Page 78 of Lipstick Kiss

His belongings had arrived.

“Hey,” Luke said, bending down and giving her a quick kiss.

“Hey,” she said, trying to prolong the kiss, but he wasn’t giving in to her. “Why so glum?”

“I can’t handle weddings and being a pencil pusher for the business. I’ve just had to move the entire ceremony set up because the bride decided it was too windy.”

“She didn’t fancy flashing her knickers, I bet.”

“See? I didn’t think of that. I am not cut out for this. I don’t think on that level. I knew how to solve the problem, but I didn’t understand there was a problem until Stan came to me. Well, he went to Jason first, but he stepped away as it wasn’t food related.”

“Are you really that unhappy?”

Luke looked at Freya and thought about the ring he had stashed away. For too long, he wondered if he would ever give it to her. He needed to be sure he was staying to ask Freya to be his wife. She might have said she’d follow him anywhere, but he would not make her move away from her job and family.

“I am, Peaches, and I don’t see a way out. I’m not going to let down Archer, Jason and Daisy but fuck if I know how to solve the problem.”

“It’ll work out,” Freya said, reaching for his hand.

He stepped away. Until he knew for sure he was staying, he could touch her. It wouldn’t be fair.

“I need to get a shower, change, and get back to the wedding before it all kicks off.”

“Oh, okay. I thought we’d have a bit of time before your duties started.”

“Sorry, need to get a shifty on.”

Luke saw the disappointment on her face and nearly caved, but he had to be strong. He patted the arm of the sofa and unlocked his back door. Luke was grateful Freya didn’t follow. By the time he came back out, she was gone.

The wedding went well. He dashed back to Sabrina Lodge, showered, and changed before searching out Freya.

When he left his place via the front door, he tripped against a giant flower pot filled with earth. There was a note stuck to his front door with the lipstick mark in the corner.

These pots are too big for my place. They’ll look better here. Freya.

There was no love, or X. He flipped it over and checked that side, and it was blank. They were the pots he humped from the Lavender farm. She was right. They looked awesome, flanking each side of his front door.

Luke needed to find her.

He called her, sent texts and hammered on her door, but he wasn’t getting any answers. Luke even went to the school where Mr Morris had previously said she wasn’t working the evening classes, but it was closed up. The warehouse was locked up too. Luke didn’t fancy invading best friend code and quiz Heidi about where Freya was hiding out. The same went for her parents’ place.

He’d just have to wait it out.

When he got to Jason’s place a few hours later, Freya wasn’t there.

They finished dinner and were sprawled out on the sofas in Jason and Heidi’s living room, watching Archer and Erica bicker over baby names. They were adamant that they didn’t want a name on the Turner family tree. Having recently gone through the names in the graveyard, Luke was gleefully clipping out negatives for the names they chose.

“Is there a traditional name that is not on the family tree?” Erica asked.

“There aren’t that many on the family tree, to be fair. You could have Owen, Ada, and Stephen. I’m shocked there isn’t a Christopher, Isobel, or Maud.”

“Maud?” Archer said.

“I had a neighbour called Maud, and she was mean to me. Can’t have Maud, but I do like Isobel,” Erica said.

Archer nodded at the possibility. “What about a boy? Christopher?”

“Maybe. Let’s see when they arrive and decide when we meet them,” Erica suggested.

---