Russell Flynn gazed out the floor-to-ceiling window and watched the sky fall apart.

The sunset was a painting of clouds brushed in hues of red and violet of a dying flame, the unforgettable view marred only by faint lines of white light streaking all over the darkening sky, tearing through the canvas, ruining nature’s work of art.

Russell squinted his eyes. Maybe this was how the world would end, with the sky biding its time before shattering into pieces. It wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen. He'd take pretty much anything else over being stuck in the country club, forced to mingle with his fellow alumni, the only people in the world he had never wanted to meet again.

“Russ?” a voice asked, faint, and then forgotten. With the odd sight high above, he almost failed to appreciate the old scenic view down below. Solace Springs resembled a little toy town at the heart of the valley. The place had remained unchanged, a hidden sanctuary frozen in time. And with the sun setting in the background, his hometown looked beautiful, breathtaking, and utterly unfamiliar.

Because after finally returning home, after being gone for so long, what he had experienced wasn’t the feeling of nostalgia having met an old lover, but the feeling of being unwelcomed, an outsider looking in. That after all this time, he still didn't belong here.

That some things would never change.

“Russell?” a female voice rang in his ear. “You still there?”

He switched his phone to his other hand. “Where else would I be?”

“You were spacing out again, weren’t you?” Rosalyn asked.

“I was just enjoying the view,” he said, stifling a yawn. His fingers rubbed the sleepiness away from his eyes, the callouses scraping hard against his eyelids. “I can’t even remember the last time I saw the town from way up high before.” On the far end of the valley, the sun perched atop the highest hilltop, preparing to slide below the horizon to sleep for the night.

Rosalyn clicked her tongue. “You always get like this whenever you tire yourself to death.”

“I'm good, Rosie.”

“You sure about that?”

“Not this again,” he muttered under his breath.

“Why don’t you tell me again about the last time you said you were fine,” she drawled. “I remember being awakened in the middle of the fu—freakin’ night by a phone call. And from the local sheriff no less!”

“Like I said before, it wasn't a tree, it was a tree stump,” he said, covering his eyes. “Anyone could've crashed into that thing. It was a freakin' road hazard.”

“Not according to the sheriff, it wasn’t!” Rosalyn snapped back. “Besides, it was yards to the side of the road, Russ. A disabled Tesla won’t be able to hit it even if it tried.”

“Like I said. Road hazard.”

Rosalyn snorted. "Then why do you still hold the record of being the only one in the entire county to have ever crashed into that so-called ‘road hazard' of yours, Mr. Guinness?”

Mr. Guinness? Russell let out a mental groan. God, she's never gonna let that one go. He chose to keep his mouth shut, letting himself get lost in the view outside. There was no winning with her anyway.

As the afternoon sky outside darkened, the mysterious light show high above gathered its strength, gaining a shade of pale yellow.

“So how's the reunion so far, Mr. Guinness?” Rosalyn asked after seconds had passed, giving him a new bone to chew. “Or were they still calling it the ‘pre-reunion’ to the actual reunion?”

Accepting her offer to change topics, Russell drew his gaze away from the window and looked over his shoulder, reminding himself to keep his jaw from hanging open in astonishment.

The lobby was quite a sight.

A massive glass chandelier hung from the center of the vaulted ceiling, casting a soft, warm light on the spacious lobby. Wooden chairs and plush sofas crowded the carpeted marble floor, plenty of room to accommodate guests of any event or function, large or small. Together with the calming floral and leather aroma filling the air, they gave the clubhouse entrance a welcoming atmosphere.

People milled about in suits and dresses on the opposite side of the room, either sitting or standing, lounging and laughing. The din of the glamorous crowd was barely audible through the piano keys and violin strings playing on a loop in the background, and Russell once again thanked the small speakers mounted on the walls nearby. He didn't particularly care for classical music, but he cared for jabbering of other people far less.

He took this all in as he stayed in his own corner. Let them enjoy themselves while he alone enjoyed the view. The window walls compelled him more than any other amenity this facility could offer. Beyond the glass, the coming of twilight shaded the sky black. His faint reflection soon became visible, and the image of his brown-and-red flannel shirt and threadbare jeans caused him to sigh.

