Free The River Runs Dry by L. A. Shorter Page B
Authors: L. A. Shorter
Burgess, the reaction was as expected: upset, but understanding. When Jessie returned from college after the death of her mom, her local friends knew it was only a matter of time before she'd leave again. Most of them were probably surprised it had taken so long.
Jessie sat now, round a large circular table, as people took turns up on stage, entertaining the crown with a mixed bag of musical performances. A night that had started out as a regular drinking session had quickly escalated into an impromptu leaving do, with half her friends insisting on buying Jessie drinks.
Most seemed happy for her, but not all. No, there was one particular friend who'd found it particularly hard to crack a smile all night. Instead his eyes still lingered on Jessie, becoming ever more gloomy as the evening wore on.
It wasn't until later on that Liam finally moved to talk to her, rather than sitting wistfully at the back of the group. He crept in beside Jessie and, amid a torturous rendition of 'Living on a Prayer' by Tony, finally found his voice.
“So you're leaving,” was all he could say, as if he'd only just heard and it hadn't been the subject of conversation all night.
Jessie turned her eyes from the stage and her smile dampened at the look in his eyes. “It's time,” she said. “Although only if the house sells.”
Liam's eyes raised a touch. “So you haven't sold the house yet?”
“Oh God no, I've only just talked to the realtor. It doesn't sound too promising to be completely honest.”
Liam cracked his first smile of the evening. “So you might be staying after all?”
Jessie looked at him, trying to cover his smile and narrow his eyes. It was touching, in a way. She knew he wanted her to stay, that much was obvious enough. Liam was one of those guys stuck in the mud, and probably happily so. He would never leave Burgess, but he'd always wanted Jessie to be the same.
“Well, I will be leaving eventually Liam. If not now, then soon. It's only a matter of time really.”
His eyes dropped a touch again as she spoke. “Well, you were always too good for this town Jess. I guess it's no surprise that you want to go.”
“I'll come back, though. I'll come back to visit everyone all the time. This is where I grew up, so it will always be home for me.”
“Yeah...” said Liam, his words a little looser for the alcohol in his blood, “I'm not so sure. When you taste somewhere else, you won't want to come back here. Why would you, there's nothing here for you...nothing.”
Jessie's brows dropped into a light frown. “Well, what about my friends, all my friends are here.”
Liam huffed. “Friends, sure. I know what you're like Jess. You'll make new friends and move on. You'll forget about your friends.”
“No I won't. Why do you say that?”
“Because....” he struggled with his words, “because that's who you are. You haven't been the same since you came back after last time. You only hang out with Darcia now.”
“What?” said Jessie, shaking her head in confusion. “I come here all the time, I see you all the time...”
“Yeah but you don't really, do you. You come here for a few drinks on a Friday, that's the only time I see you. We used to be really close Jess, and now we barely speak.”
He was shaking his head lightly as his eyes drifted away towards the bar. “I guess I wanted to see you more,” he said quietly. “I always liked you.”
Jessie knew that. The problem was, he liked her more than she liked him. For Jessie, their friendship had always been nothing more than that – a friendship.
“I know honey, but you know how I feel about that, we've talked about it before. You're more like a brother to me, and I'll always love you as a brother.”
Liam nodded, his eyes showing signs of the alcohol now. “I know. Well maybe I'll see you here next Friday, if you haven't left already.” He spoke the words with some venom as he stood, before walking straight out, through the crowd, into the
Jessie sat now, round a large circular table, as people took turns up on stage, entertaining the crown with a mixed bag of musical performances. A night that had started out as a regular drinking session had quickly escalated into an impromptu leaving do, with half her friends insisting on buying Jessie drinks.
Most seemed happy for her, but not all. No, there was one particular friend who'd found it particularly hard to crack a smile all night. Instead his eyes still lingered on Jessie, becoming ever more gloomy as the evening wore on.
It wasn't until later on that Liam finally moved to talk to her, rather than sitting wistfully at the back of the group. He crept in beside Jessie and, amid a torturous rendition of 'Living on a Prayer' by Tony, finally found his voice.
“So you're leaving,” was all he could say, as if he'd only just heard and it hadn't been the subject of conversation all night.
Jessie turned her eyes from the stage and her smile dampened at the look in his eyes. “It's time,” she said. “Although only if the house sells.”
Liam's eyes raised a touch. “So you haven't sold the house yet?”
“Oh God no, I've only just talked to the realtor. It doesn't sound too promising to be completely honest.”
Liam cracked his first smile of the evening. “So you might be staying after all?”
Jessie looked at him, trying to cover his smile and narrow his eyes. It was touching, in a way. She knew he wanted her to stay, that much was obvious enough. Liam was one of those guys stuck in the mud, and probably happily so. He would never leave Burgess, but he'd always wanted Jessie to be the same.
“Well, I will be leaving eventually Liam. If not now, then soon. It's only a matter of time really.”
His eyes dropped a touch again as she spoke. “Well, you were always too good for this town Jess. I guess it's no surprise that you want to go.”
“I'll come back, though. I'll come back to visit everyone all the time. This is where I grew up, so it will always be home for me.”
“Yeah...” said Liam, his words a little looser for the alcohol in his blood, “I'm not so sure. When you taste somewhere else, you won't want to come back here. Why would you, there's nothing here for you...nothing.”
Jessie's brows dropped into a light frown. “Well, what about my friends, all my friends are here.”
Liam huffed. “Friends, sure. I know what you're like Jess. You'll make new friends and move on. You'll forget about your friends.”
“No I won't. Why do you say that?”
“Because....” he struggled with his words, “because that's who you are. You haven't been the same since you came back after last time. You only hang out with Darcia now.”
“What?” said Jessie, shaking her head in confusion. “I come here all the time, I see you all the time...”
“Yeah but you don't really, do you. You come here for a few drinks on a Friday, that's the only time I see you. We used to be really close Jess, and now we barely speak.”
He was shaking his head lightly as his eyes drifted away towards the bar. “I guess I wanted to see you more,” he said quietly. “I always liked you.”
Jessie knew that. The problem was, he liked her more than she liked him. For Jessie, their friendship had always been nothing more than that – a friendship.
“I know honey, but you know how I feel about that, we've talked about it before. You're more like a brother to me, and I'll always love you as a brother.”
Liam nodded, his eyes showing signs of the alcohol now. “I know. Well maybe I'll see you here next Friday, if you haven't left already.” He spoke the words with some venom as he stood, before walking straight out, through the crowd, into the