Now;

"Come on Matt, you don't know what you're talking about" Lucy exclaims, following closely behind Matt as he works his way around the bar, She knows she needs to take a step back and re-evaluate but she can't, she physically cannot bring herself to see the reasoning for this.  

Since the beginning of the conversation, Matt has not given Lucy a reason for her to believe that he is interested and wanting to talk about the matter at hand. Obviously he doesn't know Lucy or how persistent and stubborn she can be. Only a few got to witness that first hand. With tears behind her eyes and strain on her throat, her body is telling her that she needs to end this conversation soon, before anything can be said that shouldn't be said.

Matt comes to an abrupt stop, causing Lucy to almost run into his back. "I don't know what the big deal here is, Lucy. I got a call from your Dr. and she is just suggesting you to take a break from work. Most people are usually happy to take time off work. Now go home before I fire you." To show Lucy the conversation is over, Matt picks the stacks of bills out of the cash register from last night and starts counting out loud.

Lucy balls her fists by her side and clenches her teeth. One... two ... three... She mentally does her counting exercise as she feels the anger of the situation course through her blood. How dare he take the word from a stranger than the employee that has been with him through thick and thin. If she didn't feel like she was up for the task of working then she would be working, no 'Dr' can tell her this. Especially a doctor that only met Lucy a month ago, hardly enough time to know everything. Lucy hasn't made it easier as she hasn't told the full truth herself.  

"I demand an early paycheck then." Lucy seethed through her teeth. Anger dripping from her voice.

"Excuse me?" Matt straightened his back as he looked down on the woman in front of him, hand on hips and eyes full of determination.

"If you are going to dismiss me until further notice-" Lucy motioned with her fingers, making air quotations to further her point, "-then i demand money to keep me on my feet. This is unless you want to have your most experienced bartender on the streets."

Matt scoffs and thinks over this request.

"You know how to drive a deal. Your daddy taught you that?" Matt pointed out.

"We don't talk about my daddy." Lucy warned immediately. 

Matt looks taken back by Lucy's remark. He shouldn't be surprised at all, considering the fact Lucy never spoke a word about her father in the time that he's known her. Every time he asked her about him or her family in general, the only answers he got were grunts groans and plain silence. He thought that the eight-teen year old he hired was just having daddy issues over her allowance, not anything serious to get the same response now.

"Look, fine, Lucy. Here is your paycheck." He says as he writes some words and numbers into his checkbook.

Lucy says nothing back as she snatches the check from his grasp and walks out the door. The minute she closes that door behind her she feels free, feels as though she can breathe again. It took a lot of mental strain to be able to be like that in front of Matt. To seem strong when she isn't, to pretend that her hands weren't shaking the moment he told her he's making her go on stress leave. That the idea of being alone, in that house, In that bed with nothing but her thoughts terrifies her.

It creates this feeling at the bottom of her stomach, almost like her body is in a pit, an endless, emotionless pit. One that she has avoided since that day. Dr. Linger doesn't know, but Lucy has a feeling that she suspects there is something Lucy isn't telling her.

How does Lucy tell someone something that they don't know themselves?   

She wanders the streets with uncertainty running through her veins. Her mind is blank as she thinks about what's next? What to do now? Where to go? Lucy takes herself to the only place she finds security and comfort.

Reading the shop sign 'Love's Coffee' as she walks through the door to the  shop, the sound of the shop's bell follows her through. The ringing sound alerts the staff as she is greeted by a tall brunette with a smile that will leave an imprint into Lucy's mind.

She's new. 

"Anything I can get you today?" The waitress asks, moving slightly so her name badge is now on display.

Harmony.

Lucy mentally checks herself back into reality for the first time in a month.. Generally, they assume what she wants considering she is never mentally present to answer a question, regardless how friendly the staff are. Harmony is.ell Harmony is different. This scares Lucy as the feeling of Carrie stabs her, raw and fresh. She was the last person who Lucy saw as different, different than anyone Lucy has met in this time and life.

Until now; Lucy  shakes her head as the stabbing intensifies; The guilt of looking at someone briefly the way she looked at Carrie hurts, makes her body become wrapped with guilt, how will she be able to live every single day with someone else knowing the way she touches them was the way she touched her, the way she loved her, the way she lost her.

Another waitress now comes out, a familiar one this time; Lucy never learnt names, never seemed to look at them long enough to read the name badges that are placed above the pocket on the workers white blouse.

