“You're still
playing?” Blake asked her, his face hopeful. She couldn't keep
all of her thoughts straight when she was looking at his face. She
broke eye contact and looked over to Harrison, who had finished his
pie already.
“You need more
pie, Harry?” she asked, avoiding Blake's question. Not that it
mattered, Kaylee wouldn't shut up.
“She plays every
weekend at Red's, duh.” Like the whole room was supposed to know,
but she didn't stop there. “She's playing tonight at the—”
“Festival,”
Blake finished for her. Lucy's head jerked up, he had looked down to
his plate and begun eating so she couldn't read his expression. Not
that she ever really could. He was always thinking one thing and
doing another.
“Yeah!” Kaylee
exclaimed. “So you are
here
to see her!” She leaned on the counter facing Harrison like she
was telling a secret. “She's playing for Taylor Stevens, he's very
cool.”
Harrison nodded
along, ever the gentleman, as he ate his second piece of pie. Lucy
wanted very much to break the coffee pot over Kaylee's head, but
decided against it.
“Can
I get a refill, Lucky?” Blake asked from his end of the counter.
Lucy's face went hot as she blushed involuntarily.
“Lucky?”
Kaylee frowned, spinning to look at Lucy as she poured the hot
liquid into the ceramic mug. She felt the heat increase and radiate
out from her ears. She was positive that she was completely red by
now. She considered sticking her head in the ice box. She hadn't
been called that in a very long time. That name coming from those
lips wasn't fair. It brought back too much. Made her feel things she
had long since buried.
Blake
ignored Kaylee again, focusing on Lucy alone. She wanted to hide in
the back. She wanted to get in her car and drive far, far away. She
also wanted to fling herself into his arms and never let go. What
was he doing to her? Why was he here? He did this every time. He'd
show up, act like everything was cool between them, and break her
heart as he drove out of town. The last time he had promised
it wouldn't happen again. He swore he was never coming back. And
yet, she
thought as she blew a stray hair out of her face.
She leaned back and
crossed her arms over her chest. She had to get him to stop whatever
it was he thought he was doing. She wouldn't let him have complete
power over her this time. “Have you been home yet?” She raised
her eyebrows at him. His jaw clenched noticeably and she knew it
wouldn't take much to set him off. If he could call her Lucky like
it wasn't a big deal, then she could tell him to go see his mama.
“I
didn't want to bother her.” Blake drained his coffee and she
expected him to get up and prepare to leave. But he remained seated.
“You
always have an excuse.” Lucy saw the storm clouds roll into his
eyes but kept going. The only way to guarantee him not coming to see
her play tonight would be to piss him off now. Blake could hold a
grudge, and she needed him to. For her own sanity. “I'm gonna
tell her you were here.”
“You
always know how to wreck a nice visit, you know that?” Blake
growled, cooling the atmosphere of the room. Just like a prairie
thunderstorm. Hot one minute, cold and dangerous the next. Kaylee
fell silent and Harrison hurriedly wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Lucy didn't flinch,
she'd survived Blake's downdrafts before. “Take her some pie. I
made extra.” She met his gaze, waiting for the cursing to start.
But it never came.
He simply stood,
lowered his aviators and walked towards the door. Harrison smiled
apologetically at her and hustled after him.
Blake turned at the
door and lowered his glasses a fraction so he could have eye contact
with her. She heard her heart, bags packed, telling her that it was
leaving with him again and she was going to have to deal with it.
“I'll see you tonight, Lucky.” His voice was dark and too damn
playful. She couldn't respond and he sauntered out into the
sunshine.
Lucy watched him
until he was no longer in sight, her hands trembling and her eyes
burning with the angry tears that had pushed to the surface.
“Whoa.
There is some history between you guys.” Kaylee's usually peppy
voice was hushed. But Lucy understood why. It was because Blake had
sucked all the air out of the room when he left.
She
untied her apron and threw it in the bin.
“I'm
leaving early. Mac will be here in fifteen minutes anyway, you'll be
fine.” She didn't want to answer any of Kaylee's questions. She
didn't want Blake to come to the festival tonight. She didn't want
to feel like her insides had just been ripped out and smeared along
the sidewalk. Most of all, she did not want Blake Diedrich back in
her life.
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