Beautifully Unfinished by Beverley Hollowed

seen the exchange, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bothered. She wondered if the waitress recognised who she was. It was a small town after all, and people forget nothing.
    “Aren’t you hungry?” Riley asked Lucy a few minutes later as he watched her absentmindedly push her food around her plate.
    “Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I’m thinking about my dad.”
    It was a lie, but she wasn’t about to tell him that she felt uncomfortable and that it was taking all her strength not to run out of this place and never come back.
    “He will be okay,” Riley said, giving her a reassuring smile. “He has you.”
    “Yes, he does,” Lucy nodded. “For as long as he needs me.”
    “So there is no one special waiting for you back in New York?” Riley asked, and Lucy was surprised to hear the nerves in his voice.
    “No,” she replied shyly. “There is no one waiting.”
    “I am glad to hear that,” Riley said, as he reached for her hand, but before he took it someone stopped next to the table. Lucy’s heart began to race, and she could feel the blood drain from her entire body the moment he started to speak.
    It was the voice that haunted her dreams, the voice that played in her mind, over and over as she lay in the darkness of her room after she had woken in a cold sweat.
    “Riley fucking Jones!” Trent exclaimed, as he lifted his hand to high five Riley. “How the hell have you been, man? It’s been awhile.”
    Lucy sat there waiting for Riley’s reaction and to her horror, Riley greeted him with a broad smile and raised his hand to return his high five.
    She could feel her stomach heave as her eyes dropped to Trent’s hands. They were huge, almost like shovels. She closed her eyes and the memory of them on her body, pinning her down crashed into her mind.
    Keep it together. Keep it together ; she chanted to herself over and over again.
    The two men continued to chat to each other, seemly unaware of how fast Lucy was spiralling and coming apart. She opened her eyes just as Riley glanced towards her, and instantly the expression on his face changed.
    Suddenly Trent followed Riley’s gaze. When he turned and saw Lucy sitting there, he gave her a broad smile. Lucy knew that for a moment, he didn’t recognise her as she watched him out of the corner of her eye, but his face instantly changed the moment it registered with him who she was.
    “Hey, Luc,” he said, as he forced a big smile on his face. “It’s been a while.”
    Lucy just stared at Riley as she held her breath, but Trent was not going to be put off easily.
    “Come on, Luc,” he said, as he slid into to booth next to her and casually draped his arm around her shoulder. Lucy froze as the familiar stench of beer and stale cigarettes invaded her nostrils. “You’re not still mad at me?”
    Lucy thought her heart was going to burst through her chest.
    “Trent,” Riley said, and the look on his face told Lucy he knew she was spiralling. “I think it’s best you just go.”
    “Come on, Riley,” Trent said, giving Lucy a squeeze as his other hand brushed her leg. “I’m just catching up.”
    “Trent, let her go,” Riley said standing up.
    “Jesus, Jones,” Trent said, as he lifted his arm from around Lucy and he stood up. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”
    He turned back to look at Lucy and gave her a smile.
    “Good to see you again, Luc,” he said, pinning her with his eyes and giving her a look that made her stomach heave. “We should catch up sometime.”
    Lucy tried to blink back the tears, as she could feel her entire body begin to shake.
    Without saying another word, Trent turned and disappeared into the crowd.
    Lucy released a sob as she suddenly stood up and grabbed her bag. As she stepped out of the booth, Riley stepped out in front of her and stopped her.
    “Please don’t leave,” Riley pleaded.
    “Why did you bring me here?” She asked just loud enough for him to hear her but she