TEN

Cleo Lewis looked up from the counter she was stood behind and smiled at the customer that had walked into the shop, she had been working in the small book shop in which she'd worked when she was in secondary school, just for the Christmas holidays while she was staying at home.

"That'll be £6.99," She says and the woman on the other side of the counter hands over £7 and tells her to keep the penny.

Cleo just dumps the coin the charity jar. She leans back against the wall, eyes scanning the store- it was empty and no one had been in for hours apart from the woman who'd just left. She pulls the stool up to the counter and sits down and pulls a random book off the shelf next to her and begins reading.

After about 30 minutes the bell above the door rang out and Cleo looked up from the book which she'd so far found interesting and her eyes widened at the sight of the tall, blue eyed boy that had dumped her only 8 months ago. Her eyes looked away immediately and she buried herself in her book again.

Though she'd moved away to Oxford, she still had vivid dreams centred around the boy, who now had silver hair, that was standing in the store. His eyes focused on non-fiction books that contained famous artists.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Cleo calls and the boy's eyes snap round at the sound of her delicate voice. It felt like it'd been years.

"I'm fine, thank you," He says, a gentle, guilty smile on his lips, "Nice hair by the way, the blonde really suits you,"

He felt awful, after all, he hardly offered her any explanation as to why he broke it off with her.

"You too, and just call me if you need me," She says softly, her eyes shifting away from him, he turns back to the bookshelf and her eyes move back.

She missed him. She missed his touch and his ocean eyes and his smile and everything about him. She was his first everything, and it was hard to forget the first person you kiss, sleep with and date.

"Actually, I was wondering if you had any books about tattooing and these Van Gogh books and shit don't really divulge into that field," Simon says, approaching the counter, hands shoved into his coat pockets.

"I see, well, lucky for you we do have a selection of books, and magazines for tattoos- but its quite small, its just on the far left shelf," She says, pointing in the general direction.

"Thank you," He says, nodding to her before walking to the other side of the store where she'd pointed to.

She watches as his fingers pluck book after book off the shelf and she wonders what the hell Simon Minter was doing looking at tattoo books. He was a bad boy, everyone who lived within a 10 mile radius knew his name, but a tattoo? Cleo could never imagine him with one.

"Whats the book for?" She asks when he reappears with the biggest book on the shelf, it cost £20 and Cleo wondered how dedicated he really was.

"A friend," He says smoothly, placing the book on the counter, her eyes scan the book for a moment before she looks up into those eyes she had been avoiding since he walked in. And then it happened, the fall. As she stared into those deep blue eyes she fell right for him all over again.

"I miss you," She says and Simon's heart fills with guilt.

"I'm sorry," He says, "I really am,"

"We could have worked, but I guess you had other plans," She shrugs, "Its fine, I'm sure it was for the best,"

"I miss you too, theres not a day that goes by where I don't think about you," He says, he was half lying- when they first broke up he would only think of Cleo, now, he was more interested in whatever Connor was doing.

"What uni did you end up at?" She asks and he smiles softly at the subject change.

"Hull," He says and she nods.

"Oxford," She tells him and he chuckles softly.

"I always knew you'd get there, you're too clever for your own good, you know that?" He says, handing over a £20 note.

Cleo takes it and places it in the till, grabbing a plastic bag and placing the tattoo book inside.

"Your friend is very lucky to have you in their life," She says, holding the bag out to him.

"Thanks," He says, taking the bag and looking into Cleo's eyes, "Can I ask you something? It might be a bit of an awkward question though,"

"I don't think this situation could get much more awkward, so go ahead," She says, flicking her now blonde hair aside.

"I like someone, a lot, and they say they like me,"

"They?" Cleo asks and Simon frowns.

"He," Simon mutters and Cleo's lips part as a small breath escapes them, she blinks before looking up at the man before her.

"Okay, you like him and he likes you? Why aren't you dating him already?" She asks, smiling softly- if she couldn't have Simon, she'd at least make sure he was happy.

Simon chuckles, a genuine smile graced his lips, "I loved you, I still do, but there was never a chance for us, and I hope you can forgive me,"

"There is nothing to forgive," Cleo says, "Now go! And get that boy you speak of!"

Simon smiles, he leans over the counter and presses a kiss to Cleo's cheek, "Thank you,"

The boy turns and heads out of the store, waving at Cleo as he walks past.

Inside the store, once Simon was out of view, Cleo smiled widely- that was enough for her, if Simon was now gay or bisexual or even just testing new waters, she was happy he was happy, and she could move on, knowing there was nothing there anymore. As she smiled a single tear slid from her left eye and down her cheek and she picked up her book, rested a hand under her chin and kept reading, happy for her ex-boyfriend.

________________

THE FEEEEEEELS

ahhhhh i'm shooketh tbh

i mean, i had a cleo chapter planned from the beginning but even i didn't know when it would appear or what it would include but i'm happy this is what it amounted to!

thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed

much love to the most Savage fam on Wattpad!

~lachys-loch
❤️