2115 Clearwater Drive

By Caleb Pine

Colton didn't think he would ever go back to 2115 Clearview Drive after his parents ripped him away from there ten years prior, but there he was standing outside the home that brought him so many memories. Colton came back to this town for two things. He wanted to figure out the mystery that surrounded his parents and Niko.

Once Colton fou

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kingston Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9781645335085

Book preview

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Extras

About the Author

Also by the Author

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Voices in The Halls- Neon Trees

I didn’t know how I would feel being back at 2115 Clearview Drive. It had been ten years since I said my goodbyes to this town at seventeen. I never thought this place would have this big of an impact on me since I only spent one summer here, but it changed my life for so many different reasons.

I looked at the rundown house in front of me. It was a house that had been in my family for centuries, and we never got rid of it, and I had decided to come here after my parents’ death. I wanted to bring life back into the family name, and I knew it was because of this house in front of me.

Colton Woods, I heard my name being called.

I turned to see someone walking towards me. I knew right away it was Brian Camp. I hadn’t seen Brian since I left here ten years ago, but we kept in touch with each other. He was the first friend I made when I moved here. Brian was no longer the skinny seventeen-year-old. He never liked wearing shirts, especially during the summer days. He was extremely in shape, his abs were hidden under his body hair, he had broad shoulders and muscular arms. He had a groomed brown beard, and these soft brown eyes that anyone would fall into. His dark brown hair was short.

I didn’t know why I approached Brian and wrapped my arms around him. Brian, I can’t believe you remember me, I said, as I hugged him tight. I knew he was sweaty, but I didn’t care. I missed him more than he could ever imagine. I didn’t know why we didn’t see each other these past ten years, but it was good seeing him now.

Brian broke the hug. I mean, you’ve changed a lot since I last saw you. He hit me in the stomach. Someone has gotten big.

I laughed and rolled my eyes. Brian and I were both these scrawny kids when we were younger. I had impressive arms, a bit of scruff, light brown hair, and hazel eyes. I don’t think I got that big.

And you have tattoos now, he said. He poked my left arm at the sleeve that I had. It looks good with your muscle. He winked as he squeezed my bicep.

It felt really good to have this interaction with Brian. It felt like nothing had changed since the last time that I was here. I thought that he would have some resentment towards me because I never really got a chance to say my goodbyes. We just packed up in the middle of night like thieves.

Portland did something to me, I responded.

And ten years of never coming back to this place helped, too, he added.

I gave him a weak smile. Yeah. I turned back to the house in front of me. The lawn was unkept, the big porch in the front was currently in need of some TLC, the two-story home needed a nice coat of white paint, and I knew the inside needed some work, too. I just thought of all the memories I had in that home, and it made me sad that the house in front of me didn’t portray that.

I felt my hand get squeezed by Brian. I’m sorry to hear about your parents.

I turned back to him. I know it’s fucked up to say, but if it wasn’t for their death, then I wouldn’t be here. They forbid me from coming back here all these years. My parents had died in a plane crash a couple months prior. They had left me this house because they knew how much I loved this house. My cousins and other members of the family didn’t see the need for the property, and we weren’t hurting for the cash either.

In the will, my parents had told me that I should sell this place and never look back. It was how my parents operated. They just kept looking forward, and it seemed that they had feared to look behind them. My family had always been moving. I always thought it was because of my father’s job, but I found a letter in their belongings. I knew that all the moves weren’t because of his job, but because they were running from something. 

You can’t run forever from the truth.

It was all that was written in the letter, and I thought if I came back here that I would find out the truth. I knew that there were so many unanswered questions from that summer, and I needed them answered.

How long are you going to stick around? Brian asked.

I hope for a while. I have some unfinished business to get done, and I need to make sure that this house gets back to its former glory, I explained. I could work remote from my editing job in Portland, so I wasn’t worried about the time period of me being here. My company had been super understanding about my reasoning for coming here.

I could see Brian was excited about it, and he was nervous, too. I won’t just leave in the middle of the night like I did last time. I’ll make sure when I leave to give you a proper goodbye, I promised.

It seemed to reassure me. He responded by giving me another hug. It’s really good to see you again. I know we talk, but it’s nice to have you right in front of me.

I chuckled. Yeah, it’s good to be back here, I said. It was a small town in the middle of Virginia. I hated the moment I stepped foot in Voice Creek, but I now wish we never left. I can’t believe you never left, I stated.

He shrugged. It’s always been home. I felt like I was needed in this town. He paused. I’m not the only one that stuck around, he stated.

