The Reunion

Chapter 18 - Karlie

Karlie felt a knot coiled tightly in her stomach as she sat at a high table in the bar Emily requested—The Hound Taproom. She dug a nail into the polished wood before making patterns in the wet ring her glass formed. A small four-person band played in the far corner under the soft amber lights casting a warm glow over the tables. The chalkboard menu caught her attention. Her eyes following the elegant script and drawings around the borders.

She couldn't help but replay the conversation she overheard; questions swirled in mind. She tried to sort them out. Wanted to list them so she could rank them in order of importance. It was a lot to process. And she was glad that she had gotten to the taproom early enough to have the solitude. To have the time to herself to think of her questions before Emily arrived.

More than the questions from this morning... what in the hell had happened this afternoon at the high school?

The looks Kaia gave her: the tilted head, the soft smiles, the way she leaned in the doorway studying her in the classroom. And what was with the apologies? Kaia hadn't given much context as to what she was really apologizing for, so that didn't narrow it down a lot. Aside from even the apology, why did it seem that Kaia was consistently closing the distance between them physically?

"This seat taken?"

Karlie looked up to see Emily's warm smiling face, eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.

"Took you long enough," she joked as she waved a hand to the seat directly across from her.

"Honestly, after the day I had, I'm surprised I even got out on time. So..." she turned to look at the door, "I can't stay and chat for too long." She sat with a heavy sigh. "But I'm really glad you made it. We haven't had a chance to catch up properly."

"I didn't think I had any other choice."

"You act like I threatened you." Emily dipped her chin with a grin.

"Didn't you? Huh, must've slipped my memory." She smiled.

Emily gracefully intertwined her fingers in front of her on the table, ready to get to the point." You know, I've been thinking... about you and Kaia. I think there's a lot still left unsaid between you two."

Karlie nodded slowly. "It's... a lot." She shrugged.

"Can I ask, what happened between you? I mean, there had to be something for you to... Oh, how do I put this?" She breathed uncertain how to ask. "You look at her and you look like you've been hurt."

"Emily, there's just a lot at play here."

"I'm just trying to get the full picture. I mean, you two used to be inseparable. I remember. I might not have talked to you then, but I knew you were best friends. Something had to happen for that to just end."

"Oh, let's just chalk that up to drifting apart." She dismissed the implication as she always had.

Emily eyed the door again, "I don't believe that for one second."

Karlie lifted a brow. "Then what do you believe?"

"That there might have been... more than friendship?"

Karlie wasn't prepared for that. She gripped her glass tightly before taking a swig. It was a chilling swallow, but the taste was good enough. The taproom brewed their own beer, and she checked the chalkboard above the bar, picking out the one she ordered knowing she'd be asking for another.

Karlie cleared her throat, feeling Emily's sharp gaze, "there wasn't anything between us. Nothing more than friends."

Emily tilted her head, her ponytail swaying. "Really? There wasn't anything more than that?"