Chapter 27
MICAH
“You’re a dick.”
Lucy smiles at me out of my peripheral, stabbing her plastic fork into my peach cobbler that I asked for while I drive us over to the baseball field. “That’s my admission for having to deal with your ex.”
Frowning, I steal a glance at her, then back at the dirt road. “What are you talking about?”
“Miss Vesper.”
Oh, geezus fucking Christ.
I regret telling my sister anything, all the time, but I still do the shit. Call it moments of weakness, but I’ve already filled Zoe in with all the details about how shit didn’t work out, and my romantic getaway ended up with me driving her back home the same night.
I gave my neighbor the groceries I bought because I didn’t feel like eating the shit I picked out by myself.
“Small town, Luc,” I remind her, gripping the steering wheel harder. “Remember?”
“Oh, I remember,” she coos. “How many times do I need to tell you to stop sleeping with women in town.”
“I didn’t know she was from town,” I chide. “I told you that.”
“Yes, but you still did it, didn’t you? You can’t help yourself. Something about you just loves making things harder for yourself.”
True.
However, it wasn’t intentional.
For the millionth time.
Clearing my throat, I can’t help but ask, “Did she say something to you?”
“Who?”
“Luc.”
“No,” she immediately replies. “She just confirmed who she was after Sherry pointed her out.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“That’s what I said. I had nothing to say to her after the fact that she wouldn’t forgive you and has a stick up her ass about it.”
“Dude,” I chide, even though the reminder of the whole scenario makes my stomach knot. “She had every right—”
“Not with my big brother, she doesn’t. You’re a good man, Micah. I know you did what you thought you had to do to protect her and, honestly, maybe you did do the right thing. Who knows what that crazy bitch Laura may have done if she caught you guys out? She could’ve already been spying—”
“Enough,” I cut in because I’ve been on this wheel a hundred times. “It’s over. There’s no bad blood between us. I just…don’t go into Maple & Main anymore, and I give her the space she needs.”
“For how long?”
“Until the end of time, I suppose. I haven’t heard from her.”
“Have you seen her?”
Yes.
Sometimes when I go pick my son up from school, she’ll be outside. I saw her at the grocery store about a month back, staring at ice cream options. She was at the Start of Summer festival last week, manning some of the games, and Heath wanted to go say hi.
It was awkward.
I didn’t say a damn word because I have nothing else to say, really. Only that I need the torture to end.
“Let’s end this conversation, okay?” I suggest evenly. “The boys have a big game tomorrow, and I want to be focused on that.”
“Rival game?”
“If you want to call it that. The kids don’t care, but this town…” I inhale because everyone is insane about their sports. “Begs to differ.”
“Is that why I saw all the blue balloons being bought out at Frank’s?”
“Yep.”
“They’re not going to make posters, are they?”
“They always do.”
Lucy sighs and leans back in her seat. “Damn. I think I missed this town.”