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  LINGER

  Separated by circumstance, reunited by destiny

  by Claire Merchant

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright Claire Merchant © 2017

  All Rights Reserved

  No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication

  may be made without written permission.

  No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced,

  copied or transmitted save with the written permission from the author.

  All of the characters, names and events in this publication are products of the author’s imagination or if real, are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to a real person, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  ISBN 978-0-6480684-3-3

  Written by Claire Merchant

  www.clairemerchant.com

  Cover by Claire Merchant with help from Pixabay

  “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

  -- William Shakespeare, “A Midsummer Night's Dream |

  Act 1, Scene 1”

  For high school sweethearts

  Preface

  Graduation

  “I can’t believe this is the end,” I said in a whisper. “I wish I was sadder, but I’m just not.”

  James chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at me. “I’ve got to say, I’m not going to miss it either.”

  I smiled at him. “So, is she here?”

  “Who?”

  “Jacinta, your girlfriend. Remember her?”

  “Oh, right, yeah,” he replied with a shrug. “No, she couldn’t make it. She had her graduation or something.”

  My navy ‘South Coast High School’ stole slipped from my shoulder and I put it back into place.

  “But the South Iris High graduation isn’t until tomorrow night,” I answered.

  “Hm, then I don’t know.” He laughed. “Who needs her anyway when I’ve got you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You two are the most dysfunctional couple ever. How have you been together for four years?”

  He tipped his head. “Five, but valid point.”

  I shook my head.

  “James Butler,” our principal, Mr Puckman, said from the podium. James leant forward and toppled out of his chair, then walked up to the shake Mr Puckman’s hand and accept his high school diploma. It had always been the same between James and me. We’d been friends since the first day of school when we met in eighth-grade science class. We had been put into a seating plan and found ourselves together. Naturally, I’d fallen instantly in love with him and, every day since that love matured in the way that does when you get to know a person better. James was charismatic, he was smart, witty, and drop-dead gorgeous. He broke a lot of hearts when he announced that he had met a girl named Jacinta and was off the market. James and Jacinta had been together for almost as long as I’d known him, on-and-off at times, but they were always constant. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he had Jacinta when we were hanging out. It was hard, but I managed to remind myself.

  “Alice Potter,” Mr Puckman said with a sigh. I didn’t blame him for being tired. There were almost two hundred of us in our graduating class.

  I stood up and tucked my shoulder-length blonde hair behind my ear, concentrating hard on not falling up the stairs.

  “Congratulations, Alice,” he said with a smile.

  “Thanks,” I replied, then turned towards the photographer who took the photo before I even had a chance to blink. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing the result.

  I made my way to the edge of the stage and stumbled down the last step. I saw James shake his head at my clumsiness, and felt my cheeks burn. I walked back around to sit and exhaled. James tipped back in his seat.

  “Smooth, Potter,” he whispered.

  “At least I didn’t face-plant.”

  He turned to smile at me and I found myself breathless again as his bluish eyes twinkled with flecks of green in the artificial lights of our school gym.

  I’d said to him that I wasn’t sad to be leaving, and I wasn’t lying. School wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t something I’d miss. I would miss the people though. I’d miss the excuse to see them every day and not make it seem like a big deal. I knew that school ending would also mean an end to James and I being friends. The excuse of saying that I saw him in class was definitely a convenience. We had never needed to make plans outside of school, and we never would be able to. Jacinta would never allow it. She had never really liked me, and if I was her, I probably wouldn’t have either. It wasn’t really my fault since I had never encouraged his attention, nor had I ever condoned that he called me darling or sweetheart or honey, but I couldn’t deny that it gave me a thrill when he did. That was just James. He would never cross the line, but he always flirted with it. He was one of my closest friends, and I’d miss him more than anything.

  James had never said that we’d stay in contact after school finished, and I had never brought it up. I knew what he was like, and I knew that for him, moving on from here meant beginning a new chapter. Goodbye meant nothing to him so he never said it. Life went on, and that was that. I understood it all, but it still made me a little melancholy to think that, after everything, we would just be a memory to each other. At least I had that much.

  I exhaled as Mr Puckman announced that we were all officially graduates, and everyone turned to embrace each other. My mind was in a daze as arms replaced other arms around me, and gushes of “let’s stay in touch” were whispered in my ear. I agreed to them all emptily, knowing that it was just something that people tended to say when endings came. No-one liked to let go of the present because that would mean facing the future, and whether people like to admit it or not, the future scared them to death.

  “Well done, sweetheart, we made it,” James said, giving me a tight hug. “Now the hard part starts.”

  “Right,” I replied with a nod. He had a certain way of filtering the padding and cutting to the truth. Sometimes it was a little confronting but, for the most part, it was refreshing.

  “We’ll still see each other, right?” I asked over the chatter around us. I couldn’t help myself.

  His nose wrinkled. “I’d like to say yes, but…”

  “But you know better,” I answered. “I guess this is goodbye then.”