In reality, the club was an exclusive destination for the rich and famous, sipping their expensive wine, enjoying their opulent lifestyles. And here he was, standing in their midst, an outsider. An outcast.

“I should’ve gone straight home,” Russell said as if that was enough explanation. How long has it been since he last saw Rosie and the kids? Months? A year?

“And risk missing your meeting?” Rosalyn asked, the clattering of utensils a constant noise in the background. “Think about it this way, what if your guy is only there for tonight and not tomorrow?”

Tonight was only meant to be a small get-together, not the official reunion. And it was entirely his fault he forgot to confirm whether Jude would be here tonight or tomorrow. Or both.

“I could just simply give Jude a call,” Russell said, using his brain for once. “Come up with some excuse. Tell him I’ll meet him tomorrow instead.”

“No,” Rosalyn said in a firm tone. “The guy still lives in town. He'll definitely be there tonight." She let out a sigh before shouting at someone in the room with her, her voice becoming muffled for a moment. “I heard the pre-reunion tonight is for people like me and Jude in the first place,” she continued. “For the ones who still live in town to let loose.”

Russell rubbed the stubble under his chin. The townies did love to spend their Friday nights getting wasted. But locals getting hammered was far from being a good thing for him, not with his reputation. Then again, it's been ten years since that incident. How bad could it be?

“And given that it's Saturday tomorrow,” Rosalyn continued, “there’s gonna be a lot more people when you take into account the ones coming from out of town, even those from out of state.” She paused. “What? Would you rather look for him then?”

His nervous fingers paused mid-scratching. “Uhm…That’s a hard pass.” He couldn't argue with her logic. He hated crowds, hated 'em with a passion. He blew out a deep sigh, shuddering at the thought. “It’s just…”

“I know, Russ,” Rosalyn said in her soft voice. “Why don't you take this chance to try catchin’ up with your friends?”

“Friends? What friends?”

“You haven’t forgotten about your friends from high school, right?” she asked. “Clayton? Justin? Ring any bell?”

“I…I can't believe I forgot about those two…”

Rosalyn broke into a fit of laughter. “Of course, you did. How can you forget about them?”

Russell grinned. In his defense, his focus tonight had been solely on his meeting with Jude. And Rosalyn could laugh all she wanted, but he knew how much she had liked the two of them back then.

“Just remember not to get into trouble tonight, ya hear?” she said. “I don't want to…“

“You don’t want to, what?” he asked. His reflection in the window smiled back at him. His piercing blue eyes—usually cold—now showed a bit of warmth, so he averted his gaze. It was odd seeing himself smiling.

Down below, the small town welcomed the early hours of the evening. Streetlamps flickered to life. Cars flooded the roads with beams of bright light. Buildings, houses, everything else in town followed suit, illuminating the middle of the valley like a beacon in the early night.

“Rosie?” he asked after a while.

No response.

“Rosalyn?” he repeated, only to be cut off by the distinct tone of the call being disconnected. He looked down at his phone, his brows furrowing. Right underneath the crack on his screen was the notification of an ended call.

He pressed the call button, trying to ring her again, but the call failed right away. It didn’t take long for him to notice the strength of his phone signal.

Zero bars. His phone had no reception…right next to what may be the biggest window in town.

“Great,” he mumbled as he pocketed the useless device. He would have to add having poor connectivity to the long list of reasons to buy a new phone—or as close to a brand-new one he could afford.

Only then did he notice something new, a change he could hardly hear. He cocked his head, focusing. The music playing in the lobby was different. The piano keys, the strings, the entire relaxing melody was still there. Only now they were accompanied by a beat, small, barely audible, but slowly gaining in strength. The languid beating of drums played, a thump repeating one after another, always in pairs, growing louder by the second until it was all he could hear.

No, he thought, his body tensing against his will. It wasn’t drumbeats but something else. Something he had once been familiar with years ago. Something he had long forgotten by now and—

Stop it! He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He was imagining things, is all. But as if by instinct, his eyes found themselves focusing on the window, on the faint reflection forming next to his own, the vague hint of a person’s silhouette approaching him from behind. Just as he already expected.

