All in the Game

Chapter nine || Mr. perfectly fine

𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 

The offer I put down for my dream building ended up not working out. Someone out bid me my first thought was how, my second who? Rosemary that's who! The revenge seeking bitch, I should have seen this coming. How did I not see this coming? 

"I hope there's no hard feelings between us?" She has the audacity to say to me one morning while at work. Is she asking to get coffee thrown on her this time? Glancing up from the counter I think of a million ways I would like to strangle her. 

Instead, I put on my fakest smile and say, "none at all." 

"Good, who knows maybe we can even try to be friends?" 

Is she crazy? Hell would have to freeze over before the two of us ever become friends. "What are you planning on doing with the building?" 

"I'm glad you asked I'm turning it into a ballet studio for little girls. Here give this to your mom." She hands me a business card with all the details of the upcoming studio coming to Magnolia Creek. I pocket it mainly because I know Ellie-Kate might be interested, and because it will be nice having a new fresh idea spring in our small town. "Good luck." 

She stares at me behind her fancy sunglasses. Why she's even wearing them since she's inside beats me. "Well, it was nice talking." She says happily before exiting. 

That was weirded than weird, she hasn't been this nice to me since second grade. I'm not too upset about her getting the building, it just wasn't meant to be I guess. I'll just have to keep looking until I find a better place one that feels right. 

The person who's been the most understanding about me following my dreams is Val. First, she gave me the money to even make all of this possible, today she told me to go early so I could go out looking for possible locations. 

Trying to find a new location hasn't exactly been easy. Honestly, I'm running out of options. Checking my phone for the time, I'm meeting my mom and sister in a few hours for our monthly girls night. 

I should have enough time to grab some dinner, then head home to change before meeting them. But I open up our group chat, sending a quick text anyway just to be sure. 

𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?

𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐚: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭! 

𝐌𝐨𝐦: 👍🏻

𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲: 𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠?

I continue walking while staring at my phone waiting for someone to text back. Three dots appear on the screen then disappear. A text finally comes through but I don't get a chance to look at it, because at the same time I run into somebody. 

"Oh, my goodness I'm so sor—" 

Looking up I stare into the familiar dark blue eyes that I thought had been lost to me forever. "Nathan," I whisper. I'm not sure if he hears me or not but a moment later, he's saying my name. 

He looks exactly the same. Same perfect dark brown hair, perfect smile, and chiseled features. The only major difference is the tattoo on his right arm of his baseball number. "Hey, how have you been?" 

I stare at him too stunned to speak. 'Hey, how have you been?' Is seriously all he has to say to me? I'm sorry, or any other apologies would have been perfectly fine. But just carrying on like nothing happened what is wrong with him? 

"Abigail," he calls my name again. 

I don't reply my mouth is too dry, and if I open it I'm scared I'll break down. However, my legs are completely fine so I take the chance to run in the opposite direction, and I don't stop until I'm far away from him.