The rain was an omen. Hard pelts thrashed against the eaves, gathering in down streams on the corrugated shop roof. The mechanic shop was alive with the clanging of tools, whirring machines, and the faint smell of oil and engine grease. Cars in various states of disrepair were scattered throughout the space. At the same time, an assortment of well-worn tools hung on a pegboard against one wall.

The rest of this week had plateaued, less drama, less dreams, less everything. I was committed to making this work for whatever duration I was here. Antoine hadn't texted yet, and I started to see a future without dark clouds over my head. Maybe he had simply forgotten about me and moved on.

Ignoring the rain, I had a renewed sense of optimism. Benton may not have been the thorn in my summer's side I had once thought. This had much to do with Paul. I couldn't shake the permanent grin on my face. I had done what he's asked and been rewarded for it. I reached out and regularly. From his first text to his last, I'd allowed myself to send random observations, funny memes, and other anecdotal stuff. I refused to see anything in the now lightning speed of his reply.

Whenever he was nearby, my hormones hit a fever pitch. Most nights, after work, we spent the nights talking in his truck on the way home. I never needed to ask him to stay over, he just knew when I needed him too, and was often gone by morning. The color returned to my face. During the days, he kept his hands in check and his mouth nowhere even close to mine. We talked, we slept, and he left me hanging.

There was a gnawing side thought in my head that played on a loop, reminding me my time here was limited. Anything instigated would never survive the distance I was still intent on putting between myself and Benton as soon as a sale could be completed. Arthur was stalling and only yesterday declared Lucille's house would need a structural evaluation. To make matters worse, the part had not arrived for my car, and despite Luke's promises that it would come, I was still reliant on Jenny or Paul.

Paul cut across the shop, a smile already plastered on his face. Before I knew it, I was smiling back. My heart and head waged war. I had to leave town at some point. It was clear he would never have any intention to leave Benton, and I would never stay longer than needed. So why was I also fanning a flame that could spark a revolution inside?

After a busy start, Jenny excused herself to make coffee. Despite the various cars and customers, I hadn't seen Luke. I searched his back office with a bag full of purple slips. He needed to know if he was hemorrhaging money into bank accounts that should no longer exist. When I got to his room, Luke wasn't there either. Paul was on his phone instead, and his brows inched up when he saw me. The grin he gifted me next made me smile.

Their conversation revolved around stock and late deliveries from a supplier, but although he was firm with whoever was on the end of the line, there was a sense he was only being half serious with them. With his eyes moving back to his computer screen, I decided my conversation about purple slips could wait until later. Before I could leave the room, his hand caught my arm, dragging me back with a gentle tug. He shook his head and mouthed the word "stay."

The cramped office had a front window overlooking the shop floor. There was space for a desk, laptop, and a single swivel seat. With nowhere else to go, I perched on the chair's armrest. Paul's eyes scanned the order on the laptop screen while his hand scrolled with a mouse. He is gorgeous. Without his eyes on me, I took a moment to take him in. I bit down on my lip, forcing my thoughts into submission. It is useless. A larger part of me wanted that revolution.

Paul's hands froze. He swallowed, and I caught the movement in his throat. There was silence except for the person on the other end of the line asking him if he was still there. The continual buzzing sound in my head began. I thought I'd kicked this headache, but it was going to be another day for Tylenol.

"Stan, I've gotta go." He placed the receiver down without waiting for a response. Turning to me, his eyes gleamed with a new twinkle of mischief.

"Tell me what's new, Dana?" His gaze hung on my lips before he blinked, locking on my eyes.

I massaged my temples to ease the pressure building behind them and glanced at him. The sun-kissed glow of his skin, and the combination of dark lashes and deep hazel eyes, had my mind working overtime. The lips he selfishly kept to himself pulled up at the corners.

Jenny stuck her head in the office, breaking my train of thought. "I thought you'd got lost." She surveyed me, perched on his chair, and smiled. "Is anyone working here today other than me? Carlyle is out front saying a delivery never came, and he's all riled up because he can't find Luke."

"Luke's getting ready to shut the shop for a long weekend," Paul answered.

"He is?" I said. I stood, pausing in the doorway as Jenny read the riot act to her brother out front. I will miss her when I go. Although I would be happy never to lay eyes on her brother again, the sentiment seemed mutual.

Paul sighed. "Tell me what you're thinking. You're gonna miss this place when you're gone, huh? You've got that nostalgic glassy look in your eyes. "

I hummed an agreeable response, eyes still fixated on Jenny.

"Why are we shutting the shop, Paul?" I turned back to him.

"Family gathering and last-minute deliveries." Paul's phone pinged. "Shit. The delivery they promised won't arrive until this evening. I've got to go straight out after work because Luke won't be back in time, and the shop is closed tomorrow."

"Do you need to check on your dad?" I asked.

He nodded, running a hand through his thick hair before groaning.

"I can stay and wait for the delivery if you like. It's not like I have anything else left to do."

