Chapter 17

Lucian

Monthly groceries is something that I usually just ordered online, but Isabelle insists that we go to the mall as some kind of date. Apparently, restaurants and dinner places are too cliché for her.

That would make a lot of sense as she’s been a waitress in one of the fanciest, most expensive restaurants in all of the state for quite some time.

“It gets old.” Is her simple reply when I ask her about it.

I step into my car with her, and the engine’s purr resonates through the quiet neighborhood.

The evening sun hangs low in the sky, casting long shadows on the tree-lined streets. I navigate the semi-familiar route to the mall, and the rhythmic hum of tires on asphalt fills the car as I merge onto the highway, the world outside blurring into a tapestry of passing scenery.

It’s all brought into a heavy nostalgia, when I look over to the passenger’s seat and feast my eyes on Eleanor’s ravaging beauty.

My girlfriend.

Soon, the