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Chapter One

Oliver clenched the steering wheel of his car tight as he sat on the side of the dirt path This was the closest he’d coround two years prior He called himself a million different naave him the final push needed to stand in front of theplace It made him sick to his stoolden skin rated to reveal yellowed bone until Hannah’s features were unrecognizable He pried his hands froh his hair

Despite the years, her presence continued to linger He could s iteed to her The shrink told him the memories would fade over time, and become less vivid Yet, it was a rare occasion when he didn’t wake up and expect to roll over and see her beside hihtmare, only he ake

“Fuck!” He sla column

How iven up on shrinks a year ago, sleeping pills were a last resort, and neither prayer nor meditation helped clear his mind Oliver’s body shook as he peered out of theto look over the grass littered with rounded stones and statues He was just a hundred yards away, but it seean to splatter against the windshield before the gray sky unleashed a torrential downpour It was fitting that the heavens leaked the tears he no longer had the ability toof surrender rise in his ine, put the car into drive and pulled away from the dirt road Maybe he’d have better luck next year

Once he exited the ceated the slick roads as he drove aihost haunted every nook and cranny of the three-bedroom ranch they’d purchased in their early twenties A well-lit shopcaught his eye, and he pulled over into a parking spot nearby The shopread Cupa Tea in black cursive lettering, and he felt hiate As a freelance photojournalist, mom and pop coffee shops like this one were practically a second home Once he parked heattached to the building He stepped inside and felt relieved that it was eht now

Oliver shrugged out of his jacket A perusal of the rooh back chairs A glass counter displayed pastries, bagels, and cookies to the right of the register However, it was the full head of chocolate curls that caught his eye The sienna-skinned wolanced up from the notebook she’d been bent over and pierced hiest pair of ed with dark lashes, her enormous peepers seemed to peer inside of hirin as she pushed up into a standing position, and placed the notebook out of sight behind the bar

“Sorry, it’s been slow today with all the rain You’re the first person to venture inside in over two hours”

Oliver nodded, as he took a seat on a stool near her The kindness that poured off her was alible as she e smile on her face

“What can I get you?” she asked

“I’d like a latte, hold the heart”

“See, I wouldn’t have pegged you for the heart type anyway”

“No?” he asked

He was curious to see what the woman would say next

“I have knack for these things,” she said

He found hiy pulled hihed on him heavily A part of him latched on to the reprieve

He arched an eyebrow as she turned to glance at him over her shoulder while she prepared his drink

“I can see you’re a skeptic, but I think I can change your mind”

She gave hi a real s to interact with soht he could pretend he wasn’t hanging on by a thread He smirked as she continued to block his vieith her body She had spunk The whoosh of the shiny silver iant white

“Here you are, ood man”

“Oliver”

“Hi Oliver, I’m Juniper, but everyone calls me Juni”

“Juniper?”