AllFreeNovel
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“I don’t actually. I’m here on official work business. It’s the last day of the—”
“Toy drive. Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m here too.” My heart thuds in my chest. “It’s good to see you, it’s been a long time.”
“Yeah, too long if you ask me.” He flashes me that signature, irresistible smile and I melt.
But why is he flirting with me? Is he flirting with me? Or is Shawn just so attractive that everything he says sounds like a pickup line?
Shawn’s married, and he’s nothing if not loyal. He’s got to be nearly a decade into his life sentence at this point. He and Allison are Mr. and Mrs. Findlay as far as I’m concerned. A perfectly tan, perfectly fit, perfectly matched couple. She’s probably out curing cancer dressed as slutty Mrs. Clause after spending the morning baking him warm chocolate chip cookies. And the worst part is, he deserves her. As much as I hate it, I know it’s true.
Before I can muster the strength to ask about Allison, the Christmas music playing in the background comes to an abrupt stop. The only thing I can hear is my heart beating in my chest. We stand in silence, staring at each other until finally, a deep, radio-announcer voice comes over the loudspeaker. “Ho, ho, ho holiday shoppers. Please take your final purchases to the register, our store is now closed.”
I wince at the announcement. I only let myself think about Shawn in the early hours of the night when nothing other than his memory can soothe me. Now that I’m close enough to touch him, I don’t want this Christmas miracle to end. But I suppose it’s for the best. Seeing Shawn living his best life, a life that could have beenour best lifeis just cruel at this point. As it turns out, the distance between us might have been the only thing keeping me together.
I take a step away from him. “Sounds like our time is up. It was nice to see you, but I should go. I’ve got the doll so there isn’t anything left for me to do here. Just came to grab this.”
Shawn closes the distance between us. “Are you sure you can’t stay a few minutes? They’re playing our song and I could use someone to kiss under the mistletoe.” He gestures to a sprig of green tied with a red bow hanging over our heads.
My jaw drops open and I look up at him, suddenly offended on behalf of slutty Mrs. Clause. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
I step around Shawn and disappear into the restroom, splashing cold water on my face and trying in vain to get the coffee stain out of my shirt. But I have no luck. In the safety of the isolated bathroom, I remind myself in no uncertain terms that I am the reason Shawn and I aren’t together anymore. Not him. Me. I was the one with dreams too big for this town. I was the one desperate to get away from the Tiding family expectations.
I make a mental list of reasons to let Shawn go once and for all.First, he’s flirting with me while married, thus making him trash. Or at the very least making him not the man I used to know. Second, well… hmm.I come up short.
I stand in the bathroom for what feels like a lifetime, waiting for my shirt to dry and waiting for things to add to my list. The buzz of shoppers in the store quiets and still, I hold my position. I fix my hair. I consult Google for reasons to let go of a past relationship, but the reception in here sucks.
I wonder how long the hot firefighters will stay. I answer myself with the truth,not as long as me.I get comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable because all of a sudden, the light in the bathroom flickers. And then… total darkness.
“Uhhh, hi?” I call out to the empty bathroom. Okay, looks like an overzealous employee wants me out of here. “I know you all want to go home but really, cutting the lights? I’ll be right out.”
I use the light of my almost-dead cell phone screen to search for the door handle. When I push it open, I gasp. The entire store is pitch black… and empty too. My mouth falls open. I look out onto the street and see the whole city is shut down. I make my way to the front door and tug on the handles. They won't budge.
Shit, I’ve done it this time.
“What in the world?” My voice echoes off the empty walls. This is some kind of naughty-list hell right here, I know it.
“Power outage.” Shawn’s voice comes from behind the mountain of toys on my right. When his hand lands on my back, I let out a yelp that echoes off the walls.
I shrug away from him, refusing to acknowledge the heat that floods through me at his touch. “You scared me! What are you still doing here? Wait, that doesn’t matter. Are we locked in? And… don’t you need to call your wife?”
“The locks are digital and the internet is dead. There’s no reception in here, the landlines don’t work. Nothing will until the power comes back on. Also… I don’t have a wife anymore.”
Chapter Three Shawn
Time passes as Edel and I dance around our shared past. There are so many things I want to say, but in the end, pleasantries don’t seem big enough. Nice to see you.How are you? You look gorgeous.That isn’t us. This is me and Edel were talking here. But at the same time, talking about reality seems too big.I miss you. I think of you more often than I’m willing to admit. I’ve never stopped loving you.
“I’ve thought of you every single time I’ve ever heard that damn song.” A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.
“Yes, that song is ours. Before that song, we were just two virgins with crushes that couldn’t be squelched. Who knew that Elvis was the key? Was it the hip thrust that did it for you?” I chuckle. “Come on, looks like we’re settling in for the night.”
I wander down an aisle filled with trampolines and pull out two. When Edel is seated across from me, I reach for her hand. She doesn’t pull away.
Instead, she inhales and her shoulders fall forward. “Listen, I’m sorry for the way things ended with us. If I could go back in time, I would’ve stayed in Findlay with you. Somehow I thought being here and in a serious relationship was going to hold me back. But I know now how ridiculous that is.”
“No, that isn’t fair. We were young. You were right. I had no business proposing knowing I didn’t have my shit together yet. I wanted everything too young. I was too serious, too soon. That’s what growing up in the throws of chaos will do to you. I was desperate to create the life I never had and I tried to put that burden on you.” The air gets lighter as soon as the heavy words leave my throat.
“You are a good man, always have been. You deserved better from your parents and I know you were just trying to create stability for yourself. At least, I know it now.”
It feels good to be around someone who has known me all my life. I don’t have to explain anything to Edel, she was there. She was a part of me while I was figuring out who I would become.