I felt a shiver down my spine. I thought of one person, and I didn’t know why he still had this effect on me. I hadn’t spoken to him in ten years, and I didn’t know if he still remembered me. I would be lying if I didn’t think of him every single day. Niko? I asked, and I was afraid of him answering the question. I also couldn’t deny that I was also excited for him to tell me if Niko was the one he was talking about.

Chapter Two

Standing in Front of You- Kelly Clarkson

It’s good that someone is finally taking care of that house, the hardware store owner, Mr. Gibbons, said to me. Gibbon’s Hardware had been a staple in this small town for decades. I had come here time to time with my dad to get things, and he always had the biggest smile on his face.

Yeah, it needs to get back to its final glory days, I said. I tried to push all the thoughts that I had swirling in my mind. Brian had told me that Niko was still in town, and I didn’t know how to digest that. I wondered if he would even remember me after all this time. Would I run into him? How would I react? There were so many questions that I wasn’t sure if I wanted answered.

Brian had to get to work, and I wanted to get everything set up in the office area, so that I wouldn’t miss much work. I had the internet people at the house getting everything set up for me.

I said my goodbyes to Mr. Gibbons, as I walked out of the hardware store. I wasn’t sure if he knew about my parents, or if he wanted to ignore that conversation. I walked into the town square. It was where most of the shops were at. If you ever saw a Hallmark Channel movie, then you would know exactly what I was talking about. It had all the stores, shops, and anything else you could think of.

I didn’t know why I felt a sense of safety here. It was like your mom wrapping a blanket around you when you’re sick. I felt a ping in my heart because I would never get to know that feeling again.

Is that Colton Wood? I heard a female say. It brought me out of my downward spiral, and I was a bit grateful for it.

I turned to see where the voice was coming from. My heart almost exploded because I saw Melissa standing there with a giant smile on her face. She had always been shorter than everyone that I hung out with. She was Niko’s older sister. She was three years older than us. She had a small frame, with brown hair that was shoulder length with blonde highlights. Her and Niko had tan skin and a roundness in their face.

She ran towards me and wrapped her arms around me. Brian told me you were in town, but I couldn’t believe in until I saw you for the first time. I should have known that Brian would go off and tell the whole world that I was in town. I knew there was nothing that he could keep a secret.

Melissa Telarose. I broke the hug. I can’t believe it’s you in front of me. I never had bad blood with Melissa. She took me under her wing when I came to this city. She always looked at all of Niko’s friends as her siblings. She took special eye on me because of who I was to Niko, and I didn’t have any siblings myself.

It’s no longer Telarose, she responded. She lifted her hand. It’s Carter now.

I saw the ring she was showing me. I didn’t know why I got choked up. She had been through so much the summer that I met her. She deserved this happiness. She was the one that was meant to have a happy ever after.

I can’t believe you’re married, I said.

She had this glow to her that I only saw a couple of times that summer. It was clouded by so much sadness. She looked down at her hand. It’s weird that we’ve been married for two years. It feels like just yesterday Blake just came into my office looking for a condo, she explained.

It’s good that you found a guy worthy for you, I responded.

She looked at me. So, is there a guy in your life? she asked.

I blushed and looked away from her. No, I haven’t dated much. I’ve been focused on my career. I knew she wasn’t trying to make me feel like a loser, but that question hurt me. I didn’t want her to know that I hadn’t really been with anyone since Niko. There had been a string of one night stands and flings, but no one really stuck. I didn’t know if there was something wrong with me, but I wanted someone concrete. I craved a stability, and it seemed the only constant in my life was loneliness.

Well, you never know what could happen, Melissa said.

I looked back at her. I didn’t know why, but it seemed that Melissa could always tell the future, and I wanted to know what she knew. Right now, I’m focused on getting this house back in shape for my family.

She had a somber smile on her face. I heard about your parents. I’m sorry to hear that. She squeezed my hand. They were good people.

I tried to keep my composure. It was still raw on my heart, and I didn’t want to cry in the middle of the damn town square. Yeah, I came back to keep our legacy alive.

She raised an eyebrow. Is that the only reason you came back? she asked.

I didn’t get a chance to respond because the door to the ice cream shop opened. I saw him walk out, and I recognized him right away. I saw him holding hands with a ten-year-old girl. I felt like my heard dropped, and I didn’t know why my body was frozen. I just looked at him like I looked at him the first night I met him at the bonfire.

Niko was taller than me by a couple of inches. He was the same build as Brian, except Brian was a bit thicker than Brian. I instantly saw Niko’s beard, and I wondered if him and Brian were trying to look like twins. Niko always had a huge nose that I found attractive because it complimented his strong jawline. His black hair was short, but it curled at the end. He had these beautiful blue