“As I live and breathe,” said a female voice, “if it isn’t Russell Flynn.”

Russell turned, pretending to be startled by the intruder.

He ended up getting stunned.

Eyes the color of pure emeralds greeted him like a deep ocean meeting dry land. Wavy blonde hair framed a familiar face, and the long locks of her mane flowed past her shoulders, covering her dark green blazer and the unbuttoned collar of her white blouse. Her smile arrested his gaze as she seemed to glide on the floor, the steps of her short heels against the marble barely a whisper, her movement like the wind, all grace and elegance—as she headed straight for him.

“Hey there, stranger,” came from the angel’s lips, her smile warm and welcoming.

“Solace?” Russell blurted out, only to correct himself right after. “I mean, Serena Solace?”

Serena gave him a mock curtsy. “The one and only.”

“Oh, wow…” Russell trailed off, trying to find the right words to say but couldn’t. “I mean, if you aren't a sight for sore eyes.”

“I hope you remember what the point of a reunion is, Mr. Flynn,” she said, her smile turning playful. “It’s to reunite with other people, not stand in a secluded corner away from everyone else.”

“Just call me Russ like you normally did.” He answered her smile with a wry one. “And last time I checked, the actual reunion was still on for tomorrow.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“It is, isn’t it?” Serena surveyed the private area he had made for himself. “So how are you enjoying your time so far? You know, all the way over here in your lonesome corner?”

“Lonesome?” He arched an eyebrow. “I simply like the view better over here.”

Serena blinked. “Is that it?”

“Isn't that enough?”

“Okay, still a man of a few words, I see.” She looked him up and down. “Seems the Russell Flynn I remember hasn't changed one bit.”

“That’s funny,” he said, taking his turn to give her a once-over, “because it looks like it's you who haven’t aged a bit.”

Serena coughed into her fist, and a grin tugged at the corner of Russell’s lips seeing her cheeks flush a rosy pink. From her unaging features to her immaculate blazer, down to her matching pantsuit and her black heels that put her at eye level with him, she looked even more beautiful than the time he last saw her. It was only when his wandering gaze returned upwards that it caught his eye—adorned on her finger was a large engagement ring gleaming under the warm light, its center stone the biggest diamond he had ever seen.

Rosalyn never bothered to mention it to him. Did she even know? She should. The two were tight after all and had been inseparable in recent years, though he never really knew how their friendship began.

“You know,” Serena said, “I was making my rounds outside just earlier and I happened to come across an old but familiar pickup truck.” She shook her head, the strands of her golden hair spilling all over her shoulders. “That got me wondering, what could Dave possibly be doing back in town months before his leave…only to see you instead.”

“Well, I keep her in shape myself.” Russell scratched his forearm left exposed by the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt, feeling underdressed all of a sudden. “Least I could do after Dave handed it down to me.”

Serena smiled. “I’m sure you do. It just caught me by surprise seeing it parked out front.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t even know I was coming.” Russell’s restless finger went to scratch his cheek next. “Did Rosie not mention anything to you?"

“Oh! Now that you mention it, why you aren’t you here with Rose tonight?” Serena asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Where could that sister of yours possibly be, anyway?”

“Was just on the phone with her, actually.” He tapped on his pocket, not bothering to show Serena his sorry excuse for a smartphone. “You know the diner on Main?” he asked, forgetting who he was talking to.

“That’s where she works afternoons, right? The one near the interstate?”

Of course, Solace knew. He shouldn’t have bothered asking. “She only found out at the start of her shift that she would need to cover for another worker tonight.”

“Oh. That’s a bummer…” Serena said, visibly deflating after hearing the news.

He shook his head in dismay. “Bad timing, is all, but I'm sure she'll be here tomorrow.”

“I’m sure,” Serena muttered, looking out the window, her smile a pale imitation of the one earlier. The leftover brightness from the setting sun dimmed by the second, leaving curtains of pale gold blanketing the horizon. The dull yellow lines spread like cracks across a glass, reaching far and wide into the distance. “Ever thought you’d see the town this way?”

