The Missing Beta

Chapter 4

~‘A’~

I went to the diner every day for a week since I last went and was told that the woman had been back. Maybe, against my better judgment, I decided it would be best just to find her and figure out what all this was about. I've been horribly unsettled since the first time I saw her, and I can't continue this way.

As soon as I got off work, I returned to the diner. I lean my car seat back and get comfortable. I have no idea what makes me think that this woman will be back, but something is calling me to see this through. I usually sit here until dark before heading back home, and today will be no exception.

I scroll through my phone, mainly looking at the different news articles. I have no social media presence, so I don't really spend time there. I don't know anyone, so it seemed like a waste. I feel a real disconnect when I read these news articles, which is weird to me. I should be more in touch with what's going on around me.

I lose track of time, but something catches my eye. I look up and notice a black Escalade pulling into the diner's parking lot. I can’t see into the windows, but something in me says this is it.

I step out of my truck and close the door just as the Escalade parks. Someone jumps out of the driver's side and goes to open the back door. The same is happening on the passenger side. I can see both sides from where I am, and my breath hitches when she steps out of the car. She's wearing light jeans with a fussy-looking white v-neck sweater. The man walks around the car and wraps an arm around her waist. I watch them both, but I am not able to move.

The man starts to walk forward, but she stops abruptly. She looks into the sky before looking at her surroundings. She turns and puts eyes on me. One of her hands goes to her mouth while the other reaches for the man. He also turns to look at me, his eyes getting big as they land on me.

I’m not sure what I should do at this point. I was determined to see if she would show up again, yet now that she's here, I want to run away. A fear is slowly climbing through me, and I don't know where it's coming from. As deep as that fear is, my feet won't move.

They start to move toward me, and the fear is fighting for real estate with panic. I want to jump in my truck and drive off. I want to scream so loudly that someone comes and runs them off. Neither of these things is happening; I'm rooted in my spot.

They are standing in front of me before I can blink. My mouth is dry, and my brain feels disconnected from my body. The woman steps forward, but the man reaches out and pulls her back. Their eyes gloss over, and it's the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

When their eyes focus back, I take a long look at the man. I feel my heartbeat increase and my fear spike. The man looks just like me, but only slightly different. He has shaved hair and gray along his temples. There are small lines around his eyes and mouth. It's almost like looking at an older version of myself in a mirror.

~Shawna~

I never expected to come across what we did when we pulled into the diner. I never thought he'd be here waiting for us. I really didn't expect to see him again, if I'm being honest.

It wasn't that Blake disagreed with us being able to bring Aston back to the pack if we couldn't convince him to come. That isn't what took us a week to come back. Pack life demands a lot, especially if you are a ranked member. It was important for Eddie and I to do this together, so I had to wait for him to be available.

Now, we are standing in this parking lot, looking at each other. So many thoughts are flowing through my mind, things I want to discuss and questions I want to ask, but I can't bring myself to say anything or even move.

Aston's eyes are completely on Eddie, and I can understand why. If he doesn't remember us or himself, it must be quite a shock to look into the face of an older version of yourself. I hope the outcome of his being here will be positive because I don't think any of us could take any more negativity.

A throat clears, but I’m not sure which of these men it came from. No one has moved an inch, and I'm too lost in my own thoughts. “Do… do you know me?” I slowly look at Eddie and notice the tears pooling in his eyes. We have discussed this time and again over the past week. We know we have to be very careful how we approach Aston right now. We don't know what type of trauma he may be dealing with.

“Yes. We know you. We,” Eddie looks at me, and I nod quickly for him to continue. "We know who you were but would like to know who you are.” This was another topic we discussed at length. Blake offered that we should know who this man is in the now rather than push who he is on him.

“I don't live far from here.”

“If it’s okay with you,” All eyes turn to me, and I swallow thickly. “We would love to see your home.” Silence descends upon us, making rapid heartbeats the only thing we can hear. Maybe I shouldn't have spoken. Perhaps I should have let Eddie continue to be the spoke person for us.

“You can follow me.” He turns and walks back to his truck. Eddie and I look at each other and hurry to the Escalade. This is more than we hoped would happen. We even rented a room again and figured that we would have to keep the reservation this time. Eddie tells the driver to follow the truck, and we settle in for the ride.