Shadow Under the Bridge

Shana

The cold steel dug into my wrists, and I shivered.
Not just from the cold, but from the raw memory of laughter echoing in my head from a pretty pink princess with Goldilocks who skipped past me.
Was she real?
I didn’t know.
Only that my head throbbed in time with the siren, and everything felt both too loud and muffled, as if my world were wrapped in cling film, too tight to see.
But in every inhale, I could taste the salty breeze that I knew was my old hometown, Mystic Harbor.
I was back shadowing memories.
Shadowing pain.
Shadowing Jackson.
But nothing prepared me for seeing Nathan Donleavy.
For a split second, I remembered happier times and ached for the way we used to fit together.
But regret twisted in my chest, and shame pressed in heavy, as I was forced to meet his icy stare as he flashed his badge.
It reminded me of all the mistakes I made, and there were plenty.
But only Nathan could make me mourn the woman I once was
Mourn the love we once shared.
And now I was back here, stirring up feelings from the past.
Could I ever find myself again?
If I did, would he find me?

Nathan

Shana Callahan was the one who got away.
She was the last person I expected to see when I showed up to a call.
The vibrant, beautiful girl I had fallen for years ago had been replaced by someone I barely recognized.
Her eyes, once bright with laughter, now looked tired and guarded.
Shadows lingered beneath them, her posture taut, like she was bracing herself against the world.
Even her smile carried the weight of memories.
She hadn’t been the same since her brother died.
I still haven’t gotten over the pain of losing her or the ache of wanting to protect her.
To fix what’s broken inside of her
But I had a job to do, and I wasn’t sure which emotion would win.
My duty, or the stubborn pull of the woman who crushed my heart in her hands.

* Previously published as Command.