Chapter 18

• Alvin flinched slightly, clearly caught off guard by her bluntness. But before he could say anything else, Lucy turned on her heel and walked away, leaving him standing there in stunned silence. She didn’t bother looking back as she entered the store, the bell above the door chiming as she stepped inside. She could feel Alvin’s eyes on her through the large glass windows, but she paid him no mind. He was part of her past, a chapter she had closed for good.
• Inside the store, everything was as it always was—shelves neatly stocked, the scent of fresh produce in the air, and the familiar buzz of customers going about their morning shopping. Lucy took a deep breath, letting the routine of her job ground her. She exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Thompson before heading to the back room to put away her things and slip into her apron. But even as she tried to focus on her tasks, she couldn’t shake the feeling of Alvin’s presence just outside.
• As she went about her duties, she occasionally glanced out the window, and sure enough, Alvin was still there, lingering near the entrance. He wasn’t trying to come in or cause a scene, but his eyes kept drifting toward the store as if he couldn’t quite let go of the shock of seeing her. Lucy clenched her jaw, willing herself to ignore him. She wouldn’t let him disrupt her day, not when she had worked so hard to put him behind her.