Page 12 of Say Yes To The Fake Date

My forehead creases. Surely Gabe is wrong. I doubt Dom even thought twice about ending things with me, but I’m not going to argue that with hisbrother. All I can do is nod my head. “Okay, I’ll be nicer to him.”

It’s his turn to laugh. “Oh, I’m not saying be nicer. You should give him hell for what he did. I’m just saying don’t get mixed up with him again… and then leave. That’s all. He won’t make it through losing you twice.”

Before I can respond, he leans down and hugs me. “It’s good to see you again, Lucy. Let me know if I can do anything while you’re in town.”

I’m speechless as he pats me on the shoulder and walks away.

I get to the front door, and Violet and I walk outside to where Josh is waiting for us.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” I tell her.

I listen to her and Josh talk as we go across town. Every now and then, I pop in to answer a question, but for the most part, I’m thinking about what Gabe said. Could he be right? Did Dom regret the way he ended things? If that’s true, why wouldn’t he have come for me?

As we pull into my mom’s driveway, the first thing I see is my car. I thank Josh and Violet for the ride home and practically jog to it. As soon as I see the note on the windshield, I look at it anxiously.

I should be happy that I have my car because it sucks having to hitch rides with people, so why am I upset?Because now you don’t have a reason to see Dominic again.

The thought comes in swiftly, and as soon as it crosses my mind, I know it’s the truth.

I reach for the paper and unfold it slowly. Is he going to say he doesn’t want to see me again and to stay as far away as possible from him? I wouldn’t be surprised after how I’ve treated him since I got back.

I read the letter and then have to read it again.

Lucky,

At the bar tonight, you were smiling until you saw me. More than anything else, I want you to be happy. Please keep your car and don’t worry about the money. You don’t owe me anything. I know I’m the last person you think you can depend on, but if you need anything - anything at all - please call me.

Dom

He signs off with his phone number, and I read the letter for the third time, looking for anykind of hidden meaning.

I carry the note to the porch. I’m not ready to go in and face my mother, so I sit down on the steps and pull out my phone.

I type in Dom’s phone number and then type out a text. I change it three times before I finally have something I feel like I should send.

Thank you for my car.

Bubbles appear, and I know he’s typing me back. There’s a tug in my belly as I wait for his message. When it pops up, I can’t read it fast enough.

You’re welcome.

I wait for more, and when nothing else comes, I type another text.

How did you get home?

I walked.

My mouth drops.

Dom, it’s like five miles.

He’s quick to correct me.

Three. I’m just now getting back to the apartment. It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I enjoy walking.

As soon as I read the text, it makes me think about the past and how much time we spent walking the track around the park. Dom never liked being stuck inside, and every chance he got, he was always finding something for us to do outside. Before I can talk myself out of it, I type,

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