Risking Peace

Chapter 3: Awakenings

Adara

He was breathtakingly handsome, with his almost raven-black hair accentuating those deep green eyes. His large, strong stature commanded attention in a way you couldn't ignore. Yet beneath the intensity of his gaze, I felt like I could see a flicker of vulnerability, like a flame struggling against the wind. There was something familiar about him, another pull I was feeling deep within my soul. Though he appeared carved from stone, I watched his expression soften for a brief moment as Dad called out my name, "Addie."

My trance was finally broken, with my full name bringing me back to the present. "Adara. This is Boden Malone, the friend I was mentioning yesterday, " he said, gesturing to the man beside him. I scrunched my face while internally recoiling at the mention of the word. Whoops... I guess in hindsight, 'fight or run' were not my only options.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Adara," Boden said kindly. I was surprised by the apparent openness on my Dad's side, since he had always been guarded about my identity with others.

"Likewise, Mr. Malone, but you can call me Addie, " I graciously replied, while slipping my knife-wielding hand behind my back.

"Please, call me Bo. And I apologize for any shock the boys here may have given you, I asked them to help your dad and I get the property cleaned up, but it looks like they got here first," He continued. "Though, it seems you gave them quite the welcome," Bo said, earning a grunt from the beautiful stranger standing a few feet from me.

"Do Turner and Hooch here have names too?" I asked. Dad quickly shot me a knowing look not to push my luck any further. I took a few steps back and sat on the armrest of our chair, to signal my retreat. Bo gave a deep laugh at my remark. "They do, though I think you might have scared the voice right out of them. This is Logan." He introduced the guy closest to him, who I had nicknamed Turner, giving him a strong pat on the back.

Logan seemed to have finally caught his breath after the whole ordeal; he looked like was preparing for his friend here to explode or something. Logan took a few steps forward and put his hand out for a quick shake, "Logan Brassard. Nice to meet you, Addie. I'd apologize for coming in without you or your father here, but I can't say I'm feeling that sorry anymore after the hit I took," he joked. I gave him a sympathetic half-smile.

"And this knucklehead is my son, Conall," Bo said, coolly eyeing the man beside me. I hesitated to look his way again, not wanting to lose the small amount of self-control I had left. After a moment, I turned and slowly raised my hand. Hooch, I mean Conall, paused at my peace offering. He seemed to be pondering some unknown significance that I didn't understand. Conall finally accepted my handshake, and in that fleeting instant, I could have sworn I felt a tingle in my finger tips. Conall quickly pulled his hand back and walked out of the room. Ugh, like I said… man-child.

"Don't worry about him, he's just a sore loser," Logan tried to reassure me. I stood up, wanting to move past the new awkwardness of the situation and get some space myself. "You know, I haven't even had a chance to eat breakfast yet. Dad, do you mind if I take the truck and head into town? I'll be quick," I said as convincingly as I could. Dad chose to ignore my obvious excuse and tossed me the keys, telling me to be safe.

"It was nice to meet you both, and sorry again about the.. well you know," I gestured to Logan's knees. I breezed out of the house, grabbing my phone and wallet on the way, and hopped in the truck. I pulled onto the road and started heading towards the small local town, or at least I hoped I was. I didn't have any sense of direction in this area yet, so I'd consider myself lucky if I actually found a diner or restaurant. I didn't care though, I just needed time. This had been a chaotic morning, on so many levels.

My adrenaline was still running high as I drove mindlessly down the winding road, replaying everything that had happened in my head, over and over again. Why would those guys even go into the house? Why did Dad seem to be so trusting of these people? I quickly veered off onto the shoulder of the road and hit the breaks. I was spiraling. I took a deep breath and rested my head back against the headrest. This was supposed to be a happy move, a new start, and Day One already has me coming apart at the seams. After a moment, I looked to my left out the window and, realizing I hadn't really been paying attention to the drive at all, my eyes took in the most indescribable view.

I got out of the truck and began to walk towards the edge of the cliff, which revealed a sprawling body of water below. My eyes followed the gentle waves that seamlessly blended in with the distant horizon; the blue boundary between water and sky creating a vivid canvas. While taking it all in, my mind went blank as if all of my thoughts and worries had been washed away. I quickly felt the calmness I experienced early this morning at the forest's lake. With everything that just happened, I had completely forgotten about the oddly euphoric state of mind I had entered moments before it all. As I leaned against the barrier in front of me, my surroundings became silent, allowing me to relax and almost recenter myself in a way. An ethereal energy seemed to flood my body again, as if the sheer beauty of the scene were passing through every one of my cells.

I don't know how long I was standing there for before a crisp breeze came sweeping by, bringing me back to the present. Just like this morning, the calmness seemed to dissipate quickly and I became instantly attuned to my surroundings. I kicked myself internally for letting my guard down again, why did this keep happening? I scanned the area, ensuring my immediate safety. The road ran empty for as far as I could see, no one for miles. I turned my gaze back towards the distant water, scanning its tall, Evergreen frame. There was nothing out of the ordinary in this isolated place, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't the only one taking in the beautiful scenery.