His eyes peeked through a gap in his fingers, and he flashed a smile. "Are you sure you have no better plans on a Friday night? I wouldn't even entertain the idea if I wasn't stuck. That shipment has the part for your car. It must suck not having your own wheels in this town. With any luck, I can fit the component tonight if there is time and have your car with you by the morning."

"Sure. Should I lock up afterward?"

He fished his shop keys from his pocket and handed them to me. "I could kiss you right now." He grinned and pressed his lips to my crown in a move that was over all too quickly.

"I should be back before it's late, but if I'm delayed, lock up and stay put. I'll swing by and take you home after."

Stay inside? I couldn't imagine the crime rate in Benton to be as prolific as a big city. Hell, these people didn't lock their front doors.

"Even small towns have their undesirables. Let's just be on the safe side?"

The rest of the day was relentless. I longed to shower, ridding myself of the stench of motor oil. Jenny had been gone since lunch with Carlyle.

"Hey, Dana," Luke called out, wiping his hands on a rag. "Paul and I have some errands to run. You gonna be okay here by yourself?" His ocean-blue eyes met mine.

"Sure," I replied, trying to sound casual. "I can handle it."

"Alright then." He tossed the rag aside and headed towards the exit. "We'll be back soon."

"See you later, Dana." Paul flashed me a grin that sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach. His eyes sparkled mischievously beneath the brim of his backward baseball cap. "Don't miss me too much."

"Trust me, I won't," I quipped, fighting the urge to blush. Paul followed Luke out of the shop with a parting wave, leaving me alone.

As the door swung shut behind them, I took a deep breath and carried on with the pile of invoiced Jenny had left me before hitting the nail bar. At four, I closed the shutters on the back doors the way Paul had shown me, leaving the main entrance to the office open.

When the delivery came, I organized the office and wiped the sides of the staff room down. The front doorbell tinkled. The smile on my face built until I rounded back to the office, only to be hit by a wave of bourbon.

Carlyle stood in the doorway.

Omitting any pleasantries, he asked, "Where is everyone?"

A sinking feeling built. "Luke is on deliveries. Paul is checking on his dad." Why did this guy hate me so much? Paul had promised the bar incident was done and dusted, with no hard feelings.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

My mouth dried up. I swallowed. "I waited for a delivery. Do you want to wait for Paul?"

He never answered but took Jenny's seat in front of me.

Carlyle's hair fell below his jaw in black strands tucked behind his ears. Circles a shade darker than a shadow framed deep-set eyes. There was a kink to his long Roman nose, no doubt from a bar fight once upon a time. The purple gash framing his eye turned yellow around the corners, but his sling was now absent.

"Looks like you're on the mend." I gestured to his arm.

He flexed his fingers before his eyes hardened. "Would look that way. How old are you, Dana?" His eyes locked on mine, and the demons from my dreams fought their way to the surface again. Those same deep-set eyes had wormed their way into my head every night. PTSD was one thing. This reoccurring image from the car accident felt different.

"Twenty-one," I replied. My eyes bounced from Carlyle to the clock on the wall, willing Paul to arrive.

"My lucky number. It's my birthday tomorrow. I'll be twenty-one too." There was a permanent worry crease on his forehead, and he would look dejected even if he wasn't busted up.

"You don't look happy about it. Do you have any birthday plans?" I asked.

He smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant smile. He shook his head. "Hanging with some old relatives."

Of course, they were all cousins. If there was a reunion, all would have been invited. For a moment, I wondered if Carolyn's Netflix log-on would work at Lucille's. It would be a long three days if not.

His eyes became invading, and something about his following words made me uneasy. "When do you leave?" he asked.

"Once my grandmother's house sells, I'll go home."

"Ah, Lucille." He said her name as if it were dirt in his mouth. "Don't you ever tire of hearing about her?" He rested his elbows on the table.

The liquor fumes rolled off him, and I had misgivings about the direction this conversation was going. What had Lucille done that was aberrant that my father had severed contact and put many states between us before he died? Why did everyone in Benton, except Carlyle, treat her as royalty?

"I guess so. The version of Lucille here doesn't always fit with the one I was told about." I glanced at the clock again. My knee bounced, stilling when it caught his attention.

His chair squeaked as he relaxed back. "And that's the problem with the people in this town. They wear masks, and you never know who they are until it's too late."

"Are we still talking about Lucille?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Do you want to try Paul at his dad's? I'm sure you'll catch him quicker if you..."

"Left? Is that what you want to say?"

I swallowed around a lump in my throat.

"Do I make you nervous, Dana?" His eyes zeroed in and I'd never noticed the faint amber rings in his eyes before.

I shook my head but didn't utter a word. The pressure behind my temples and the incessant buzzing that I'd managed to tame into a dull ache returned with a vengeance.

Leaning forward, he said, "Then why are you shaking?"

