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Lainey
The moment Lucas walksinto Dixon’s Local Supermarket, I gasp and drop the toilet paper I’m supposed to be scanning. My heart pounds as he stands in the entryway, staring at me. After a moment, he gives me a small, sad smile and then walks through the turnstile.
“You okay, darlin’?”
Wrenching my gaze away from the aisle my ex-boyfriend just disappeared down, I pick up the toilet paper I dropped and force my attention back to the older gentleman waiting for me to put everything into his environmentally friendly bag.
“Sorry.” I hope my apology sounds sincere, and not like I just ate a set of ten kilo weights. “I thought I just saw a ghost.”
He winks at me. “We all have ‘em.”
I keep a smile pasted on my face as I bag the rest of his items and ring up his total, but all I can think about is the fact Lucas is here. At Dixon’s. The store I’ve worked in since I turned fifteen. Located several suburbs from the magazine I used to freelance at with Lucas until we broke up. There’s no reason he should be here. Unless he’s here to see me.
I spend the next few minutes waiting to catch a glimpse of my ex-boyfriend while absently serving customers. It’s midmorning, meaning we aren’t too busy. There’s no one in line by the time Lucas finishes his shopping and comes to my register with some chewing gum and a packet of salt and vinegar chips. It took him long enough to find two items.
Unable to resist, I run my gaze over him. His light brown hair is shorter than it was the last time I saw him, but the shorter style suits him. He looks good—happy—even though he isn’t smiling. Pain spears through me as I think about why he probably looks so content.
“How are you today?” I ask, aiming for polite disinterest but failing miserably. He must have heard the pain in my voice. I put his items in a small plastic bag. Technically, I should ask him if he wants the bag, but that will only prolong his presence at my register.
“That will be four dollars fifty. Do you have a loyalty card?”
Of course I know he does, but treating him like he’s any other customer is the only thing stopping me from raking my eyes over him again and weeping because I miss him so much.
He goes to hand me his money and loyalty card, pausing for a beat before letting go. “It’s good to see you, Lainey. I’ve missed you. I don’t see you at the magazine anymore.”
“I quit.”
“I thought you might have.”
He sounds so disappointed that I stare at him. “What did you expect, Lucas?” Right now I’m glad everyone else in Dixon’s is shopping and not listening to us. “Did you really expect me to stay and see you there every week?”
“I hoped one day you’d forgive me and we could be friends, the way we were in the beginning.”
“That’s never going to happen. It can’t. Not after you broke my heart so you could be with your best friend—the one you constantly swore you didn’t see that way.”
“Lainey, I’m s—”
“Don’t you dare say sorry again, Lucas. You know I was in love with you.”
I’m still in love with you.
I scan his card and put the money in my register with more force than necessary.
“Have a good day,” I say, handing him his change, card, and bag.
Instead of leaving, he just stands there, looking lost. “I ran into your dad last night. He didn’t realise we aren’t together anymore. After seeing me with Amber, though... I’m pretty sure he’s figured it out.”
Great. Just great. No wonder Dad called me five times this morning. I was putting off calling him back until after my shift, but now that I know why he wants to talk to me, I might have to find a new reason to avoid speaking with him. He won’t be happy I didn’t tell him, and he’ll be even less thrilled I’m not with Lucas anymore.
“I was going to tell him. I just haven’t gotten around to seeing him yet.”
“Lainey,” he says softly. Chidingly.
“You’re not the one who has to worry about disappointing him, okay?” I snap.
He shakes his head and the sadness in his expression tears at my already stripped emotions. “You’ve always worried too much about what he thinks.”
“He’s my father, Lucas.”
