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Even though his presence was short-lived, having Frank around made it easy for Lainey to forget about the ever-growing hole in her chest. No, it never fully went away, but he helped lessen the ache. Now that he had disappeared again, the familiar pain was beginning to take over.
Lainey had the day off, which certainly wasn't helping things. If she had been working, it would be much easier to distract her mind. It was only two in the afternoon and she had already checked everything off her to-do list.
Seated on the couch, her knee bounced anxiously as she pondered what to do. She contemplated smoking, but that would mean being glued to the couch for the entire day, which could potentially make her feel even worse.
When her doorbell rang she couldn't help but feel hopeful about who was on the other side. She quickly answered it. There was no one, causing her to frown.
"Stupid kids," Lainey muttered, figuring that some of the neighborhood children were playing ding-dong-ditch. She started to close the door but paused when something caught her eye. There was a folded piece of paper underneath her welcome mat. Grabbing it from the ground, she unfolded it.
Central Park. 15 minutes.
A smile spread across her face. She could recognize that handwriting anywhere. It was Frank. Quickly, her eyes scanned the surrounding area, knowing he had to still be nearby. There was no one in sight.
As she headed back inside, she wondered why the Marine had decided to be so mysterious all of a sudden. Why hadn't he just come inside like the last time? Retrieving her coat and keys, she was back outside within a minute. To her surprise, Billy Russo was walking down the pathway to her front steps.
"Oh. Hey Billy. Long time no see," Lainey joked as she met him halfway. Billy raised an eyebrow, noticing the slight disappointment that flashed across her face.
"Expecting someone else?" Billy asked curiously. She shook her head.
"No, just wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," Lainey lied, zipping up her jacket. "What's up?"
"Just checkin' in on you. You seemed a little off the other day, just wanted to make sure you're doin' alright," Billy replied. Shit, she thought, he remembers that?
"Oh. That was nothing. It was just a bad day at work," Lainey told him, it being half-true. Billy was very good at reading body language and knew that there was something Lainey wasn't telling him. He thought she almost seemed... nervous. "I appreciate you stopping by but I was actually heading out."
