Read Online Buried Secrets (New Adult Dark Suspense Romance) by Emme Rollins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emme Rollins
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father ran the store but she thought Ryan would have left for school already. He was starting Michigan State, just like her brother. Not anymore. She cut off the thought, swallowing the lump still stuck in her throat as she approached the counter.
Ryan looked good, his dark hair buzzed short, his jaw square and strong, his eyes blue and bright behind round, wire John Lennon frames as he looked up at the sound of the bells attached to the door.
“Hey Ryan.” She glanced around, the aroma of the empty store sweetly floral and a little cloying.
“Dusty!” Ryan smiled at her—it was a smile that stole all the girls’ hearts the minute they saw it, broad and bright and full of mischief. “Damn, you look gorgeous. Come on, girl, you can’t go around rocking a braid and still look like you walked out of the middle of Cosmo. It’s just not fair.”
“I don’t know if I should thank you or apologize.” She blushed in spite of her attempt not to. He came around the counter, giving her a once-over before holding his arms out for a hug. He hadn’t acknowledged Nick’s death with platitudes, but there was a pain in his eyes she recognized. He was one of the small gang of guys Shane and Nick always hung out with, someone she was familiar seeing sprawled out on the living room couch eating Doritos and yelling at the X-Box. She couldn’t help remembering how he’d cried shamelessly at the funeral home over Nick’s casket, real, wracking sobs, and her heart went out to him.
Dusty let him hug her. She even let herself enjoy it for a moment, his strong embrace and the way he pressed his lips to her forehead, a sweet gesture.
“I’m so sorry.” His words felt genuine. They were full of the same loss she felt lodged in her chest.
“Thanks.” Dusty broke his hold, taking a step back and looking around the store with a small smile to cover the sharp stab of pain she felt near her heart. Was this ever going to get easier? She attempted to change the subject. “So how’s business?”
“Good. Too good.” Ryan moved behind the counter again, leaning against it as she approached. “Far too many funerals lately.”
“I’m surprised to see you. I thought you’d be gone to school already”
“No, I’m working here.” Ryan fussed with his arrangement, moving baby’s breath from one side to the other. “Decided to put college off for a semester. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
She blinked, contemplating this. Her own parents had picked up their lives like nothing had happened, but Ryan Clark was taking a semester off school because his friend had been killed. It was a paradox her mind couldn’t quite grasp.
“Where’s your dad?”
“He had to go to another funeral over in Millsberg.” Ryan tucked lavender into the mix, cocking his head and taking a step back to look at the new addition.
Dusty winced. “Whose?”
“That kid who got killed the other night.” Ryan frowned at his arrangement, taking the baby’s breath out and putting it on the counter. “My dad was a friend of the family. Heck, even I knew Scott. He and little Joe always palled around together.”
“I’m sorry.” Dusty recognized her own polite response, the one she’d cringed at coming from so many others.
“It’s a nightmare.” He glanced toward the door, where someone walked by but didn’t come in. “My mom says it’s the full moon. She works at the hospital in Millsberg and says it always brings out the crazies.”
“Think it might be a werewolf?” Dusty teased.
“That’s not even funny.” Ryan paled. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry I didn’t come to the cemetery. I won’t go out there until they catch this thing. It just freaks me out.”
“It’s okay.” She could forgive him for not going, considering she had been willing to have sex in the funeral home closet in order to avoid the same thing, and probably would have gone through with it if Shane hadn’t stopped her. “I just can’t believe it.
Ryan looked good, his dark hair buzzed short, his jaw square and strong, his eyes blue and bright behind round, wire John Lennon frames as he looked up at the sound of the bells attached to the door.
“Hey Ryan.” She glanced around, the aroma of the empty store sweetly floral and a little cloying.
“Dusty!” Ryan smiled at her—it was a smile that stole all the girls’ hearts the minute they saw it, broad and bright and full of mischief. “Damn, you look gorgeous. Come on, girl, you can’t go around rocking a braid and still look like you walked out of the middle of Cosmo. It’s just not fair.”
“I don’t know if I should thank you or apologize.” She blushed in spite of her attempt not to. He came around the counter, giving her a once-over before holding his arms out for a hug. He hadn’t acknowledged Nick’s death with platitudes, but there was a pain in his eyes she recognized. He was one of the small gang of guys Shane and Nick always hung out with, someone she was familiar seeing sprawled out on the living room couch eating Doritos and yelling at the X-Box. She couldn’t help remembering how he’d cried shamelessly at the funeral home over Nick’s casket, real, wracking sobs, and her heart went out to him.
Dusty let him hug her. She even let herself enjoy it for a moment, his strong embrace and the way he pressed his lips to her forehead, a sweet gesture.
“I’m so sorry.” His words felt genuine. They were full of the same loss she felt lodged in her chest.
“Thanks.” Dusty broke his hold, taking a step back and looking around the store with a small smile to cover the sharp stab of pain she felt near her heart. Was this ever going to get easier? She attempted to change the subject. “So how’s business?”
“Good. Too good.” Ryan moved behind the counter again, leaning against it as she approached. “Far too many funerals lately.”
“I’m surprised to see you. I thought you’d be gone to school already”
“No, I’m working here.” Ryan fussed with his arrangement, moving baby’s breath from one side to the other. “Decided to put college off for a semester. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
She blinked, contemplating this. Her own parents had picked up their lives like nothing had happened, but Ryan Clark was taking a semester off school because his friend had been killed. It was a paradox her mind couldn’t quite grasp.
“Where’s your dad?”
“He had to go to another funeral over in Millsberg.” Ryan tucked lavender into the mix, cocking his head and taking a step back to look at the new addition.
Dusty winced. “Whose?”
“That kid who got killed the other night.” Ryan frowned at his arrangement, taking the baby’s breath out and putting it on the counter. “My dad was a friend of the family. Heck, even I knew Scott. He and little Joe always palled around together.”
“I’m sorry.” Dusty recognized her own polite response, the one she’d cringed at coming from so many others.
“It’s a nightmare.” He glanced toward the door, where someone walked by but didn’t come in. “My mom says it’s the full moon. She works at the hospital in Millsberg and says it always brings out the crazies.”
“Think it might be a werewolf?” Dusty teased.
“That’s not even funny.” Ryan paled. “Hey, listen, I’m sorry I didn’t come to the cemetery. I won’t go out there until they catch this thing. It just freaks me out.”
“It’s okay.” She could forgive him for not going, considering she had been willing to have sex in the funeral home closet in order to avoid the same thing, and probably would have gone through with it if Shane hadn’t stopped her. “I just can’t believe it.
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