Page 70 of Falling for Red
I know she’s scared—scared of something real, scared of what this means for her life, scared of the drama with her ex. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. Because if I let myself believeshe didn’t feel the same way, I don’t know how I’ll handle that. The time we spent together was life changing, and I don’t want to imagine never seeing her again.
I’m desperate at this point. I’ve thought about showing up at High Five. I’ve thought about leaving her notes on her front step. I don’t want to push her further away, but I also don’t know how to let go.
Frustrated, I pull into the grocery store, hoping the routine of picking up my essentials will get her out of my mind for a few minutes. Pushing my cart, I nod at the familiar faces. I rarely buy cookies, but I feel like eating my feelings today. Turning my cart into the aisle, I spot Claire and Gabby. A smile immediately grows as my heart starts to race.
We were bound to run into each other at some point.
“Claire,” I call out, and she looks over. She smiles, but then it looks like she is tightening her face trying to hide it. “How are you?”
“Fine.” Her tone is tight, but her eyes flick down my body.
I’ll call that progress.
I turn to Gabby, my voice lighter. “Which cookies are your favorite?”
“These!” she squeals and points to a brightly wrapped package.She’s cute.
“Those look good. I’m hoping they will make me feel better,” I say, grabbing the pack.
Gabby also takes a package from the shelf and drops them in their cart. Claire groans, and I see how that situation isn’t great. “Let me get them,” I say, opening my wallet.
“No.”
I grumble, then an idea strikes. I remove the cookies from their cart and look at Gabby, then at Claire. I want to spend time with them. “I’d love to have you both over before these expire. I can make dinner, and we can have these for dessert.”
Gabby smiles, then looks at her mom.
“Maybe,” Claire says.
Maybe.That’s actual progress. I celebrate by overtly checking her out.
Before I can stop myself, I say, “If you ever need help completing a mission, call me.”
The tight smile on her lips. There were two opportunities for her to say no, and she didn’t. Yeah, I’ll take that progress.
49
“Claire,” I hear Jake’s voice and turn, spotting him a few steps away from us in the aisle. I should have known this would happen eventually, running into him. Lake Geneva is small.Why does he have to look so good in this green polo and black shorts?I hold back a smile, thinking about how he is always put together.
I feel terrible about ghosting him. Hiding felt safe—until now.
“How are you?” he asks.
“Fine,” I say quickly. I’m not hashing this out in a grocery store aisle with Gabby next to me. If Jake wasn’t so attractive, if he wasn’t perfect, maybe this would be easier.
“Which cookies are your favorite?” he asks Gabby.
“These!” she squeals and points to the animal sugar cookies.
Jake reaches for a pack, tossing it into his cart. “Those look good. I’m hoping they will make me feel better.”
I fight back a smirk. I guess we’ve both been eating our feelings, then. I’ve been doing it with frozen chocolate-covered strawberries.
Gabby pulls a package from the shelf and drops it in our cart. I groan. We already have too much junk food.
“Let me get them,” Jake says, reaching for his back pocket and opening his wallet.
“No,” I snap. Then scold myself for the reaction. He is being nice. He is being the perfect fucking gentleman that he always is.
