CHAPTER 4

He's here.

Helia freaking McGregor is here, in Gardenia, in this exact grocery store as me.

Holy Fluttervile Lord almighty he's here.

Why the hell couldn't he go buy milk somewhere else? Why did he HAVE to do it NOW? Why did the universe have to go all this way to get me? Like how extra honestly
"Oh shit, he's here isn't he?" I heard my sister hiss from the cereal aisle. I nodded meekly, not trusting myself to speak. As cliché as it sounds, right now all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die…okay maybe not die, just hibernate for a good fifty years.

"I guess I must have forgotten to mention it," Myla said as she casually threw a box of Coco Crunch into the trolley I was gripping onto with all my life. I snapped my attention towards her. I'm sorry, WHAT? SHE KNEW? What a snake.
"MYLA!" I hissed, pulling her into an aisle, "How the hell could you forget to miss out on a major detail like that!"
"Okay okay, we didn't want to tell you because we knew you'd freak out again," Myla explained defensively

"Damn straight I would! How long is he going to be here? AND WHY is he here?" I asked, my mind whirling with possible reasons. As far as my research could get me, I knew he was supposed to be in New York working at his law firm. So why on Earth is he here in Gardenia?

"I mean they probably ran out of milk and this is the only grocery store within a 5 mile radius and –"

"Myla."

"Come on Flo, it's not that big a deal, you two will barely cross paths."
"It's my what, fourth day here? I'm here another month."
"You went five years without seeing him, what makes you think you can't go another month?" Myla asked giving me a look that said 'don't argue with me on this'

But I had to.

"Maybe the difference between now and that is that we weren't in the same state. Now we're in the same neighborhood!" I groaned.

"Flora listen, its been five years. You're not going to avoid him forever are you?"

"I mean, that's the plan,"
"FLORA!" She hissed giving me a look of disapproval. I winced. Okay that did sound ludicrous.

I sighed, defeated; all I have to do is just avoid eye contact and avoid any reason/situation that would lead to us talking.

"Just to clarify, that does not mean you're going to lock yourself at home and not come out."

"It's the only way!" I defended myself. It was the only foolproof plan I could think of.

"The only way to what? Becoming psychotic?"

"Actually I think murder leads to psychotic behavior too,"

"Should we put that to the test?"

"Can you stop threatening me and finish getting everything so we can leave unnoticed." I pleaded, gesturing to the trolley in front of us.

"You're honestly impossible. But because you have a valid reason I shall control my patience." She shrugged, taking the trolley from me and walking to the till. I rolled my eyes at her but followed her nonetheless, just happy that we were leaving. If I was impossible what was she?

But just as I thought the universe had chilled; the fool went and bumped into him. Like literally. We were just walking to the counter like normal, when he came out of an aisle and she drove the trolley into his, sending his toppling over.

Oh my Jesus.

Now is when I wished I was a broom.

"Oh shit. Helia I'm so sorry I didn't see you coming." Myla apologized although she gave me a glance and a small smile. If looks could kill I would be sister-less.

"It's okay Myla, I didn't see you coming either." Helia smiled, hoisting the trolley up into its original position and briefly checking to see if any of the contents had broken. Not knowing what to do I picked up an orange that had rolled onto the floor before regretting it and dropping it. Both Helia and Myla turned to look at me and I mentally choked myself. Smooth Flora, smooth.

"Flora?" He half asked, half stated slowly. So much for not getting noticed.

"Uhm, hi." I spoke, looking down at the orange on the floor, "Sorry about that, it kind of uhhhh, it uhm…I'm allergic to oranges."

Myla gave me a 'what the hell are you talking about' kind of look and I pinched my back because I can't believe I said that.

"…I thought you were only allergic to shellfish." Helia whispered, intending to say it to himself but unfortunately both Myla and I heard. I was shooketh. He remembered? Myla smirked at me and I bit my cheeks to stop myself from commenting. So instead I just shrugged because my body decided it couldn't act normal anymore.

He cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had washed over us; "Well anyway, I'd better go. It was, uhh, great to see you guys, Myles I'll be seeing you on the 22nd right? You should come too," He said looking at me before picking up the orange from the floor.

But before Myla could reply – or I ask what was happening on the 22nd, or why the hell he just called my sister by her nickname – a tall, semi-lanky woman approached us and interrupted us.

"Babe there's no whole wheat bread, what am I going to do!" She shrieked, looking like the verge of tears. I tried not to show any emotion but…Babe? When did Helia get a girlfriend? "Flora Maxwell?!"
Holy flutterville lord almighty.

"Krystal Jefferson."

"Oh hell on my face," Myla whispered, covering her face with her palms.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here again," Krystal said bitterly, giving me a glance over before scrunching up her face.

"I could say the same to you," I replied, shifting my weight onto my left foot. If she was going to stare, might as well give her my better side, am I right?

Krystal threw her head back and let out a loud, heartly chuckle, "If I remember clearly, I wasn't the one driven out of here,"

"Shocker." I shrugged.

"Krystal, let's go." Helia butted in, putting his arm around her waist and steering her a few steps backwards. I stared at his arm wrapped around her and I felt like I was going to throw up. Krystal – seeing me staring – smirked and placed her arm on his chest and gave him a cringe smile before pecking his nose.

"Sure, but we need to sort out this bread problem, I can't risk not fitting into my wedding dress in two weeks." She cooed, but she looked right at me as she said it. Helia looked away, clearly uncomfortable. Myla looked like she had been slapped right across the face and proceeded to give the witch the biggest death glare I'd ever seen. And then there was me; I gulped. Wedding dress? Two weeks?

Oh hell on my face.

"That would be such a shame," I finally spoke, breaking the tension, before grabbing the trolley from Myla and walking the hell away from there.

WEDDING DRESS?!
THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED?

"Flora-"

"Helia shut up, let her get the hell away from here,"

"Excuse me?" I heard my sister growl.

"Myles." I called, not wanting things to escalate, I gestured towards the till and she rolled her eyes, but came anyways.

We didn't say anything until we had paid for our stuff and gotten the hell away from there.

Once we were a good distance away from the store, we both dropped the plastic bags in our hands and like a reflex, she enveloped me in her arms.

"They're getting married." I whispered into her shoulder and she just rubbed my back. "How could he get married to her?!"
"Shhh Flora, I know – we're all furious. Brandon has been trying to talk some sense into him since they started dating but he just wouldn't budge."

"How long have they been dating?"

She didn't answer.

"Myla. How long have they been dating?" I asked, firmly.

"I honestly don't know. But apparently four years."

"FOUR YEARS!? Myla it literally took me four years to get over him!"

"I know Flora. None of the McGregor's approve actually. But Helia just won't change his mind."

I can't believe my ears. I can't believe HIM! How could he date the one thing that ruined our whole city?

Of all the people, why did it have to be her?

I swear the Universe is throwing a shit tonne of hate at me today.

"Flora, come on, let's go home."
I closed my eyes and sighed before giving in and picking up the bags.

I swear I could kill a person right now.

OH MY GODS
It has been next to forever since I last updated!

Okay honestly this chapter wasn't even worth the wait but oh well, at least we've reached the climax or whatever of the story.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed, or pretended to at least.

Please review!