Page 21 of Dear Ripley

“Maybe not. But maybe I’ll start making you…” I cast around for the worst job the flower shop had, and couldn’t think of anything. What an annoying day to love everything about my job.

Ekundayo laughed, muttering something in Nigerian that was too low for me to make out.

He moved to stand in front of me, leaning over so I could see him as I looked up at the ceiling. “You don’t have any grunt jobs, and you wouldn’t make me do them either way, we both know that.”

“Fine. You’re right. I don’t and I wouldn’t. You don’t deserve that. But you’re still wrong.”

“It’s okay to still be pining after her, you know? Everyone knows you are.”

My blood ran cold. “Excuse me?”

He winced slightly, realizing this was news to me. “Oh. Well. Um. It’s just… Shit. I’m really sorry, Ripley. I thought you knew…”

“Knew what?” I asked, sitting up straighter again—a novelty for me, truly.

He took a deep breath. “Oh, just that, well, everyone’s pretty sure that you’re still in love with Alicia, and that you always have been. Everyone’s kind of hoping that the two of you will figure it out and get back together someday.”

I stared at him, stunned. “How is it that you’ve been in Jackson Point for less than two years and you somehow already know all of this? I’ve been here my whole life and didn’t know everyone’s still shipping me with my ex-wife?”

He shrugged. “Maybe it’s not everyone. Maybe it’s just a few people. I mean, I heard it from Joel, and you know, he’s kind of close to the situation, so…”

Was it supposed to make things better that my former in-laws were amongst those thinking I was still in love with their child and, apparently, hoping we’d get back together again? Did they not remember the heartbreak of the first time around? Had they forgotten Alicia spent eight years refusing to come back to town because of me?

Maybe that was why they wanted us back together. She’d probably come around a little more if she wasn’t avoiding me for the rest of her life. But there were ways for that to happen that didn’t involve accusing me of still being in love with her.

I stared at Ekundayo. “I’m not still in love with her.”

“Okay,” he replied. The smirk playing around his lips implied he didn’t believe me in the slightest.

What was it with everyone around here?

“Don’t look at me like that.”

He laughed. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You looked at me.”

“You’re looking at me.” He gestured between the two of us.

“That’s different.”

“How, exactly?”

I shrugged. “Just is. I’m not busy accusing you of being in love with your ex.”

He laughed again. “Wouldn’t be much use if you did. I don’t have one.”

I sighed. “Ah, to be young and undamaged by love.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how the saying goes.”

“Yeah, yeah, so sue me.”

“You know I’m not studying law, right?”

I snorted. “I do know that.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “And not having an ex doesn’t mean you’re undamaged by love…”

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