My blood chilled at the renewed hostility in his eyes that made me a liar. He stood. Even though he didn't look like Antoine, their presence was remarkably similar in effect. They both could make me feel small, without power and fearful of what was to come.

Carlyle stood. "Tell me, how much of yourself are you willing to lose to earn a little cash off the back of your dead grandmother? Is it worth the pity fuck you think Paul will give you to get you to stay? Personally, I don't get what all the fuss is about." He gave me a once-over that turned my stomach. "But then again, one man's trash..."

My mouth dropped open. Even though Carlyle was making his way back to the door, his words remained pressed up close to my face.

"What did you say to me?"

He turned. "Are you that gullible? Do you think that Paul or any other man can be that in tune with your feelings? Wake up, Dana. Or the shock of your fall will hurt us all."

"I don't understand." I shook my head.

"Then I'll make you," he spat.

Carlyle took three steps in my direction, but before I could put any new distance between us, his hand shot forward and gripped my wrist. A sudden jolt of energy coursed through my body, intensifying the existing pain in my head.

I gasped as images flashed through my mind—Paul smiling at me, laughing with me, holding me close as we danced. Images that were not mine or Carlyle's, but they had happened and we had been alone for all of them.

"See?" Carlyle said triumphantly as he released my wrist, his grip leaving an angry red mark. "We all have our secrets in Benton. Some of us are just better at hiding them than others."

What just happened?

"Welcome to Benton," Carlyle said, shambling towards the door. "There's more to this town than meets the eye. You'd do well to keep your guard around these people—especially pretty boys like Paul. And remember, Dana—sometimes the things we fear most are the ones we cannot see."

Before I could salvage any meaning from his cryptic words, he reached for the door handle again as Paul's truck roared into the lot. The engine cut, silencing the headlights. Carlyle said no more, and the door slammed behind him as he left.

My heart thumped in my chest. The rattle in my hands was barely containable. Through the window, a crow flitted to the ground. Carlyle charged to kick it but was unsteady on his feet and missed.

Paul bounded over and clipped him on the back of the head. Something venomous passed between them. His eyes darted with alarm between Carlyle and the office door. After a few hushed words that I strained to hear, Carlyle stumbled off.

The door to the shop slammed open, and Paul stormed in, his hazel eyes blazing with fury. His thick bedroom hair was disheveled, and his baseball cap had been discarded.

"Dana, he's drunk. He's walking it off, and Jenny's coming to pick him up. He's under pressure. Anything he said, I'm sure he didn't mean. Are you okay?"

I stared at him, my breath coming in short, uneven gasps as I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. I nodded, but I wasn't—anything but. The pressure in my head began to subside a fraction.

Did everyone in Benton see me the same way? Only returning to town to make a fast buck? How could I tell him why Carlyle rattled me as much as he did? How could I say that when Carlyle touched me, gripped my wrist so hard it hurt, he had also shown me something... Events he could never possibly have known—the world through Paul's eyes.

He kneeled before me. "What did he do?"

How could I tell him what he'd done and what he'd said before it? He thinks I'm a piece of shit, and I'm out to steal the fortunes of an old lady this town is obsessed with. I didn't exactly come off looking my best.

Paul's eyebrows rose a fraction before they hardened. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"He's drunk. Anything he says or does reflects what's going on with him. That person's not you," he whispered.

My eyes widened, locked in the draw of his eyes that seemed sincere at this moment. But I was one hundred percent certain I hadn't said that out loud.

Carlyle's words echoed in my head. "You think that Paul or any other man can be that in tune with your feelings? Wake up, Dana. Or the shock of your fall will hurt us all."

I gasped, the first tear rolling down my cheek. Paul gripped either side of my face, concern etched across every part of his as I shook again.

"Stop," was all he said, as if he could sense my thoughts spilling at high speed. "Stop thinking, stop talking. You don't want me too.."

What are you doing? "Can you read my mind?"

"Dana. Just listen..."

I eyed him straight on. What am I thinking right now? Paul kept his steely glare, saying nothing and everything at the same time. Can you read my mind?

He let out a pained sigh. "Only when I need to," he replied softly, his gaze locked on mine. "And only because I know how to control it."

My world fractured, yet I still pressed for more proof. Would I be a pity fuck to you?

A slight uptick from his eyebrow told me he'd heard. I gasped again, putting several steps between us. This wasn't possible. Show me this is happening right now. Answer me!

Measuring his response after the longest pause, the confirmation I was seeking was slight in his eyes—a blink and you'll miss it type of moment. He finally shook his head. My mouth went lax. His eyes softened, begging me to give him a break, but I needed to know with absolute certainty.

Prove it! I took a leap of faith. Kiss me.

This wasn't really happening. It couldn't be. There had to be another explanation. There was no way that he would... Reaching around the back of my head, Paul wasted no time in placing a firm, lingering kiss on my mouth. The moment his soft lips made contact with mine, I ignited. Instead of being overwhelmed, I found a flutter. He kissed me the same way as he smiled, with a sole commitment to spiking my heart rate.