25. Lucy
lucy
. . .
My mom’s blessing made implementing changes in the flower shop much easier. It was going quicker, too. Or so it felt, at least. I barely noticed it was night since I spent most of the day fiddling with the new POS system I had ordered for her. I wanted to put everything in place as quickly as possible to ensure she didn’t change her mind.
When the door opened, I realized I was only halfway through the manual. The other shops had long closed, leaving our shop the only place with lights on in the tiny street where my mom’s flower shop was located.
Over the past few days, Luke had been assisting me at the flower shop. I greatly appreciated his help, but I insisted he took care of his business today, since he had a customer coming over. He left sometime during midday to get a few things done at his shop and tend to the customer who had stopped by. I didn’t expect him to be back today.
Yet, there he was—right in the middle of the flower shop, with a slight smile on his lips.
If one were to ask him, he would’ve gladly ditched all of his work to be by my side. As much as I appreciated it, I couldn’t ask him to abandon his job for the sake of my mother’s. He tried to convince me it would be fine, but work piled up quickly, and I didn’t want him to regret it later.
“What brings you here?” I asked before a smile spread over my face.
“You didn’t answer your phone, so I thought I would check here first to see if you’re still alive.”
“Oh, sorry, I’ve been knee-deep in sorting out all these sticky notes and the POS system, so I didn’t realize you called.” I quickly rummaged through the endless papers to find my phone and three missed calls from him and two from my mom.
As my gaze rose again, the vision of him there flooded my stomach with a sudden wave of nostalgia.
“Mom? I’m done with school,” I called, looking around as I stepped into the flower shop. She was nowhere to be found, and the lights were dimmed, too. With a sigh, I closed the door behind me. Mom wasn’t at the front counter, which usually meant she was in the back making bouquets—but even then, she always responded when I called out for her. I stepped further into the shop.
Luke had baseball practice after school, so I grabbed a ride with Rachel. I hoped I’d see him soon. With the prom and graduation coming up, there were things we needed to figure out.
“Mom?” I called again. As I stepped into the back room, instead of my mom, I found Luke. He stood there, surrounded by a sea of flowers. My eyes practically popped out of my head at the sight—I knew he likely asked for my mom’s help, but still. How was he able to get his hands on so many flowers? In his hands was a bouquet of peonies and baby breath—my favorite. I blinked frantically, trying to chase the tears away. I could feel them coming.
There was so much to take in that I nearly missed the sign before him that read, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, PROM would be amazing with you.’
“What are you doing here?” I asked, even if it was…more than obvious. Luke had always been kind and mindful, surprising me with gestures that every girl dreamed of. Acts of service had always been one of his main love languages, but this was a lot—even for him.
Luke didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Will you go to prom with me?” I squealed and leaped into his arms. He quickly caught me, and I pressed my lips against his. My heart thudded inside my chest so fast it felt like it might burst with happiness.
“Of course, I’ll go to prom with you. What kind of a question is that?” There wasn’t anyone I’d even dream of going with but him. “Though all of this is slightly cheesy, I’ve got to admit.”
Luke chuckled, kissing me once more. “I needed to bring my A-game to impress my girl.”
“And you’ve managed,” I told him. Slowly, he put me back down as my mom came out with tears in her eyes. I already suspected she had something to do with this, too.
“You two are so cute.”
“Luce?” Luke called out, luring me back into the present. This town had been so full of memories that they flooded me when I least expected them. Back in Seattle, I could avoid them, but here they were inevitable. Especially in the presence of my first—and only—true love.
“Sorry,” I said as I blinked once. “I just…got distracted. What were you saying?”
“I thought I’d take you to dinner since I figured you hadn’t eaten lunch,” he pointed out, slinging his hands into his pockets. Now, it wasn’t the thoughts of the distant past that flooded me, but the memory of what we did here only days ago. His body against mine and— “So, what do you say?”
I smiled. “It’s like you know me or something.”
“Or something,” Luke repeated with a small smile. I knew we should talk about what happened, but I wasn’t sure I was ready yet. “I’ve already taken the liberty of making a reservation.”
“How do you know what I like to eat now? It’s been ten years since you were last familiar with my taste…” I trailed off. Luke closed the space between us in a few short steps. Once he stood before me, his scent hit my nostrils, intoxicating me immediately. I stalled in my movement as he towered over me, his fingers reaching for a stray strand of my hair. The movement was innocent, but it was enough to send a wave of goosebumps down my skin anyway.
“I am familiar with the taste of you again ,” he murmured, his eyes locked on mine. The intensity of his gaze made me want to look away, as did the suggestive tone of his voice, but I resisted the urge to do so. “But regarding your question…I believe your love for pasta has remained timeless, so I’m taking you to the place with the best pasta in Port-Cartier.” The smile on his lips would’ve been enough to make me agree to anything he asked of me right then.
“Are you asking me out on a date, Luke?” His lips were a breath away from mine. Half of me expected him to lean down and kiss me, but he didn’t. The tension rose higher, to the point where I suspected it was only a matter of time before we lost ourselves in it.
“Yes, I suppose I am. So, what do you say, Luce?”
The fluttering sensation in my stomach grew more prominent. I had feared opening myself to something like this for so long. What I had with Luke didn’t compare with anything I experienced with any man after him. It was all surface-level, but I convinced myself I was happy with it.
Now, the kind of intimacy and connection I craved all along was staring at me again. A part of me was hesitant to let him back in. Having my heart broken by him again would destroy me. I was sure of it. This time, now even running away from this town wouldn’t save me like it did the last time.
