goodbye. Aubree agreed to call her to set up another time to get together since she started her new job the following Monday. Maybe one day she could meet Gwen’s father and shake his hand? He sounded like an admirable, stand-up man after all.