A North Carolina Autumn

Chapter Twenty-Eight

4.15.2022 - Happy Friday:) Song for this chapter is one I've used many times before, but as I've said, it's their song:) Find Our Way by Midnight Kids. (obviously a favorite of mine, as well lol) One new song I found yesterday and have been obsessed with ever since is Tainted by Henry Land, I highly recommend checking it out! It has a lot going on during the beat drops, lots of funky sounds, but that's the part I like most haha. I will not be offended if y'all don't like it though, just wanted to share:) Anyway, enjoy! <3

"Barry?" My surprise is evident, I hadn't expected him to actually show up to the reception, especially since it was a few hours away from Charlotte. I'm even more surprised when Dan appears beside Barry. "And Dan! I'm so happy you both made it!"

I'd seen both Dan and Barry frequently at the Diner, Barry more so since we worked together. Barry was still my only friend at work, and giving him an invitation had been my way of saying he wasn't simply a coworker. He truly was a friend to me. Dan came in once or twice a week on his own after finally dropping his rude friends. I always requested to work his table, and he generally came in while it was slow enough that I could sit and talk with him for a while. It had been easy to extend an invitation to him, too. In the back of my mind, I remember Barry saying Dan went to his church and they talked there every once in a while, so it made sense that they would come together.

"You look really pretty, Aspen." Barry says, a slight red blush creeps along his cheeks, matching his neat, red hair. I give him and Dan both a quick hug, and Barry slips his hands back into his black dress pants. He wears a nice blue button up shirt, bringing out the light blue of his eyes.

"Thank you." I smile warmly. His gaze turns to Rylie, and he sticks out a hand.

"You must be Rylie. I've heard a lot about you." Rylie smiles and shakes his hand.

"I can say the same. Aspen's told me a lot about you. Apparently you're the only good co-worker she has."

"She said that?" Barry's surprised eyes meet mine once more and I laugh.

"I did, and I meant it. She also knows all about you, Dan." I grin, and Dan laughs.

"I'm sure it can't be all good things, considering who I used to come to the diner with."

"Actually, all good things. Now, if you were Joe, this would be a whole different conversation." Rylie laughs, but I know she's not joking.

I think back to one of the days during her recovery when we were doing some little physical therapy exercises the doctor had recommended.

"You haven't said much about work lately, have those guys still been bugging you?" Rylie asked as I stretched out her legs. She was laying on her back in our living room with one leg stretched out on the ground, the other was straight up in the air, and I was on my knees with her leg in my hands, slowly pushing it back towards her.

"Oh," I laugh. "Well that's a whole story."

"Spill. I have nothing else going on." Rylie grinned.

"The first day I went back to work while you were in the hospital, Joe and his two buddies came in. Dan wasn't with them, but I think if he had been, none of what ended up happening would've happened." I had started to explain.

"Well now I'm worried, what happened?" Rylie switches legs, and I focus on not pushing too hard or fast. Her muscles were still weak after no use for two weeks.

"It wasn't even a big..."

Rylie had cut me off. "Don't say it wasn't a big deal. Usually, when you say that, the thing turns out to be a big deal."