Fate

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Ariel, you have got to see this." I looked up from beside Pamela to see Maggie staring out the bookstore window in surprise.

"What is it?"

"It's Miles."

"Miles? Are you sure?" What was he doing in this part of town? His dad probably wouldn't be caught dead here.

"Yep, it's either him or his long lost twin. Does he have a brother?"

"No. He has a sister."

"Any chance she got a sex change?"

"Definitely not." I shook my head.

"Oh. Well then, it has to be him and it looks like he's coming in here." She turned to me.

What?!

"This a boy you like?" Pamela questioned.

"No, my ex-boyfriend actually," I explained sourly.

"Oh, maybe he came here because he wants you back."

"I doubt that."

"He has been acting weird lately," Maggie pointed out.

"Yes, but that doesn't exactly mean he's going to ask me to go out with him again does it? Besides he's got a girlfriend." I returned.

"Oh. Well, that could always change," Pamela said cheerfully, showing me she had no idea about the situation. Miles had done horrible things that I couldn't easily forgive him for. When the door chimed and he walked in his eyes widened upon seeing me. Did he not know I worked here?

"Gem?" He breathed.

"Gem? Does he not know your name is Ariel?" Pamela snorted. What was with her today? At this point, I'd come to terms with the fact not everyone was going to call me by my name. It was either going to be Aris, freak, gem, princess, geek, loser, red, some other combination, or some new thing someone came up with.

"I think he's always called her that," Maggie whispered.

"Oh, that's kind of cute. My husband calls me pooky," she whispered back.

Please, no one call me pooky.

"What are you doing here?" I breathed.

"I was just checking out this part of town. You work here?" He smiled just a bit.

"Yes, I do."

"Do you think maybe when you have a break we could talk?"

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

"Gem, please? It's been so long since we just talked. I said you could talk to me and I meant that."

"Right now just isn't a good time."

"You can take a break if you need to," Pamela called and I cursed the fact I'd decided to whisper instead of allowing her and Maggie to hear. Maggie seemed to understand what I wanted because she looked at Pamela frowning.

"See? Ariel, take a break just for a second, please?" He frowned.

"Fine, for a second." I relented, not looking at him.

"Thank you." We walked outside, him holding the door for me, and stood on the sidewalk in silence.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"First, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Like really okay."

"As okay as I can be," I shrugged.