“You mean the weird sunset?” he asked.

“The aurora,” Serena said with a nod. Aurora. The Northern Lights. Russell couldn’t believe it took him this long to remember what it was called, but it did look different from the few pictures he had seen before.

“People from all around have been inquiring about our membership for this view alone.” A smile tugged at the corners of Serena’s lips. “The club has the perfect view of the sun rising over the valley nearly all year long. I don’t think I’d ever get bored of it, seeing a different kind of sunrise each day.”

As far as Russell knew, the Solace Springs Golf and Country Club was one of the oldest and most prestigious in the region, maybe even in the entire state. Built on the high cliffs overlooking the hidden valley, the club had a great vantage point over all the sprawling hills in sight. Just with its enviable views alone, it deserved its title as one of the most sought-after destinations for golf enthusiasts in the country.

But Russell couldn’t care less. He wasn't a fan of the sport. He couldn’t even recall ever holding a golf club in his entire life.

“But this aurora is strange, isn’t it?” Serena said after a while.

He grunted. “Because there's one right above us now? All the way down here in the South?”

“That, and the fact that it's entirely too…you know…yellow.”

His brows furrowed. “Why would yellow be weird?”

“Because auroras are usually green, silly.” Serena covered her mouth as she giggled. “I mean, they have a touch of other colors every once in a while—something along the shades of red or blue, maybe some purple—but they're rarely one solid color, and never this yellow.”

“No kidding?” He swept his gaze through the pale golden light scarring the horizon. Odd. He was sure the display on the sky had been completely white just earlier.

“It's remarkably beautiful though,” Serena continued, her tone turning wistful. “Something new, different. Just the kind of change this town needs.” She leaned a shoulder against the glass as she watched over her town in silence, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

Down below, lights dotted all over Solace Springs. With the coming of twilight, shadows emerged all over the valley, pools of darkness he had never noticed before, darkness containing untold depths. He stared at one close to the cliff the country club stood on. It appeared to be a ravine or fissure of some kind, larger and darker than any pit he had ever worked on in construction—except this one felt like he was staring at very depths of the abyss.

“Honestly, I’m just here for Jude,” Russell muttered, taking the initiative to explain. “Jude Escobar. Remember him? Any chance you've seen him around?”

“So it was Escobar all along.” Serena bobbed her head in understanding. “Tall? Gangly? Was also part of the football team?”

Russell nodded. “Three for three.”

Serena rested her chin on her delicate fingers. “I do think I saw him earlier, but I can't say that I'm one hundred percent sure.” She tilted her head to one side, her brows knitting together. “Though I don't quite recall you two being close back then, especially not after—well, you know..."

“Compared to the rest of the guys in the team?” Russell snorted. “Yeah, it'd be a stretch to even call us friends.”

Serena only gave him a sympathetic smile.

He shot a glance at the crowd behind him. “The guy offered me a job,” he admitted, briefly explaining Jude’s plans to open a small construction business. Serena’s whole face lit up with the news, only for her expression to stiffen out of nowhere.

“You okay?” Russell asked, brushing his hands against the course fibers of his shirt as he tried to straighten it out. He really was underdressed for tonight.

“It’s just…It’s odd that I haven’t heard about it.” A frown replaced Serena’s previous smile before she shook her head. “Don’t mind me. I expect to hear great things from this new venture, you got it?”

He tried to return her enthusiasm, but his nervousness got the better of him. This was more than just a simple job offer. It meant something bigger for him, something better. And from Serena’s expression, she understood this as well.

Stretching his stiff neck, he gave the crowd behind him another glance, unconsciously searching for the man in question for what felt like the hundredth time that night. There was still no sign of Jude, but an obvious change had swept through the crowd. A sudden hush, with everyone’s attention turned to the entrance, and Russell’s breath caught.

Two newcomers had entered the lobby, looking like any other couple in attendance tonight—only they weren’t just another couple.

Serena gasped. “Is that…Harper?”

