Chapter 38
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Trina
“We’re running low on toilet paper,” Frank says to me as I head to the storage room. “Someone came in and nearly cleared us out.”
“I’ll do that next.” I continue to the storage room. As I’m filling my cart, Frank comes over to me.
“You okay, kid? You seem kind of down.”
“I’m just tired.”
“You sure that’s all it is?” he asks with concern.
“Yeah.” I force out a smile. “I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“How are things going with Scott?” Frank’s bushy brows draw together. “You two aren’t having problems, are you?”
I might as well tell him it’s over with my fake boyfriend. He’ll find out soon, anyway.
“We broke up,” I say.
“Oh, that’s too bad. I really thought you two were a good couple.” Frank leans toward me. “You know, I never saw him look at a girl the way he looked at you. He really had a thing for you.”
“Yeah, well, we had to end it. He’s moving back to California.”
“Scott’s moving?” Frank rears back. “When did this happen?”
“I guess he decided this week. I’m not sure. I need to go stock the shelves before we run out.” I hurry back to the store. I was on the verge of tears telling Frank that Scott was moving. I can’t talk about it, or think about it. I need to keep my focus on work.
I’m almost done stocking the toilet paper when I hear Frank’s booming voice.
“Hey, I hear you’re moving.”
I look up and see Scott walking in. My heart takes off. Is it really him? What is he doing here?
“Who told you I was moving?” he says to Frank.
“Trina. She said you’re going back to California.”
“She did, huh? Is she in the storeroom?”
“I’m right here,” I say, walking over to him with the cart.
“She also said you two broke up,” Frank says, coming up beside me. “That’s a shame. I thought you two were good together.”
“She didn’t tell you she was engaged?” Scott says, his eyes on mine.
“Engaged?” Frank says.
“I’m not engaged,” I say, holding up my left hand. “I gave him back the ring. Asher and I broke up. For good this time.”
“Who’s Asher?” Frank says.
“Yeah, who’s Asher?” Rose yells from the register.
“My ex-boyfriend.”
“I thought Scott was your ex-boyfriend,” Frank says.
“He is.” I keep my eyes on Scott. “But I was hoping we’d get back together. Because I really like him, and I miss him.”
“Miss him?” Rose yells. “Doesn’t he live next door to you?”
“I’ve missed you too,” Scott says, stepping closer to me. “And I’m not moving away.”
“You’re not?”
“Not if you want me to stay.”
“I don’t understand. Bridget said you were moving. She said you were flying to California today. Why are you here?”
“I ran out of shaving cream.”
I roll my eyes. “Not the store. Why are you still in New York?”
“There’s heavy fog in San Francisco. All the flights there were canceled.”
“I’ve heard about that fog,” Frank says. “Sounds like it gets pretty bad.”
“So you aren’t moving?” I ask Scott, ignoring Frank’s weather comment.
“They’d like me to. My old company needs some help while they look for a new CEO. I have to give them an answer tomorrow.”
“Is that why you wanted to talk to me? To tell me you were moving?”
“I wanted to talk to you to tell you I’m not ready to end this. I want us to try again. For real this time. No fake boyfriend. No casual dating. I want to go all in.”
“Fake boyfriend?” Frank mutters. “I’m so confused.”
I gaze up at Scott. “You really want this? Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He smiles. “Are you?”
“Of course she’s sure,” Frank says. “Didn’t you hear that whole speech she made about missing you?” He huffs. “I don’t get you kids these days. Always making things so complicated.”
“I think that means we’re back together,” Scott says to me, glancing at Frank.
“You should kiss her!” Rose yells from the register, which shocks me because I never would’ve guessed Rose would be the romantic type.
“I really should,” Scott says. He pulls me toward him and kisses me, right in front of Frank, in the middle of the store, where all the customers can see us.
“Okay, you two, that’s enough,” Frank says.
It’s not enough. It’ll never be enough. I could kiss Scott over and over again and it’d never be enough. He’s a really good kisser.
Scott lets me go. “What time do you get off?”
“Oh, just get out of here,” Frank says to me. “You won’t be getting any work done after this.”
“Thanks, Frank,” Scott says.
“I’ll be right back.” I race to the break room to get my stuff, and when I get back to the store, Scott’s at the register, buying his shaving cream.
I go over there as he hands Rose some cash.
“You guys gonna get married?” she asks, chomping on her gum.
Scott smiles at me. “I think we’ll try dating first and go from there.”
Go from there? Does that mean he’d be open to getting married someday? I thought he didn’t want that.
“What happened?” I say as we leave the store. “Why’d you change your mind about us?”
He takes my hand as we walk down the sidewalk. “I didn’t want to lose you because of some fear I had of something happening to you.”
“That’s why you didn’t want to be with me? Because you were afraid something would happen to me?”
“I worry about that all the time. With everyone. My parents. My friends. Everyone I care about.”
“That must be hard.”
“It is, but I’m tired of it. I can’t keep living this way. What happened to Megan was horrible, and I never want to go through that again. But everything before that was great, better than I could’ve imagined. I loved her, and I loved the life I had with her. It ended far too soon, but if there was a chance to have that life again, with someone else, I’d be crazy to give that up.”
I can’t believe he’s saying all this. He was so determined to never get serious with a girl, and now he’s talking like he actually wants that.
We’re at our building now and we go inside. He’s still holding my hand and doesn’t let go when I try to break free.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks.
“To my apartment.”
“We’re going on a date.”
“In your apartment?”
“It’s gonna start there and then we’ll go out.”
I smile, knowing what he’s implying. I reach up and kiss him and we continue to kiss as he unlocks the door and opens it.
“Scott,” I hear Bridget say. “I thought you left.”
He breaks from the kiss. “The flight was canceled. I’m leaving in the morning. Hey, I need the apartment back. You’ll have to finish whatever you’re doing some other time.”
“I’m done. I was just heading out.” She looks at Scott and me. “What’s going on?”
He puts his arm around me. “I want some time with my girlfriend before I have to leave.”
“Girlfriend,” she says, like she’s making sure that’s what he said.
Scott opens the door for her. “Have a good night.”
She slowly walks out, giving me a confused look, like she can’t understand why Scott would pick me and not her.
“We’re finally alone,” Scott says, coming over to me. “No Frank. No weird cashier girl. No Bridget.” He puts his arms around me. “I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this.”
“To be alone with me?”
“No. To have this again. To feel this way.” He kisses me and we make our way to the bedroom.
We decide not to go out and instead order dinner in. We want as much time alone together as we can get before he has to leave for California. So I spend the night, and in the morning we have breakfast.
I’m sad when he has to go, but he’ll be back. And we can start our relationship. Something I never thought would happen.