She stood in the middle of her living room, her white T-shirt and ripped jeans covered in a variety of dried and wet paint. Her foot tapped along to the beat of the song that rolled from her small speaker, one of her favorite songs; Sometime Around Midnight, by the Toxic Airborne Event. Her eyes were scanning over the canvas before her, lips mouthing along the lyrics as she felt a small smile encompass her lips.
It was a portrait of Link. She wasn't sure why she painted it, but the idea found itself on the canvas before she had a chance to change her mind. Using no photo reference, she was able to create a piece that looking strikingly similar to the man.
He seemed to be on her mind more and more these days. It should bother her, the thoughts she has about him. In a way, it does. He's a married man, with children. He was spoken for, and she had no doubt that he was faithful to his wife. But that didn't mean she couldn't think about the way he smiled at her, or his quirky sense of humor. Or even the nickname she had grown fond of.
She inhaled deeply, the scent that rolled from her incense basking the room in a warm, cozy aura, before stepping forward and continuing her work. She took extra care in the curve of the jaw, and the endearing grey streaks in his hair, and she offhandedly wondered if she should make one for Rhett as well, when her phone chimed from her back pocket.
Glancing once more at the painting, she wiped the stray hair from her face with the back of her hand, setting her materials down before taking the phone out and glancing at the message. A friend from back home, Allie. She was the one who told Lucy about the job market in California.
Allie
Hey Lucy, how are things going for you out there? Heard you snagged a job at some online talk show or something.
Lucy
I did, actually. it's called Good Mythical Morning, you should look it up. things are going great so far, living for the constant sunburns.
She moved around the room, eventually finding a place on the small love seat pushed up against the wall. Another chime from her phone urged her into a more comfortable position, settling in for a long conversation.
Allie
That's great! I'll look it up for sure.
So, have you heard anything about Gavin?
Lucy swallowed thickly, her eyes re-reading the second message a couple times. She hadn't heard that name in over a year, and she was more than content with that. She hesitantly replied,
Lucy
I have not. What's going on?
Allie
He's being released next week. I figured your family would tell you about it.
Lucy frowned at the response, her chest tightening at the mention of her family. She hadn't spoken to them since she left, pretty much avoiding them like the plague after what had happened. Hearing the news that her ex-husband was being released from prison was quite the shocker as well, and she found herself biting her lip with anxiously, her head swirling with vivid flashbacks of what happened between the two of them;
Gavin Daniels was a monster in the flesh; alcoholic, deceiving, abusive, manipulative...The list goes on. She had endured 5 years with the man, but it felt like an eternity in her mind. She still had scars from her experience, as well as the painful memory of a lost, unborn child. She was six months pregnant, with new and old bruises layered on her body, but she was resilient. Unfortunately, she was also pushed down a flight of stairs, breaking her left ankle as well as the loss of her unborn child.
Needless to say, just the simple mention of his name was enough to bring frustrated, angry tears to roll down her cheeks, and her fingers to clench the phone in her hands enough to turn knuckles white.
Allie
Sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to make you upset, but I wanted to make sure you knew. They pushed his release date forward for good behavior. I want to make sure you're safe, you know?
She read the message a million times over it seemed, each time obscuring the words like a drawing spattered with water. Good behavior? What a fucking joke.
She had a restraining order, of course. But that didn't stop him the last time. She had moved away from her hometown, and he found her then. He could find her again, surly. She quickly wiped her nose with the back of her hand, sniffling slightly as she answered Allie's message.
Lucy
Thank you, for letting me know. You're a good friend. Don't worry about me, California is a pretty big place.
She closed out her phone, tossing it on the couch before moving to stand. She wasn't sure where she was going, her feet moving forward on their own accord as she grabbed a light jacket off the antique coat rack that stood beside the door, and left.
The air held a slight chill to it, the sun dipping just the slightest to cast the sky orange. She stuffed her hands in her pockets, bounding around the corner of her street with a scowl, her mind going through the mental checklist of legal self defense weapons in California. She was frown a small town back east, where guns were pretty much encouraged. Needless to say, Cali was a bit different.
She eventually found herself walking down Evan's street, her gaze drawn toward what looked like a carnival or something in the distance. The lights were glittering in the shadows, hidden behind trees and nestled in what looked like the community park. She didn't think twice about it, and walked straight for it.
Link laughed alongside his wife, their collective gazes drawn toward their three children standing behind a stand in picture of three strong men, making silly faces through the cut outs. It felt good to be spending time with his family, something that was very much needed in his ever racing mind. And for a good amount of time, the thought of GMM's new graphic designer was nowhere to be found. They continued on with their little escapade, the trio of children walking behind them as they marveled at the rinky dink games and rides.
"Look at that! Can we ride that?" One of the kids piped up, pointing toward a rather ragged looking tilt-a-whirl. Link glanced at Christy, a reluctent grimace on his features as she smiled in response,
"Oh, c'mon. Let the kids have some fun." She announced, before motioning toward the ride. Link frowned, before quickly reaching out and snatching his youngest son's hand, halting him from climbing aboard with the other two.
"Sorry buddy, this one's for the big kids. How about we find something else to ride, huh?" He asked, crouching down to his level. He frowned in response,
"But I am a big kid! I'm 8 years old now!" He argued, a pout pulling on his lower lip. Link glanced at the ride once more, before looking around the carnival hastily. He could see what looked like a mini roller coaster,
"There's a roller coaster over there. Wanna ride if before the others see it?" Link breathed out, feigning excitement with a broad grin. It seemed to have worked, not a second later he was being dragged toward the dragon themed ride.
Stopping at the end of the small line, Link reached into his pocket to produce the right amount of tickets, before glancing off in the distance.
That was when he saw her.
What were the odds that she would be there, standing just far enough that he could barely make out the angles of her face, lit up with the warm yellow of the carnival rides. Her hands were in her pockets, her clothes splattered with what looked like paint, while she watched the small roller coaster go through it's routine. Her hair was wild, falling around her face with an endearingly unkempt look, lips straight and devoid of a smile despite the surrounding glee.
She was gorgeous.
Link found himself staring, unsure if he should call her over, or pretend like he never saw her. As though she could hear his thoughts, she turned her gaze to the man, their eyes connecting from the distance and driving a shiver down his spine. It was such an intense look, something he had never seen on her before. Link swallowed thickly, before pulling a smile on his lips and throwing her a friendly wave. He probably looked like a total dork or something, which is probably why she cracked a small, bashful smile in response.
For a brief second there, Link forgot that his son was waiting in line for the ride, he forgot that his wife and two other children were wandering about the carnival, most definitely looking for them. He should have felt guilty for the feelings that rose inside him. But when she began walking in his direction, her hair blowing just the slightest against the chilly wind, he felt nothing but the hammering of his heart against his chest. The tug that egged him to meet her halfway, his feet almost moving on their own accord if it wasn't for the small hand that tugged on his wrist.
Link had never felt this before. It was undeniable, the magnetism he felt toward her.
"Who's that? She workin' for the studio now?"
His wife's voice cut through his trance like a blade, scattering the remnants of his daydream across the dirt beneath their feet. He quickly glanced at Christy, forcing his words out as Lucy approached them with a small smile.
"That's Lucy." Was all he managed.