Russell could barely dip his head in reply, too dumbfounded to speak.

The woman of the pair was their class valedictorian, the same woman who had been making a name for herself all the way in New York as far as he heard. In less than a decade, she had become one of the most accomplished people Solace Springs had produced, their small town's success story, so to speak.

“Harper Hayes,” he whispered, the words coming out as an exhale.

His ex-girlfriend.

The Harper he had known back in high school had always been a simple girl, always dressing in a plain fashion, always carrying the same nondescript backpack—a pragmatist through and through. But the Harper who had entered the lobby was someone else.

Plain rectangular glasses framed her brown eyes as they took in the large room with the same calculated gaze. Her long black hair was now cut short and tapered, barely reaching past her chin and exposing her delicate jawline, giving her a mature look.

Warm light accentuated the black cascade dress wrapped around her figure as she walked past underneath the giant chandelier, an expensive-looking clutch bag held in one hand. Her black stilettos completed her outfit, making her appear taller and her sinuous legs longer even from afar.

And still, her companion towered over her.

If Harper had decided to dress up tonight, Bradford Collins had chosen to stylishly dress down, attending tonight's event in country club casual. Even indoors, the guy didn't bother removing his sunglasses, checking out the room through his aviator-style shades, his chin raised as if he owned the place.

He kept an arm behind Harper, acting the role of a perfect gentleman. The guy walked with a confident gait, made sure to wear a smile for everyone there in the lobby to see, but the smugness was unmistakable to Russell even from far away.

Douchebag.

“Looks like the New Yorkers came in early,” Serena said, watching the two new arrivals with equal interest. “They make quite a sight, don't they?”

Russell wanted to roll his eyes, but he couldn’t help but admit Serena was right, at least about Harper. The woman was a headline ten years in the making—from the typical girl next door to some kind of Wall Street wonder. He had known Harper would be going places once they graduated. He simply never imagined how far she would go, how much she would change.

Get a hold of yourself, Russell scolded himself, tearing his lingering gaze away.

“I’m just surprised they're back in town tonight.” He leaned an elbow against the windowpane and rested his forehead against the window, letting the cold glass soothe his skin. He peered into the darkness outside, but his mind refused to focus, his thoughts a confusing, jumbled mess.

“Russ, Russ, Russ,” Serena said, making tutting noises. “Are my ears deceiving me, or is that jealousy I hear coming from you?”

He gave her a side-eye and tried hard not to glare; he wasn’t sure if he succeeded. The old grudge inside him was a smoldering ember, a remnant of a fire long gone. But it was still there, still smoldering, simmering, surprising him.

“Oh…seems I've hit quite a nerve there.” She turned away from him, her hand over the smile tugging at her lips.

“Yo!” a loud voice boomed from behind them. “Ten years I’ve been away from this godforsaken town, and I still haven't seen a group of sorrier bastards as ugly as you lot!”

The crowd welcomed the grand insult with cheer, and Russell rolled his eyes. He didn’t doubt who the loudmouth had been.

Guess some people never change.

“Well, now, that looks like trouble,” Serena said after some time.

Her worried tone got him curious, and Russell took another peek behind him. The pair of newcomers had long reached the heart of the party. A pack of women mobbed Bradford like fangirls meeting a celebrity; Harper, meanwhile, found herself surrounded by a wall of men.

Even after ten years, the former jocks were still a rowdy bunch, muscle-headed and simple-minded. They leered at Harper’s figure without an ounce of shame, nudging each other and exchanging laughter like oversized children, adult-sized toddlers playing with bottles of beer instead of toys.

“Boys.” Serena clicked her tongue. “It's way too early for drinking, yet they're already getting carried away.”

“Seems she's changed an awful lot, but the Ace I knew could easily handle herself,” Russell said, snorting. “Worry about those buffoons instead.”

“Are you sure?”

He watched his ex-girlfriend standing her ground in silence as the catcalling went on unabated. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them ended up in the hospital before the night ends.”

She chuckled before gesturing to someone with a wave, and someone else approached them.

