Page 34 of Mercy Lake

I rolled my eyes. “You know this is different.”

Alicia’s expression turned from teasing to gentle. “I know. I think it will be good for you to get some closure. Hell, you don’t even date… Especially after that one-night stand with no-name daddy—”

“You’re lucky Austin isn’t here,” I snapped. Alicia chuckled.

“Alexis. No matter what you wear, Owen will be drooling over you. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you in the hospital, and let’s just say you weren’t at your best then.”No shit.I had gone days with hardly any sleep.

“Thanks, I think? Ali, do you think this is a good idea?”

“It’s overdue, Lex. Especially since you’ve moved back to town. It will be better for you to put him behind you… or under you,” she said with a wink.

“There will be none ofthat.”

“Shit, why not? It’s been how long? You’ve got to brush off the cobwebs sometime, sis.”

“With my cheating ex? I can do better.”

“Of course you can! And I’ve told you that many times. But you’re forgetting something.”

“What?”

“In the last four years, I’ve never seen you fret over your outfit.”

I groaned. She was right.

“Be strong. You can do this. Yell at him, shut him out forever, fuck his brains out. Whatever your decision is, it will be the right one.”

Owen picked me up as my parents were out running errands with Austin. I’d set it up perfectly so my nosy little boy didn’t get any crazy ideas.

There was a new café a while away that was situated in the middle of the botanical gardens that we thought we’d try out. It also helped that we left the vicinity of Acacia Falls, knowing that gossip would make the rounds by the end of the day if we were spotted.

As Owen drove, I discreetly scanned his profile. Believe it or not, he had grown more handsome since I’d left. In my head, he had turned into some fat ogre with no teeth, fitting the villain role well.

However, sitting beside me with the sun beaming over his chiselled features, I knew I was in trouble.

He looked like my husband. Smelt like my husband. Yet hewas notmy husband.

A melancholy aura stained the air, blatantly displaying my wayward thoughts.

Owen glanced over in concern. “I have an idea. Why don’t we just catch up for a bit, ease into it? Talk about what we’ve been up to. Based on your boy, you’ve had an eventful few years.”

He cocked his head as I gave my first genuine smile. Austin, I could talk about.

And just like that, I poured out the story of the stranger, the accidental pregnancy and the life-altering change of birthing my baby into the world. I wasn’t ashamed. I’d never be. All my decisions led me to being the mother of the most magnificent boy.

When I came to an end, Owen was beaming, catching on to my contagious enthusiasm, which made me pause.It’s amazing what your mind can shut out until you’re slapped with the reminder directly across the face, the imprint leaving an indentation so deep there’s no way you can ignore it.

Owen was my best friend. He used to be the one I would run to, to celebrate in all my wins and comfort me in my losses.

He was who I would confide in, cry on, complain to or love on. He was my everything for a while.

I miss him. I miss him so fucking much.

As we settled in the quaint café, we continued on in a similar fashion. Owen filled in the gaps of his life. He put a lot of emphasis on his work and how he found fulfilment through his physiotherapist role. With a lot of effort and hard work, he was promoted to the head of his department, which was impressive. He also mentioned how involved he was with his family, and proudly decreed that he was Cooper’s favourite uncle—and only uncle.

The catch-up was surprisingly pleasant. No awkward silences, no strained pauses. It felt like I was with a long lost friend, and in a weird way, I was. The talk was easy with no heavy topics, which I appreciated at first, although we could both feel the inevitable shift starting to occur as our conversation naturally tapered off.

“You want to go for a walk in the gardens?” Owen asked.

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