Ordinary World Soap Opera
An Online Soap Opera

Episode 944: No Regrets

“We’re closing soon,” a familiar voice said from behind him. “I’d still be happy to help you if I can. Do you have a specific title in mind?”

He wanted to disappear. Tansy had backed out of their pact to deal with these things they may end up regretting. Now that he’d come this far, he wanted nothing more than to back out of it, too.

How, though? Sprint out of there hoping she didn’t catch a glimpse of him in the process?

He shook his head ever so slightly and ran his fingertips across a row of paperbacks, an attempt to make it look like he had something specific in mind and didn’t need her assistance, she could move on to some other part of the store and he could walk out the door away from this anxiety inducing confrontation.

“That’s a great series,” Ava remarked. “Have you started it yet? I could point you to book one, or, if you need help figuring out which comes next… If I ran the publishing industry one of my first orders of business would be to number the spines, save everyone the headache of puzzling over what order to read things in.”

He kind of grunted in response. He knew he should respond. She was trying to do her job, trying to be friendly. And she was reminding him of the truly kind person she’d always been. Understandably, wisely even, most clerks wouldn’t try to accommodate some silent weirdo intent on hiding his face at closing time, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt. She’d always given him the benefit of the doubt.

He had to stop this. He had to stop thinking of a way out of this store. He had to stop being a coward. If he didn’t do this, if he didn’t turn around and talk to her, he would always regret it. Maybe she would tell him to leave, tell him she hated him. Maybe she’d be receptive. Or maybe she needed closure, an explanation, an apology, whatever, to officially move on with Sebastian. The way things had ended hadn’t really been an ending. Maybe she needed that and he could at least give her that much. Maybe she’d want a new beginning. With him.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

He didn’t know. He couldn’t be sure. He could only turn around, pull down his hood and face her, see what happened. Her mouth dropped open. She took a step back in surprise and the movement toppled a towering book display behind her, making a mess of everything.

Was that what he’d just done, too? Made a mess of everything?

Episode 945: I Need To Know

Custom Search

Back To The Front


Contact Us at: almosthuman99@shaw.ca