Page 18 of You Met Me There

Chapter 10

Natalie

This is a scenario I hadn’t had the foresight to plan for. My family left town. How will I ever find them?

I suppose I could go into town and find someone who would know where they’ve gone—there was certainly never a shortage of folks who kept up with the goings-on of the town. I doubt that much has changed. The lady who stood in the door of my childhood home only knows that the owners who sold her the home were named Kent and Shirley Berns. I think she also mentioned something about an RV, but I hardly heard that part as I thanked her and walked away.

Now I’m back in my car, flabbergasted as I think of my next steps. I don’t want to seem like a creep by sitting outside the woman’s house for long, so I take one long final look at the house that holds my childhood, and I drive back the way I came, to the center of town.

I park outside Le Fou and enter the little coffee shop. As soon as I take my first step inside, the most glorious scent fills my nose. I pick up on hints of maple and a floral aroma as I make my way to the counter. I scan the space, taking my time, wondering if I’ll recognize anyone sitting at the tables. The café definitely didn’t look this inviting nine years ago, and the newness of it all makes my lips twitch. Maybe Maple Lake isn’t the same boring old place I remember it to be. It’s definitely had its fair share of updates.

As I lift my gaze to the barista at the counter, I meet a woman’s eyes, dark and hidden behind round wide-rimmed glasses. Her hair is black and curly, pulled into a half-up-half-down bun. She’s watching me with wide eyes like she’s seen a ghost.

I approach the counter with hesitation, hoping she’ll look away first. But she doesn’t. Her tan skin glows under the string lights hanging overhead, and the counter shines almost too brightly from the reflection, making me squint. The woman doesn’t even blink. I frown, wondering now if maybe she’s just psychotic.

“Umm,” I hedge. “Hi.”

The woman, probably a couple years older than me, finally blinks, her mouth agape. She pushes a stray curl from her face and presses her glasses higher on her nose.

“Hi.” Her voice sounds forced, fake. “How are you?”

How am I? A little freaked out with her staring at me like that, that’s how I am.

I give her half a smile. “I’m good,” I answer, slowly and politely. “Thanks for asking. Can I get a large iced lavender matcha latte, please? And”—I look through the assortment of pastries and desserts in the glass case—“a poppy seed muffin?”

“Uh-huh, yeah. Of course.” She types my order into the little screen in front of her, blinking up at me a few times as she does, and then tells me my total. A young man comes out of the back kitchen area and starts mixing ingredients together.

I hand the girl my personal credit card. She swipes it, then hands it back, but she lets go of it too soon, and it falls onto the counter with a light slap. She’s acting so strangely, almost like she’s nervous. I frown out of confusion.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” she says, grasping at the card on the countertop. As she lifts it, her eyes catch on something she sees on the front, and her eyes fly to mine. “Your name is Natalie?”

My brows lower further. “Uh, yeah.” I take the card, quickly stuffing it back into my bag. What is going on? I just need to grab my matcha and get the heck out of here.

Her beautifully tan hands rest on the counter as she whispers, “You’re Juliet’s sister.” It’s not a question, but a statement. She knows who I am. She probably knew it the moment she saw me walk in, and the name on my card just confirmed her suspicion.

My eyes widen, leveling with hers. “Yeah, I am. Is she here?”

She nods. “Not here here, like, in the shop. But she still lives here, in Maple Lake.”

“Can you tell me where she lives? Do you know if my parents are here? Or my brother?” I can’t believe my luck that someone would recognize me so quickly and know where my family is.

The woman looks behind me, and I follow her gaze over my shoulder. Nobody’s standing in line behind me, and there are only a few other customers preoccupied in the café.

She leans forward, probably so no one can hear her words echo over the exposed beams that stretch across the tall ceiling.

“Jules lives in a house across the lake, and Tyler lives in the city. But your parents…” She shakes her head, and my stomach plummets. “They moved away. They live in an RV and travel around the country.”

The RV.

A sigh escapes me. I was so close, but most of my family seem just out of reach. Except Juliet.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” I smile gratefully, feeling a slight glimmer of assurance that I’m on the right path.

The girl sticks her hand out toward me. “I’m Aliana Swell. Jules is my best friend.”

Then it dawns on me. I remember seeing Aliana in our house a few times. Jules and I had a lot of the same friends when we were young, but Aliana was Jules’s friend from high school. Once they started hanging out together, I became less noticeable. Less exciting. Less fun. But I guess that happens naturally when there’s a two-year age gap between sisters.

I shake her hand. “I remember you, just a little. You came over a lot.”