yo breadstick | lrh [DISCONTINUED]

thirty one;

CHAPTER 31:

I step out of the elevator once we get to the parking garage level. I walk to my car and get in. Luke tugs on the door handle a couple of times. I pretend not to hear him and I start my car while turning up the radio. He stressfully knocks on the passenger side window.

I begin to back up slowly and pull out of the parking space. I drive slowly, purposely messing with Luke. He walks along with the car knocking on the window repeatedly. I carefully hold in the laugh I'm about to release.

I break and motion his attention to the door handle. He opens the door and I speed off leaving him on the floor. I stop again and unlock his door. Luke silently slides into the seat carefully. Once he's sat down completely, he shuts the door.

"Seatbelt," I tell him as I pull out of the parking garage. Luke huffs and reaches for the grey belt. He clicks it in and places his hands in his lap. I drive out of the city and to my local supermarket. The ride was extremely quiet and a bit awkward.

Luke didn't try to start another conversation. I think he knows that if he did again, I would just get upset. Which is true, and I would also get a little bit more irritated with him. He had no business with accompanying me to the store.

I park in the closest space to the supermarket's door and cut the engine. I reach for my purse in the back seat, but my arms were too short. Luke grabs the bag for me and places it into my lap. I thank him without making eye contact. I pull out my phone to open a text message with the list of items we needed from Josie -- which was super long. I guess I was buying food for the whole week. I also open up the texts I got from Calum.

Puppy Boy Calum: hey um can u buy a bag of beggin' bits for RJ please? they're his fav. michael wouldn't put it on the list.

Puppy Boy Calum: thanks marnie

I laugh and lock my phone. Luke and I get out of the car and make our way into the store. I grab a cart and stroll into the produce section.

"What's on the list?" asks Luke as he trails behind me. I hand him my phone and get a couple produce baggies. I realize my phone was locked so I looked back to Luke.

"Here, let me unlo--," I start.

Luke taps for numbers in and the phone makes a click, "Got it."

I hadn't changed my phone's password. It's still Luke. I was just so used to it that I kept it. There's no point in changing it anyway, I had it as my passcode for like four years already.

"Marnie, can we please talk ab--,"

"How about we get started on the list," I point at the phone in his hands. He nods sadly knowing he wasn't going to get me to crack out the conversation.

"Let's split the list so we can get done faster," he nods once again as I tell him what items we both should get. I push the cart to where the lettuce and tomatoes were. I put a head of lettuce in a bag and five tomatoes in another.

I look across the produce section to see Luke struggling to pick nice looking avocados while holding bags of onions, garlic, and cilantro. I push the cart over to him and let him put the bags into the cart.

"How do you pick ripe avocados?" he asks me in a whisper.

"Look at the little hole bit of it. Secretly pick it off, if it's green: get it. If it's yellow or brown: put it back," I educate the boy with avocado facts. He nods and does what he's told. I wish he did that when we were still together. I look back to the list and go to the meat section.