Page 22 of Caught Stealing

“I’m sure. Clean up, enjoy some family time, and I’ll call you tomorrow to fill you both in on all the details. No need for you to cater to me when you’ve got your hands so full. Totally fine.”

Josie groans, hangs her head, and heads down the hallway to take care of her messy family. Nick nods me off, so I see my way out. It’s way too early to head back to the church for choir practice. I’m hungry, but driving all the way across town to my house then back to church also doesn’t make sense. I decide I’ll grab something on this side of town and take my time, relax, maybe shop a little to pass the time.

Maybe message Andrew.

I bite my lip to contain my smile, not that there is anyone in my car to tell me I can’t be ridiculously excited to talk to him sooner.

There is a small strip mall not far from the church that has amazing food. I head there to grab something light and find a nice place to relax and maybe message with Andrew for a while. I settle on a soup and salad special at a local bistro—one that costs significantly less than the one my bestie is obsessed with. Once settled, I open my phone screen and try to decide which is better, messaging him through the app or text message since I have his number now. I figure texting might be better and faster, so I shoot over a greeting while those darn dragons swoop in my stomach again.

Killing some time before choir practice. Thought I’d say hi.

A few bites of soup later, my phone dings. It’s Josie with a picture of their dog now wearing Colton’s pants on his head…beside a toppled plant…and Nick with a bloody rag on his head. Her caption says it all. Evidently, there was a tripping incident and her parents are going to watch the kids so she can take Nick to urgent care for stitches. While responding, another message comes through. From Andrew.

Hi. This was a pleasant surprise. I thought you were having lunch with a friend today?

Hmm. He remembered, which means he must have been listening well when I spoke last night.

There was a toddler and rotten milk. It didn’t end well. Decided to grab lunch on my own. How has your day been?

Do I want to know what happened with the child and the milk? I’ve had a great day. Just got home from church and I’m going to do absolutely nothing the rest of the day. Actually, Goblin will probably make me toss a ball but other than that…I’m chilling.

Sounds like a nice afternoon. I like choir, but my day is full when we have practice.

I wish I could see you tonight, but I get it. Obligations. I can’t wait to talk to you tonight.

Me too. I had a really nice time last night.

I’m so involved in messaging with Andrew, I don’t hear my name being called until a familiar scent invades my personal space. I glance up and frown before pulling my phone in front of me. I’d much rather message with Andrew than even see Rory.

“Lottie,” Rory says and gently tugs my phone down from my face just when I was getting to the good part—Andrew’s response that mentions something about an important topic he wants to discuss tonight. I scowl and pull it back up to hide my flaming cheeks set ablaze thanks to my annoyance.

“What do you want, Rory?”

“I’d like to talk to you. Can I sit?”

“Won’t your girlfriend get mad at you?” I spit, glaring daggers at the phone screen though I can’t read it through my frustration. If I look at him with these eyes, I’m liable to get put in prison for first degree murder. My whole body temperature inches up a few degrees, and every ounce of annoyance my little heart can muster burns under my skin.

“I don’t have a girlfriend. I’m not with…Look, I was hoping we could talk about all of that?” His tone tapers off to little more than a whisper. I peer over the top of my phone and find him with slouched shoulders, a grimace, and those puppy eyes he works so well. There’s no denying his attractiveness, but it doesn’t hit me the same way. All I see is a cheater now.

Dramatically slamming my phone on the table seems like such a power move in my mind, but when I actually commit to it, I end up losing my grip and the phone flops onto the floor at his feet. Rory bends to retrieve it while I stay firmly planted in my seat. There will be no moments where our faces are so close we almost kiss, thank you very much. He sets the phone on the table and slides it closer to me.

“Gotta be careful with those,” he says and manages to slip into the booth across from me without an invitation. I suppose rescuing my phone, in his mind, means he’s entitled to my time and attention. I have no desire to give him either, so I snatch my phone up, stuff it into my bag, and stand.

“Wait, Lottie. Please, wait.” Rory stands to meet me and my traitorous eyes take him in.

And I lied. He looks like a cheater all right, but he still looks like…my Rory. It isn’t like a few months can change that, but it’s a surprise to me how much he still draws me into his orbit and locks me there. Like Andrew, he’s tall and dark, but unlike Andrew, he’s a narcissist who is still only thinking about himself.

“Rory, you left me for someone else. If that didn’t work out for you, it’s not my problem. I’ve moved on. In fact, you really need to get the rest of your gear from my house. It’s in my way.” I sling my bag over my shoulder but he grasps my elbow.

“You haven’t thrown it out? Lit most of it on fire?”

“No. It’s expensive and I’m not ten years old. I can be a mature adult, unlike my present company.”

Rory drops his head and scrubs his hands over his face. When his eyes connect with mine again, I have to stop myself from falling back into old habits so hard I’ll get a concussion. I still care about him. It’s impossible to turn that off after three years of commitment. Years spent wearing his jersey with his name across my back. Years of cheering for him at every game. Encouraging him after losses. Loving him even when it felt like we were drifting apart.

“Lottie, I made a huge mistake thinking I wasn’t in love with you anymore. I thought the spark was gone but that was on me, not you. Can I get you coffee sometime and talk with you?”

I swallow my nerves and muster up my constitution. “I think that’s probably a bad idea. You can come by and get your things, but that’s all. There’s no sense in going back and rehashing what went wrong.”

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