Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(6)

I put my car in reverse and backed out of the dark garage. As I crept down the driveway, I reached for the radio and hit repeat on the song, then turned it up as loud as it would go. The shadows had not threatened me since the night I wrecked my car, but I could hear the whispers behind them growing impatient for me to make good on my promise to redeem them all. I was on edge – always expecting an eruption of anger at any moment.

The bridge in my driveway had been replaced. My mother had spared no expense; instead of a wood floor, concrete had been poured and the roof was removed completely. It still made me uneasy to pass over it.

I turned right out of my driveway. I knew there was coffee shop a few miles down the road. Apparently, neither of us had slept much last night; we would need coffee if we were going to talk this out.

I had to circle the block, like, three times before I found a spot to park. The coffee shop was part of a little strip that held a few art galleries, a diner, and a few other random stores. The town’s post office and courthouse were on the opposite side of the street, so it was a popular area around here, to say the least. I ended up parking in front of the diner. I thought about just getting breakfast and taking it to Draven, but I doubted either of us had much of an appetite this early in the day.

Joggers and dog walkers crowded the sidewalk. I did my best to stay out of their way, but I managed to bump into more than one. As an old man being led by a Great Dane passed me, I dodged out of the way and found myself against the diner’s front windows. I was a little taken aback at seeing such a massive dog with a timid man. As I watched them pass out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar face inside the diner window, Britain’s face. My heart began to hammer violently against my chest. He hadn’t seen me, not yet. A girl was sitting across from him…it was Bianca, no doubt about it; her long, dark hair was twisted behind her head, revealing the broken heart birthmark on the back of her neck. They were sitting at a table by the window, and the Great Dane had managed to capture Britain’s attention, too; he was looking over his shoulder out the window as they passed by. I pulled the hood up on my hoodie and all but ran to the coffee shop two doors down – almost knocking over another dog walker in the process.

I pushed my way in the door of the coffee shop, then went to the window and peered out at the sidewalk. They were too close – too close to me, too close to my house. I thought about texting Britain and asking him what he was doing – maybe try and lure him away from here with a promise to meet him across town, but I couldn’t find the courage – I was scared he’d see my car.

My jealous streak started toying with my mind. I hadn’t seen Bianca in months, and she looked just as seductive and alluring as ever – I wondered if she had somehow found a way to reach Draven, if that was one of the reasons he’d been so distant. I shook my head in disgust; that was a farfetched idea, to say the least…Draven would never go near her. He didn’t have the soul to deceive me like that. A sick feeling centered in my stomach, though, as I realized that I had done just that: deceived him by keeping tabs on Britain. I bit my back teeth as I thought of how mad he was going to be when I told him – right now, I didn’t care. I just wanted all of this out in the open. I wanted a solid plan to win this battle we were fighting before it tore us apart.

I looked behind myself at the crowded coffee shop, then out to where my car was parked; I was trapped – and scared. I stood on my tiptoes and searched for Britain’s car. It didn’t take long to find it; his Aston Martin stuck out like a sore thumb in this town. It was parked three cars down from the entrance of the coffee shop.

I thought about asking if there was a back exit so I could walk around to my car; I was almost positive there was, but I was too shy, and the risk of being seen was too big; instead, I pulled my hood further down around my face and took my place in line. I pulled out my phone, toying with the idea of calling someone to meet me here. My finger hesitated over Madison’s name I knew she needed to sleep, and I wasn’t fond of the idea of her being so close to Britain. I didn’t get what was going on or trying to go on between them. Draven...no way...he wasn’t coming this close to Bianca, even if it killed me. I scrolled to the A’s, looking for Aden’s number. Just when I opened the text box, one of the workers came to my side.

“Excuse me,” he said over the rumble of conversation in the shop.

I jumped, and my phone fell to the floor. The guy leaned down to grab it before I could decide if I was in danger or not.

“Sorry – didn’t mean to scare you,” the young guy said as he tried not to laugh. I stared at him nervously, trying to understand why he was talking to me. His smile fell, and he cleared his throat. “Um…that man over there said to tell you that he’s already ordered for you.”

I furrowed my eyebrows as my face flushed with fear. “What man?” I asked, ducking slightly behind the boy.

“In the corner. I think he might be your dad – maybe?” the boy said, moving to point out the table. I looked past him to see Evan, Draven’s dad, sitting in the last booth. My shoulders fell, and my heart started to beat slower.

“Thanks,” I mumbled as I stared in Evan’s direction.

I didn’t know he was back, but I couldn’t be happier to see him right now. He was sitting at a booth by the window with an open paper in front of him. As I navigated through the crowded tables to his side, a nervous anticipation came over me again. I hadn’t been face-to-face with him since my memory had been taken. That boy wasn’t crazy to assume that Evan could be my father; in fact, Evan reminded me a lot of my dad. He had the same tall build, a powerful energy that commanded people to listen to what he said, yet a calm soul that made you feel safe. Draven had his eyes, that haunting green that was laced in black. He smiled slightly and nodded as I walked closer.