  He smiled and turned to leave. James never said goodbye.

  “See you later, Alice,” he called.

  “Goodbye, James.”

  Chapter 1

  Reappearances

  “Come on, Alice, just say you’ll come out with me,” Tyler Black said, leaning casually on the head of the display bed. I looked up from fixing up the pillows.

  “No, Tyler,” I replied evenly. “I’ve already told you that you’re too young for me.”

  He laughed. “Oh, because one year is such a huge deal-breaker.”

  “Guess so.” I shrugged. “Now go away, I’m trying to work.”

  He rolled his eyes, flicking his head to remove his brown hair from his eyes. “I’ll go as soon as you give me one good reason why not.”

  I exhaled. “Because I’m not that girl.”

  “What girl? The one who has fun?”

  “The one that… Tyler, please. I don’t want to keep talking about this.”

  “I’m not giving up.”

  “Guess that makes two of us. Won’t you be late for your shift at the boathouse?”

  “I’m already late.”

  I sighed. “Well, clearly I’m a bad influence on you.”

  “Like you could influence me.” He smirked. “You’re too innocent.”

  “I’m still older than you,” I said.

  “Are you working tomorrow?”

  My eyebrow rose. “I work every day.”

  He huffed. “This job is beneath you.
”

  “Maybe, but I like it. Now would you just go already? You’re going to get me fired, and then I won’t even have a job.”

  He smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. I realised a beat later what he’d actually said and looked up, but he’d already disappeared. I glanced around to find him amongst the customers in the home furnishing and accessory store and then shook my head. Crap.

  “Well, well, Alice Potter.”

  The voice came out of nowhere, but I knew who it belonged to before I turned to see him.

  “James,” I breathed. “Hi.”

  “How are you, hon?” he said with a grin, wrapping his arms around me in a bear-like embrace. I’d almost forgotten how tall he was. Tall and beautiful. His light blue-green eyes still sparkled, and his dark brown hair was effortlessly styled. He hadn’t changed a bit.

  “I’m, um… good,” I stuttered as he released me. “How are you?”

  “Good, good.” He nodded. “So, what are you doing here? Do you work here?”

  He glanced at my red polo shirt meaningfully and I followed his gaze to the store emblem embroidered on it. The Red Chandelier, South Coast’s version of IKEA.

  “Yes, I guess I do.” I laughed lightly. “It pays the bills.”

  “So what else are you doing? Are you studying?” he asked as he leant back against a set of drawers.

  I tipped my head and felt my hair fall over my shoulder. “I was. I completed a diploma in interior design, so now I’m just working. What about you?”

  “I just finished a Bachelor of Business with a major in Hospitality at South Coast Uni. Now I’m just working and looking to break into the hotel business.”

  “Wow, look at you.”

  He smiled. “So when do you finish work? Do you want to maybe grab a coffee?”

  I glanced at the watch on my wrist. It was a little after four.

  “I’m actually supposed to be finished now,” I said.

  “Brilliant. I’ll wait for you to grab your stuff.”

  “Okay, sure. Um, just – just, um, give me a minute.”

  He folded his arms and I turned to weave through the furniture obstacles towards the crew room. I stopped to swipe my ID card through to clock-off, then grabbed my black jacket from the locker area. I wasn’t a huge fan of bags, so I never bothered to bring one. Anything that couldn’t fit in my pocket didn’t make the trip.

  I found my way back to James and struggled to pull on my jacket.

  “That was quick,” he said.

  I bit my lip. “So where did you want to go for coffee?”

  “We could go into town?”

  “Or we could just stay here?”

  He frowned. “Here? At your work? Wouldn’t you prefer to—?”

  I shrugged. “We’re both already here.”

  “Okay, fine. Lead the way.”

  I nodded and stepped in front of him, then felt his hand rest on my lower back as he followed me through the maze of furniture and around to the cafe. It was bustling with people, as always, but it was less busy that it had been earlier in the day. There were a couple of free tables, but I bee-lined for the only free booth.

  “You don’t want to sit outside?” James asked, sliding in opposite me. “It’s a nice day. The sun is shining.”

  “I like the booths.” I pouted. “Unless, um, would you prefer to sit outside?”

  “No, no, I’m fine. You’re the one who’s been stuck inside.”

  I drew in a breath of thick air and let it out.

  “So, how have you been, James?” I asked, looking directly at him for the first time since the reunion. I was still trying to convince myself that it was really him. Staring at him was like staring at a lightbulb. I felt like the sight of him should have blinded me.

  James smiled his same, familiar smile.

  “Good. I mean, I’ve been busy, but good,” he replied. “How about you?”

  “Good.”

  Every time I blinked and he didn’t disappear, it surprised me. I raised my hands to rest under my chin and watched as his eyes appraised me. After a moment, he gave a light laugh.

  “What on earth happened to your watch?” he asked.