"It's alright, Harmony, this one will just get a large cappuccino.Hold off on the foam." The older waitress says, eyes focused sternly on Lucy; hoping to get some kind of reaction out of her. She is sadly disappointed as Lucy quickly looks away into the distance as she locates the table.

The table Lucy is all too well familiar with is situated in the corner of the store and in all opinions, the best seat in the cafe. It's close enough to smell the aroma of coffee and the gossiping of staff but further enough away from the other customers that you could snuggle your date without the eyes of the public. Something Lucy is all too familiar with. 

The sounds of whispering  staff and the curious eyes of Harmony follow Lucy as she makes her way over to the table. The sense of guilt and familiarity wash over Lucy as the cool sensation of the leather seats touch her skin, causing Lucy to reminisce about the first time she sat down in this chair and stared at the spot on the wall;

It was the day Carrie got hired at the bar, they had the idea to go out and to celebrate but Carrie was persistent on going somewhere that was the complete opposite of the place that she will be spending all her free time from this day forward, so a cafe was the perfect fit to their puzzle. "Love's Coffee, doesn't it sound romantic, Luce?" Carrie teased as she grabbed Lucy by the hand and dragged her along, causing the door's bell to ring as she opened the door. Lucy couldn't help but become lost in the joy that lays upon Carrie's face as she took in the atmosphere of the cafe. "That table looks perfect." Carrie points to the booth in the corner of the room.

"What makes a table 'perfect', Car?" Lucy questioned as she slid into the booth, testing it out, trying to piece together how it sat on Carrie's perfect- o-metre.

"How doesn't it? The table is close enough so we can smell the fresh coffee beans as well as being close enough to hear which customer the staff are whispering about today." Carrie slides closer to Lucy, placing a hand on her thigh and eyes staring straight into Lucy's; "Plus, it's further away from the rest of the crowd so you can cuddle your date and not be shunned". Carrie whispers, moving her hand higher on her leg.

Lucey's heart skips a beat as Carrie's hand moves higher but that suddenly disappears as
Carrie takes her hand away and moves further along the booth. Mischief fills her eyes as she looks at the menu.

Lucy pretends not to look at Carrie but instead notices a small spot on the wall where the paint has started to peel away just above Carrie's shoulder. In the corner of Lucy's eyes she feels Carrie looking at her but her attention stays fixed on that spot trying to push any thoughts out of her head.  

She isn't too sure how long she sits there, staring at the peeled away paint on the wall as she sank into her thoughts and memories. This seat used to be sacred, defined by the girls as 'the' spot is merely just a seat. Lucy's attention is caught elsewhere as she smells a freshly made coffee and senses a merely curious waitress along with it.

"Just the cappuccino today uh.." It's the new waitress, the one that tried to serve Lucy as she first walked in. Lucy knows the question behind her approach is an attempt to get Lucy to open up, to do a simple task such as introducing herself to a stranger. A beautiful, sweet stranger.

"It's Lucy." She says sternly, the waitress looks like a deer in the headlights.

She was not expecting Lucy to speak, definitely was not expecting Lucy to say her name. She's kind of a ghost around here, the beautiful tall blonde that comes in everyday, sits in the same spot and orders the exact same coffee. Sometimes she orders two coffees and only drinks the cappuccino, leaving the other one sitting across the table from where she sits untouched. No one knew her name, until now.

"Oh Lucy, That's a beautiful name. My name is Harmony." The waitress blubbers out as she places the coffee on the table, merely spilling it.

"I know." Lucy's short responses cause Harmony to become uncomfortable, noticing that Lucy wants to be left alone. Just as Harmony goes to turn away, Lucy looks up and finds her eyes catching on a flyer behind where Harmony stood.

"Wait." Lucy says, causing Harmony to stop and turn around to Lucy, eyes wide and a smile on her face. "You guys hiring?" Lucy questions, pointing to the sign behind Harmony, causing her to turn her head and look, just as curious as Lucy about the sign.

"Yeah I guess we are.Why, you interested?" Harmony questions, slightly leaning on her left leg, the smile not leaving her face. Is Lucy about to regret this?

"I suppose I am, who do I talk to?" Lucy questions.

"I'll go find out, want me to put in a good word?"

"Okay." Lucy smiles. The unsettling exchange causes Lucy to become unsettled and creates the stabbing feeling to come back, stronger this time around. "I have to go." Lucy stands up and practically storms out of that coffee shop. 

"Guess i'll see you soon." Harmony yells behind her.

Those words remain intact in Lucy's mind until the doorbell rings behind her, causing her mind to be refreshed the minute she walks straight back into the world.