Page 74 of Substitute for Love

GABE: I’m outside.

CLAIRE: Stalker. I’ll be right out.

A few minutes later, she hopped into the passenger side of his truck and shut the door.

“I thought you’d be texting me,” Claire said.

“Oh?” Gabe replied.

“Marshall’s in town and convinced Avery to meet up earlier. Thought maybe you heard about it somehow.”

He shook his head. “We subbed together today. Wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. I was flirty, she got mad, but then after lunch she was different. Worried. That’s when she told me her ex was coming.”

Claire nodded. “They have a lot of history, and she had thought she was leaving it all behind. So yeah, she doesn’t want to face it again. How tonight goes will determine a lot of what happens next for her.” She glanced over at him. “You, too, I’m guessing?”

Gabe stared ahead, his mind in a daze. Somehow Claire clarified the tumble of thoughts running through his mind. “How did you…?”

“Hey, I may be a player, but I can tell love when I see it. You, sir, are in love. Big time. I knew it the first time I saw you two together. No one can resist my feminine charms, and you totally did.” She pulled out lip balm from her pocket, opened the mirror on the visor, and applied it, popping her lips.

He shook his head. “Wow. You are soooo full of yourself. And wait just a second. If you knew I liked Avery, why did you push us apart? What right did you have?” Anger bubbled up, adding to the volume of emotions swirling through him.

Claire put up her hands. “Okay, fine, you’re right. But I didn’t know how Marshall had treated her. Avery literally told me last night. I’ve been a terrible friend.” She sighed. “Guess bad behavior runs in my family. Gotta work on that.”

“Hah. You can say that again.”

Silence stretched between them, Claire nodding. “I deserved that. Avery is the best person I know. While I can’t erase the past, I hope I can make up for it.”

“It’s a start. Anyway, I don’t know what I’m even doing here, talking to you.”

“You are so between a rock and a hard place.” Again she checked herself in the mirror, closed the visor, and turned toward him. “Your heart might get broken, but at least you have a dream to look forward to.”

Gabe slid his hands up and down the steering wheel, trying to straighten out another possibility. “But if Avery doesn’t go back to Marshall, what then?” he asked, mostly to himself.

“Well, she’s the kind of person who would feel terrible keeping someone from their dreams. So if you stayed, she’d be mad.”

He took a deep breath. That was true. He hadn’t thought of that. “If I go, she’ll probably move on with her life and forget about me.”

“Possible. Very possible,” Claire said. She looked over at him, waiting through his silence. “But you’re hoping for the impossible third option. The one where you can have both.”

He shook his head in defeat. “If only we had met sooner. If only the timing was different,” he lamented. “Why am I so unlucky in love, Claire?”

A notification dinged on her phone. “Dang it, I gotta go.” She opened the door of the truck. “Unlucky in love? Join the club, Gabe. The thing is, you gotta figure out what you want and go for it. I still don’t know what I want. But I’m sure having a good time looking.” She shut the door and disappeared back into the gym.

Gabe glanced at the time on his phone. It was 7pmHe briefly considered following Claire into the gym and running his anxiety out on the treadmill. He’d sleep better, at least. As he reached to put his truck into drive, he noticed a familiar car driving around the lot and pulling into a spot three rows down.

Avery was here. Which meant Marshall must also be here. He turned off his truck and slid down the seat, hoping she wouldn’t spot him or his truck. Her car door opened, and shegot out. She walked to the front of the gym, where she stood and looked down at her phone. A minute later, her ex walked up from behind her and gave her a bear hug.

I should drive home right now. He had clearly invited himself into their moment. But if his truck moved now, Avery would see it and know he was there. Stalking her. He hadn’t meant to, but now he was trapped.

They were still hugging. He groaned. Claire was right. They were totally getting back together. All of Gabe’s flirting and wishing had been in vain. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. How much longer would he need to hide here?

Avery and Marshall talked for a bit, but her face was covered by shadows. Was she happy? Mad? He couldn’t tell. Finally, they both turned and started walking away from his truck, past the gym, and probably toward the Mexican restaurant another two businesses over. The same one he and Avery had eaten in not that long ago.

He breathed a sigh of relief at not being discovered. If he was a true stalker, he could go workout in the gym near the window, watching and waiting for them to finish their dinner. But the last thing he wanted was to see the look of happiness on her face of being with him. Of having him back in her life. Of their relationship working out.

Sure, he’d be happy for her. He was serious when he had told Avery she deserved to be happy. But Gabe would be sad for himself. His phone pinged.

CLAIRE: You gonna be okay?

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