  I rolled my wrist to glance at it. “I forgot to bring my arm with me when I took a corner and I broke it.”

  He laughed. “Okay.”

  “So, what else is going on with you? How’s Jacinta?”

  “Jacinta?” He frowned. “I would say that she’s doing well.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked. “Are you not together anymore?”

  “No, we broke up about six months ago.”

  My eyebrows lifted. “Oh.”

  “Yes, oh.”

  I shook my head. “You broke up six months ago after eight years together?”

  “Seven,” he corrected. “Yes.”

  “That’s mental. What happened?”

  He smiled. “Uh, well, officially we just grew apart.”

  “And unofficially?”

  “Unofficially, she seemed to find more comfort in her work colleague than with me,” he answered. “I should’ve seen it, but I was too caught up with my own stuff.”

  “That really sucks. She needs to be slapped.”

  James laughed. “Like I said, I should have seen it. She’s not entirely to blame; I arguably pushed her into the other guy’s waiting arms.”

  I bit my lip. To me, cheating was cheating, regardless of the circumstances. If Jacinta was craving attention, then she should have voiced her concerns to James before being unfaithful.

  James dipped his head to catch my eye. “You okay?”

  “Yes. I just don’t understand some girls. How can they treat guys the way they do? Especially someone like you.”

  “Well, I don’t understand all girls, so you’re better off than me.”

  I smiled weakly but didn’t believe him. James had always been able to compel any girl within a ten-mile radius… or maybe that was just me.

  “So what about you? Are you seeing anyone at the moment?” he asked. His question caught me by surprise, though, it probably shouldn’t have.

  “Um, no.”

  “No?” He chuckled. “Did you have to think about it?”

  “No.”

  He leant forward on the table. “Then who was that guy who was chatting you up before?”

  My forehead creased. “Do you mean Tyler?”

  “With the long brown hair?”

  “It’s not that long.”

  “You’re not interested in him?”

  “Who? Tyler?” I frowned. “No. No. No.”

  “No?” His eyebrows lifted. “Why not? He seems keen.”

  “I, he… he’s younger than me.”

  James pulled a face. “So?”

  “So… just no. I’m not interested in him.”

  “Fair enough,” James said with a shrug before picking up the menu. “So what would you like? Tea? Coffee? Club sandwich?”

  “I’m a vegetarian,” I replied. “I think I’ll just have peppermint tea.”

  “Vegetarian, damn. I’m never going to be able to cook for you, and that’s how I impress girls.”

  My heart almost stopped. “I guess I’m messing up your game then.”

  He smiled.

  “You know, you could just not cook meat,” I said. “But that’s just a thought.”

  James wrinkled his nose and stood up, sliding his wallet from his back pocket. “Tofu and green stuff? Ugh.”

  I rolled my eyes and watched as he headed over to the counter to order. He leant casually on the cash register and the girl behind it gawped before beginning to fidget. James didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he did, but he didn’t react to it. Perhaps making girls jittery was just something he’d grown accustomed to.

  The realisation brought me back down to earth because for a short moment I found myself thinking that this could end up being more than coffee. But I had been fooling myself. James would neve
r take an interest in me. He never had before, and it was no question why. We were from different worlds – I was working class, and he was white collar. My father could barely afford my high school tuition on his yearly income, but to his family, it was a week’s wages.

  James was laughing when he returned to the booth, and jealousy of the reason twisted inside me.

  “Did I tell you I’m going to Europe at the end of the year?” he asked, sliding back in to sit.

  “Europe?” I frowned. “No. Why?”

  “One of my tutors from University knows a guy who’s based in Italy who has offered to mentor me in the hotel business for a couple of years,” he explained. “It’s great actually. I’ll be a paid understudy and get to live in the penthouse suites of the best hotels around Europe.”

  “Wow, that’s great,” I whispered. “So, you’re leaving South Coast then.”

  “Yeah, crazy, huh?” he answered. “So, what about you? You studied interior design, are you planning to do anything with that?”

  I ran my hands through my hair. “I’d like to, but it’s a hard industry to break into. There are a few interior decorators in South Coast, but they’re private businesses who aren’t looking to hire any external people.”

  “So why not start your own?” he asked with a shrug.

  I laughed and his eyebrows lifted.

  “Oh, you’re serious. James, look around you. This is where I work. I can’t afford to start a business.”

  He tipped his head. “Okay, whatever makes you happy.”

  “What?”

  “If it makes you happy to work here then that’s all that matters,” he said. “Does it make you happy?”

  I stared at him. Happiness was something that, if you thought too much about, it somehow depressed you.

  Before I could answer him, the girl from behind the counter was suddenly at our table with my tea and James’ latte. She leant across unnecessarily close to James to pick up our number.

  “Nothing else to come?” she said to him.

  James held my eye contact. “No, that’s everything.”

  “Thank you,” she answered, batting her eyelashes. She waited a moment for James to give her his attention, but when he didn’t she gave up and returned to her workstation.