Life With Lacey

E3 - YOU BOUGHT WHAT?!?

Sophie

The dinner is cold, the candles have burned out, and I'm pissed. Some first Valentine's Day together. He never even came home.

I mean, home to his house. Not our house. I don't live here. I just stay almost every night. And keep all my groceries here. And most of my clothes. I definitely don't live here.

And it looks like that won't be changing any time soon, especially after his no-show status for the dinner I planned and shopped for, and cooked, and didn't burn!

I'm fuming, sitting on the couch in my favorite grungy sweatshirt. It's the one I wear when I'm mad, or sad, or tired. Pretty much whenever I'm unhappy. I guess I kind of wear it a lot. Although, ever since Luc's mind tricking experiment, I've hardly worn it at all. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had it on.

I lift the neckline of the sweatshirt and take a sniff. It smells pretty clean. I inspect it for ice cream stains, but there aren't any. My grungy sweatshirt isn't so grungy right now.

Just as that thought passes my mind, I hear the lock turn and the door open. Luc steps in with the biggest grin I think I've ever seen. That, of course, gives me an even bigger scowl. He takes one look at me and the grin drops, replaced by a wide-eyed shocked expression.

"Babe, why are you wearing your ice cream sweatshirt?"

Idiot.

"Maybe because you're an hour and a half late for dinner." My teeth are gritted as I answer his insane question.

Luc immediately checks the time on his phone, then his hand comes up to slap his forehead.

"Holy crap! I'm so sorry, Soph! I had no idea it would take this long!" He sounds genuinely sorry, and part of me wants to forgive him right away. But then my stomach grumbles and I remember the last ninety minutes of anger.

"Why didn't you at least call me? I tried your phone but you never picked up." Honestly how hard is it these days to let a person know you'll be late?

Luc rushes over to the couch and tries to sit right next to me. I scoot away the second his leg touches mine.

"Please listen, Sophie. I was in a kind of meeting, and the building was like a black hole for my phone. I tried to text you but I guess it didn't go through."

Just as those words come out of his mouth, my phone chimes with an incoming text. I jump up to check it, and of course it's from Luc.

Running a little late, but be there soon.

"A little late? More like massively late.
And you probably sent that right before you walked in." I'm not buying it.

"I'm telling the truth, Sophie." He sounds like he's getting irritated. That makes two of us. And I can't believe we're having this fight on Valentine's Day.

I just stand next to the counter with my arms crossed, looking down at the floor. I have nothing else to say to this lying, uncaring jerk.

"I have something to give you," he says, still sounding hopeful that I'll cave in to his lies.

"So."

"It will prove what I've been saying," he adds, then stands up and walks over to me. He reaches for my hand and pulls it to him. There's not much fight left in me so I let him. Then he pries my fingers loose, opening my palm. The next thing I know, there's a set of keys in my hand. A new car? Is that what he was doing this whole time?

"What is this?" I ask.

"I was signing the final documents for this. I'm tired of you driving a half hour home for the night every few days. So I bought the condo next door. Now you can come and go whenever you like, and it will be like we are living in the same place. But this way, you can still control your own space as much as you want."

Oh my gosh. I was so wrong. He's not a lying, uncaring jerk. He's the most thoughtful, loving man I've ever met. I wrap my hands around the keys and throw my arms around his neck.

"I can't believe you did that!" I say just before attacking his lips in a kiss that attempts to tell him how happy he just made me. I hated having to drive home so far from him. My need to satisfy that controlling part of my brain required it, however. Now I would be able to just go next door, then come right back as soon as I was ready. Day or night.

"Well," he says as I finally let him free, "I love you. And I need you close to me, babe."

"Same, Luc. So much the same. I love you." I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine than him.

^^^^^

I know most of you may be team Travis, but there's a special place in my heart for our goofball Luc. 😍

Click on!! 💋💘