Yet, the softness of his gaze was all-consuming.
“I say yes,” I responded and grabbed my purse, realizing I had been silent too long. “And I have high expectations about this pasta place of yours.”
Al Dente, the restaurant Luke took me to, was newly opened in Port-Cartier and near the beach. The terrace overlooked the sea, each wave gently lulling toward us while the city lights twinkled in the water’s reflection. While most of the town’s restaurants and cafes boasted a bohemian, coastal vibe, Al Dente embraced a more rustic charm. The restaurant was different from any other in the area with its exposed brick walls, lush greenery, and wooden terrace.
Our table was near the fence, giving us much-needed privacy as we sat down. I thought I should have gone home and dressed up for the occasion, but Luke didn’t let me go another minute without getting something to eat.
“Stop it,” he said. “I can already tell what you’re thinking.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line, arcing my brow. “There’s no way you can tell what I’m thinking.” It was a thing back in the day—he could practically read my mind, but how likely was he still able to do it after all these years?
“You’re thinking about how much you wish you had changed before coming here…and I’m here to tell you that you’re the most beautiful woman in Port-Cartier, Luce.”
A smile threatened to cross my face, but I held it back. Luke always had a way of sweet-talking his way into my heart. “You’re a little biased.”
“I just have eyes…”
“Welcome to Al Dente,” the tall waitress chirped as she approached our table, handing us each the menu. The words were mainly directed at me, though, as I suspected that Luke had come here before. “I’m Nora, and I’ll be your waitress for the night.”
“It’s good to see you, Nora. I see the business is going well tonight,” Luke retorted, and he was right. The place was packed with people tonight, to the point where I wondered how he managed to get us a table here in the first place on such short notice.
“It’s a busy night,” Nora confirmed. “But never too busy for you. We had to squeeze you in with a table for two.” I lifted my brow slightly, unsure if she was just overly enthusiastic over the fact Luke was here as a regular or if she was hitting on him. Either way, Luke’s attention turned toward me.
“You should try their carbonara.”
I opened the menu. Al Dente had a wide selection of different kinds of Italian pasta, but he still remembered my favorite. “It’s really good. It’s my favorite meal here.”
“Then a carbonara it is.” I shut the menu, not bothering to look at anything else.
“For me, as well,” Luke told Nora, who then took the menus. After we ordered our drinks—a glass of wine for me and some water for him—she was gone. “I don’t drink when I drive,” he explained when I met his beverage choice with a question in my eyes.
“Fair enough. By the way, I didn’t know you were also a fan of carbonara.” When we were together, he’d tease me about how often my mom made that meal for me. Like many other things, I had left that love behind long after leaving Port-Cartier.
“I wasn’t. This restaurant opened when I first got back to Port-Cartier. And when I first came here…it was the meal listed at the top. It made me think of you, so I decided to try it out. And I’ve been a fan ever since.” My heart clutched at his words, but it didn’t seem he was done yet. “Luce”—he reached for my hand, his gaze soft—“I know this can’t be easy for you. I messed up in the past. I broke your heart. And you have no reason to believe me. I know that, too. But I have spent the past decade thinking about you. Nothing I ever tried to share with anyone else could compare to what we had. I realized I had made a mistake a long time ago by letting you go…and I wasn’t brave enough to fix it. I am now. I want you back. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. It’s a big ask—I know, but we have to start from somewhere. And I suggest we start from right here. Right now.”
“Luke…” I practically choked out the word. There were dozens of people around us, yet each word he said carried so much weight that the rest of the world didn’t even exist. It was just the two of us.
“I know life is complicated now, and that’s entirely my fault. I let it get complicated. You have the life you’ve built in Seattle, and mine is here…but if you give me a chance, I know we can make it work. I’ll make sure not a day goes by without me counting the biggest blessing I have in my life—you. It’s always been you. And I know I have no right to ask for another chance…but I’m begging for one, anyway.” When I didn’t respond, he quickly continued, “I know you feel it, too. But if by some chance you don’t…tell me, and we never have to speak about this again.”
I only then realized that our hands had been interlocked this entire time. He was right. So many things remained unsolved, and so many obstacles would be in front of us if we decided to do this…but I felt it as much as he did.
“I don’t know how this would work,” I admitted. Nora gave us a much-needed break as she brought our drinks over, placing my glass of wine in front of me. I took a big sip of the much-needed liquid courage. “As you said, we have built our lives in two entirely different places…”
Luke nodded. I knew this would be hard, yet I couldn’t deny that being without him would be even harder. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do it in the first place. How could things ever be the same again after this?
“How about this. You’re going to stay here for the summer. So, maybe we can give this a proper shot while you’re here. And, if by the end of it, you’re sure you want to do this, we’ll find a way to make it happen.” With the hopeful look that twinkled in his eyes, it was difficult to even think about saying no to his request.
“I can’t promise anything…” I told him sincerely. Sure, all of this sounded nice now, but it would be time for action instead of words at the end of the summer. And moving life from one location to another wasn’t as simple as he made it sound. I’d know. I left my life once, and it was one of the hardest things I had ever done.
When Nora brought our pasta to us, I had forgotten all about food. My focus shifted to one thing and one thing only: the question that left his lips, which would be the turning point of my life all over again.
“Are you willing to give this a shot? ’Cause I’m all in, Luce. It’s you and me against the world.”
My heart already knew the answer. All that was left to do was to say it out loud.
“Yes,” I said softly, “I’m willing to give it a shot.”