Guilty Love

5| Lunch

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Lunch

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Chapter 5: Lunch (London's POV)

My alarm rang the next morning for work and I turned it off with an irritated groan. I barely slept last night. I tossed and turned and all I could do was think about Ronan. 

Why did he have to come back now? And show up at my store like that? Everything still hurts when I think back to our relationship. And every time I see him, it's like the same wound is sliced open all over again. 

I kept staring at my ceiling when I heard a loud thud. I frowned, looking over to the window. I usually leave it open just an inch at night so the room stays cold but I draw the blinds. It sounded like the thud came from outside. I sat up, patting my hair down as I climbed out of bed. I walked over, grabbing the blinds to pull them open but stopped when I remembered that right across my room was Ronan's. And since he's back, he's probably staying in his old room. I pulled my lips into a thin line and peeked through the blinds. 

He stood at the window, staring down at the ground. I looked down, seeing a cardboard box falling apart and books falling out of it. He walked away, probably going downstairs to pick them up and I took that as a chance to open the blinds. I looked down where he appeared moments later, putting the box back together and placing the books back inside. 

He was clearing up all the things when I saw a photo frame lying face down in the corner. He glanced around once before spotting it and picking it up. He rested his elbow on his knee while he squatted and seemed frustrated. He dusting the shards of glass off the frame before putting it into the box and picking it up. He spun around to leave but stopped abruptly and turned around, looking right at my window as if he had sensed me standing there. 

His eyes met mine and I let out a small gasp, quickly backing away from the window. When I heard his front door close, I rushed to my window and closed it up along with the blinds before shaking my head clear of thoughts and getting ready for the day. I repeated the same routine I do every day, giving my dad his medicine right before I left and then heading to the store. 

Almost every customer that walked in today was staring at me with worry, concern, and pity. I guess everyone finally knows that Ronan is back and that he stopped at my store yesterday. 

When Ronan left town, the news spread like wildfire in our little town. And when I became a wreck after that, it only added fuel to the fire. It made getting over him so much harder, but on the other hand, what made it easier was how he completely cut me off. He changed his number, he never visited either so his parents always visited him instead, and he never asked his parents about me either. 

I remember asking them after they got back from visiting him for the first time. I asked, "Did he ask about me by any chance?" 

His mom had laughed awkwardly and then looked at me with the same kind of pity everybody is looking at me with again and shook her head softly. "He's been a little busy. I'm sure he thinks about you, hun," she added hopefully. 

But I knew better. He would never ask about me. He probably never even thought about me. 

The phone rang and I answered it while checking the time on the computer. It's nearly lunchtime now. "Hello?" I asked. 

"Do you want to come over for lunch? I'm by myself at the clinic," Verena said. 

I took a look around. Lunchtime is a busy hour most days. "Hold on," I mumbled. "Dylan!"