“So tell me,” Lola said over the hum of the engine. “You said that I had met you both in time? What does that even mean?” She wracked her brain over and over, but couldn't think of any significant difference in Kyle's life that would imply that things had been different. Once they had started dating and asked her to go with him to the police academy, everything was normal. Or as normal as it could be. He studied hard and was gone for most of it. Then when they returned, he had gotten a job immediately at her father's precinct. Then marriage, and then...
“Well, first you should know, when Kyle was “training” it wasn't quite the way you might think,” he glanced over to see her face. She tried to hold her composure, only raising an eyebrow in question, while her heart hammered in her chest. “Sure, he was working hard and needed to complete the Academy, but not because he wasn't already qualified,” he continued. “See, by the time he had gone to Texas, he had already been with...” he paused unsure how much to share, what would cause more harm than good, “let's call it the 'squad' for three years. He was perfectly capable of handling himself, maybe even out performing.” Mark laughed quietly to himself then, reliving a memory Lola thought. “He was competitive, and I wouldn't be surprised if it killed him to have to slow it up a bit. Pretend he couldn't hit a bulls-eye every time. Unfortunately, this wasn't a time we were together much.”
“Right, you were doing an internship for that newspaper in Maine,” Lola said.
He nodded. “So, you can probably deduce he was only there for appearances.”
Lola turned her gaze out the window as the city passed by at a slow pace. She took a deep breath, steadying her heart, calming her breath. In then out, in then out. She opened the small vile that hung around her neck, breathing in the lemongrass essential oil Aunt Myra had given once she had been released from the hospital. “Whenever you're feeling a little anxious or that stress starts to seep through, just open this up and take a whiff! I put it on a necklace so you can always have it with you.” She remembered her kind words, thankful she had put it on this morning. There was so much information to take in, and so much to do. But she knew the only way to hang on was to control her stress level. If Kyle could be a part of a secret federal agency, then she could keep her crap together.
“So, what happened when we moved back here?” she asked, turning to face him again.
“Well, that's the part I'm unaware of. I wasn't relocated here until a year later. I assumed Kyle was still on the same mission he had trained for, which I wasn't privy to know. He would have told me had I asked, but I knew what kind of trouble that would cause, so I didn't. It's a courtesy we tried to practice,” he said with a wink.
Lola recognized the gesture, he was trying to keep it light and she appreciated it.
“It wasn't until I had received that package from him that I knew there was a problem. Now here we are.”
His words held perfect timing as they turned into the bank parking lot.
The key held firmly in her right hand. One step closer, she thought.
If you would like to check out the story from the beginning you can find the previous chapters here!
1 |2|3|4|5
|6| 7 |8|9| 10| 11 | 12|13|14|15
NEW PARTS
46| 47
To the amazing people that read this story! Thank you! Also, I can't believe I hadn't posted more story in two weeks! Time can get away from us!
@cecicastor, @scribblingramma, @enginewitty, @janaveda, and @sirmartinet
Much love,
Stacie D
