The Boy Who Didn't Love

42 - have faith

It took her about three minutes to recover from the shock of the situation and realize what had happened. She looked around the parking lot, uncertain of what to do or how to react, as various questions rang in her head. Did he really mean what he said? Did they just break up? How is she going to get home without a car?

After another moment of deliberation, she walked back into the store and looked for her supervisor. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Mr. Price was no longer in his office and hoped that they wouldn't bump into each other now.

Marina's eyebrows first rose upon seeing her before they furrowed with concern. "Hey, you alright? I thought you were leaving with Sawyer."

"He left without me," Ali stated, and before Marina could express her candid disapproval, she continued. "Does your shift end soon? Could you give me a ride home?"

  "Yeah, of course, but are you sure you want to go there instead of stay at my place? You look shaken, Ali. And it seems like Sawyer isn't in the best state of mind right now either if he just left you like that."

  Ali pulled her tote bag closer to her and cleared her throat awkwardly. She was struggling to keep her feelings in check, but she refused to break down in the middle of her workplace. "Yeah, but I'll be alright. I'm going to go sit outside until your shift ends. I need some fresh air."

  "Okay," Marina replied hesitantly, concern etched across her face. "I'll call in a favor and get out earlier, so give me a couple of minutes. Text me if you need anything."

  Ali nodded and returned to the parking lot, settling on the curb beside Marina's car. Her mind inevitably began to think about what had just transpired a couple of minutes ago, and her eyes watered despite her wishes. She rubbed her face with her hands, thankful that she hadn't worn any makeup today, and tried to steady her breathing.

  "Have a good rest of your day, Mr. Price!" someone shouted from inside of the store, catching her attention. Her eyes shot to the entrance, where the eminent man appeared with a briefcase in hand and a charming smile adorning his stubbled face. He waved to whoever had called out to him, then turned around and started towards his vehicle. Oblivious to her watchful gaze, he let his guard down.

  Ali's eyes widened when Mr. Price's face relaxed into a familiarly cold expression as he stared ahead blankly. She continued to watch him in absolute shock until he drove off without noticing her at all.

  She blinked, dazed, but was unable to fully process the situation when Marina materialized beside her. The redhead offered her a hand to stand, then unlocked the car and turned on some soothing music. Neither of them spoke during the ride; Marina respected Ali's current need for calm and Ali appreciated her ability to understand without it being said.

  When they reached Ali's apartment complex, Marina attempted to invite her to stay at her place once more, but she politely declined. She forced a small smile as she waved goodbye, then entered the building. Once she arrived at her door, she paused for a moment.

  Although her eyes had watered in the parking lot earlier, she thought she was otherwise handling the situation rather well. But when she pulled out her keys and inserted them into the lock, she realized that she was trembling.

  Taking a deep breath, Ali unlocked the door and stepped inside. As she expected, he wasn't in the living room or the kitchen, but both his shoes and keys were by the door. She locked the door behind her and walked into the kitchen to place her tote bag on the counter. She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, for something to busy herself with rather than for thirst.

  After a moment, she placed her open water bottle on the counter and barged into their bedroom before she could stop herself, knowing that he would be there. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at the ground, but he looked up in surprise when she came in. They stared at each other in silence for what seemed like hours, only a few feet apart.