The young woman carried an easy-going smile, and the black curls left loose from her bun bounced with her every step. She wore plain but crisp white top and black slacks of the club's serving staff. And seeing her tray filled with appetizers and refreshments, Russell’s empty stomach to grumbled.

“Ma’am,” the server said, her voice bright and lively. She then faced Russell with a beaming smile. “Mr. Flynn.”

Russell blinked, surprised to be recognized by someone he didn’t know. She appeared no older than a college co-ed, and it didn’t take a genius to tell she didn’t belong to their year. Had he ever known someone in town this young?

Serena chose a glass of champagne, thanking the girl with a smile of her own. He picked up a glass of bubbly for himself, giving the young employee a curious look. He also plucked one of the many shrimps hanging over the edge of a sauce bowl and popped it in his mouth.

The girl gave him a quick wink before she walked away, and he remembered too late to give her name tag a cursory look, failing to get her name.

“Friend of yours?” Serena asked, smiling over her glass of alcohol.

“No idea.” He leaned his back against the window and took a sip of his drink. The champagne tasted of peaches and cherries, bitter yet sweet, and the cold drink washed away the leftover taste of seafood and tangy cocktail sauce on his tongue, burning down his throat with his every gulp. He savored his drink till the last drop; he had no idea when he would ever get to experience such an expensive taste again.

Serena took a quick swig from her drink before setting the half-empty flute down on a side table nearby. “Well, now that you've been fed and lubricated,” she said, turning back to him, “it's about time we make our rounds.”

Russell choked on his drink.

“Wait, what?” he gasped as he struggled to clear his throat.

Mischief twinkled in Serena’s eyes. “Did you really think Rose would just let you attend tonight on your own? Without any way to make sure you actually mingle with other people?”

“Uh…”

“You're gonna have to speak better than that tonight,” Serena said, rubbing her hands together. “Now then, we've wasted enough time.”

“Seriously?” he asked her again.

Without another word, Serena snatched the black beanie from the top of his head, chucking it to an empty sofa nearby. Then, as if it were natural to do, she proceeded to style his hair with her fingers, like something a mother would do—perhaps even a lover.

He forgot to breathe, his drink in his hand long forgotten, the name tag on her chest right up on his face.

Assistant Manager? He blinked at the words in front of him, his mind failing to comprehend what was going on. What assistant manager?

Serena smoothed his shirt and unfolded his rolled-up sleeves back down to his wrists, taking his unfinished drink while she was at it. Once she was through, she took a step back and studied her work.

“Whew! I’ve been wanting to take care of that since I saw you enter the clubhouse,” she said, satisfied, and placed his glass down on the table beside her own. “Now you look…well…more presentable, I guess.”

Her words brought Russell’s body back to life. He studied his reflection in the window, his fiery red hair now left wild and loose without his woolen hat, the signs of wrinkles on his rugged face, the thick flannel shirt and simple pair of jeans that made him stand out in this gathering for all the wrong reasons.

He unconsciously reached up to redo his hair, but Serena swatted his hand away without hesitation.

“Now, now,” she said, wagging a finger in his face. “No more messing with that gorgeous hair of yours, okay?”

“Okay…?” he said, finding his voice once again. “What the hell are you up to, Solace?”

She beamed at him. “Well, we're about to do what you silent, brooding types just love to do.”

“And what's that?”

Serena reached her arm under his and locked arms with him, her hold on him tight as though she was afraid he would run away. Traces of vanilla swam in the air, and her body, soft and warm against his own, became a confusing distraction.

Her beautiful smile grew even wider. “Why, we're going to go say ‘hi’ and mingle with complete strangers, of course.”

“Of…Of course…” Russell trailed off, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Her smile wasn’t so beautiful after all.

Serena strutted ahead, dragging him with her. His feet moving against his will as they left behind the comfort of his secluded corner.

Even as she force-marched him to what felt like his own execution, his thoughts returned to the floor-to-ceiling window, to the dying traces of the setting sun in distance, to the dark valley close by, to the ravines hidden deep in the shadows…

And the outcast in him wondered if he would be better off jumping into the abyss instead.