“Gosh, the town is busytoday,” I whispered while I peered through the windshield. I should have known it would be bustling as people were getting ready for Memorial Day events and get-togethers, but I had put off this trip long enough.
I walked into the grocery store and grabbed the last basket available. It would not hold much, but thankfully I did not need much more than apples, carrots, and dog toys.
I picked up the needed things and decided to buy blueberries for Duke to see if he liked them, so I walked back to the produce aisle. As I rounded the corner, I spotted a familiar face up ahead that made me stop dead in my tracks, someone I had not seen or even spoken to for several years: Rae Whitaker. She was the one I had a crush on from the moment I met her, and I considered her to be the one that got away. We had stayed in touch as best as possible after she had left for college but drifted apart in her last year. She had been coming home during spring and summer breaks, but to my knowledge, she did not come home during that last year. I had not seen her or even heard from her since. It had been roughly five years since I had last seen her, and somehow, she was more beautiful than back then, if that was even possible.
I watched her at the opposite end of the aisle, debating if I should go say hi. We had been best friends with Jenny and Luke in high school, but I did not know why we stopped talking. I did not want to make her feel uncomfortable if she did not want to talk to me.
Gosh, she was breathtakingly beautiful, her long light auburn hair that looked redder in the sunlight, her gorgeous green eyes, her curves that drove me wild.
She turned from the shelf to put something in her basket and glanced at her phone. While she still had not seen me, I could see her face better, and noticed a touch of sadness in her eyes. She pushed the bridge of her glasses farther up her nose as they slipped down a bit. Her body language did not seem the same as the confident and vibrant Rae I had been friends with all those years ago.
She reached back to the shelf to pick up another item when glass shattered somewhere across the store. I saw her flinch and freeze before slowly looking around, checking her surroundings. She seemed spooked but took a couple deep breaths and then reached back to the shelf to grab another item. Her hands seemed to be shaking a bit. Her movements and that reaction reminded me of things I had seen many times in my line of work.
She still had not seen me, but if something was bothering her, maybe seeing an old friend would help. I started to walk in her direction at the same time she began walking towards me, steadying her hands on the handle of the cart. She had a faraway look in her eyes. I started to open my mouth to say hi when a kid ran out from another aisle and plowed into her legs, making her lose her balance. I moved as fast as possible and caught her before she hit the ground. She covered her face with her hands for a brief moment, but then slowly moved them away as the kid who knocked her over said, “Sorry, lady!”
“Oh my gosh! Thank you for catching me. I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to—wait.” She looked up at my face and stared for a brief moment before standing up completely. She looked at me with her beautiful green eyes that I remembered—the ones with brown and gold flecks in them that made her eyes shine in the sunlight. “Caleb? Caleb Walker?”
“Hi, Rae.”
Chapter 2
Rae
Coming to the storewas so far not a horrible idea. With my parents out of town, I needed to get some perishables that they did not have. It was nice to be back in town. It had not changed too much since I had last visited.
My phone buzzed in my purse and when I opened it, I saw a text from Ethan begging me to come home. This wasn’t the first text like this that I had received since leaving. I should just block his number, but...
Something crashed and glass shattered somewhere behind me, and I jumped.Shoot, he found me and he’s angry,I thought as I stood there, frozen. It felt like an eternity before I heard a mom tell her kid to be more careful and apologize to the employee. I tried to settle my nerves. Taking a few deep breaths, while glancing behind me, I realized I was safe. So why were my hands still shaking so much?
I need to just keep moving. I need the rest of my groceries and then I can go home.Taking a couple more deep breaths, I moved towards the other end of the aisle which was stocked with produce.
Suddenly, something slammed against the backs of my legs, causing me to lose my balance and start to fall. Strong arms caught and wrapped around me, but I was so scared I felt like I couldn’t see anything.Oh no, this cannot be happening,I thought, covering my face, as if that would keep me safe if he found me.
“Sorry, lady!” a little voice said, and I realized a child had run into me, not Ethan coming after me. I slowly uncovered my face and looked up at the man who caught me. Realizing that it was also not Ethan, I stood up as fast as possible and apologized, feeling so deeply embarrassed when...
Caleb. I’d know those deep blue eyes anywhere.
