The next week was lonely.

Oscar and Imogen had been waltzing around in their new-found love bubble, an aura of innocent happiness following them like an eager lapdog wherever they went. It was too much for me to stomach, so I resorted to mastering a technique of adding the appropriate amount of 'mhm' and 'yeah' conversation fillers when Gen talked my ear off in class about how 'sweet and kind' Oscar was. It was almost as if she had forgotten I had spent the last few years with the guy alongside herself and Lachlan.

Lachlan. I had not seen a peep out of him either - I suppose he was doing his best to steer clear and I did not blame him, nor did I want his judging I-told-you-he-was-trouble eyes if he found out about Zach and his secret engagement. It made my gut twist and turn and I could feel the familiar sting prickling at my eyes as salty tears gathered at the corners of my eyes just thinking about it.

It was a nice day, though. Rays of warm sunshine licked across the surface of my exposed arms as I made my way to work. It was a weekend and I had decided picking up as many extra shifts at The Pegasus would be the best way to get my mind busy and occupied. Phil did not mind having another member of staff present but he had expressed his concern about my tired appearance with an endearing comment of "You don't have bags under your eyes lass, they're suitcases."

Noah had attempted to speak with me while I was on shift but I clammed up, unwilling to discuss my feelings with him when he had so easily lied to me to protect Zach's dirty little secret. I sighed. As far as Zach's fiancée Gabriella was concerned, I was the dirty little secret.

The hustle and bustle of customers floated up the street as I approached the entrance and Niall was setting out the weekend specials pavement chalkboard sign. His blue eyes crinkled as he smiled at me and I noticed the spatter of freckles adorning the bridge of his nose and his cheeks that he did not have before the sunny weather.

"Been catching the sun, Niall?" I said, gesturing to my own nose.

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck where his auburn hair curled up at his nape. "Yeah, I went on a hike the other day and woke up with these. You in for the rest of the day?"

"Yep, through to the close tonight."

"Are you alright, Louise?" he asked, "You have been running yourself into the ground with work this week, have you even had a day off?"

"Days off are for amateurs," I joked, "How else can I pay the bills?"

"Porn?" he suggested with a sheepish grin.

"God! Why is it you and Malcolm always lead everything back to porn?"

"You make it too easy to integrate it into conversation." Malcolm said as he appeared as if out of thin air from behind me to start his shift.

"On that note, I have work to get done," I said as I glanced between them as they shot amused suggestive looks my way, "PG rated work, boys. Now If you'll excuse me."

The Pegasus was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday. Most of the regulars - or 'peggies' as they became locally known - were sat perched on the bar stools as always but other than that it was spread pretty thin with only small pocketfuls of customers in the other seating areas.

Lifting the latch, I slipped in behind the bar and Phil pulled a pint for Ben Farley, a weathered old man who spent every waking minute drinking in the pub when he was not collecting his morning newspaper or tending to his garden. He was practically the founder of the peggies.

"Louise I want you cleaning today," Phil said, "I swapped your shift with Malcolm."

"Why?" I asked as I lifted an apron from the hook on the wall.

"You smashed three glasses yesterday and mixed up countless drink orders. My guess is lack of sleep and lack of proper rest." He sighed. "Look, table seven has a coffee with your name on it and once you've drank that you can sweep up."

He was right. I had not been sleeping and there was no way to hide it. As well as the bags underneath my eyes, they had also been constantly sore and puffy from crying in the privacy of my flat for the past week. It was obvious so I decided not to bother arguing. The coffee had only just touched my lips when I heard the voice of a familiar Scot entered the room and I lifted my gaze from the cup.

Lachlan was laughing as he walked in, his sea green eyes bright with humour as he told a joke to the girl whose shoulders had his arm rested across them. He was wearing a crisp white t-shirt and jeans, carrying his leather jacket in his fist and throwing it over the chair opposite the booth he swept into with his female companion.

It did not take me more than a second to recognise the girl known as Brave, Naomi, and her fiery red curls as they bounced softly across her arms when she moved, her melodic laughter filling the pub with the sound. She touched his forearm as she giggled and he whispered something into the shell of her ear which seemed to only encourage her to laugh more as a blush almost the colour of her hair crept up her neck. Always the player, I mused. I attempted to gulp a large mouthful of coffee as I found myself staring at their booth and winced when the hot liquid scalded my tongue.

His black hair was natural and casually coiffed as his curls fell a little over his ears - a nice change from his usual attempt to slick it up into his usual style - and his dimples were visible as he smiled at Naomi. I watched as his fingertips circled the back of her hand he leaned in again to whisper in her ear. A foreign feeling let out a pang of pain in my chest and I frowned. I wonder if he ended up with getting Naomi's number on the night of my birthday party.

It was then that his eyes clocked me. His dimples disappeared as the smile faded back from whence it came and he reached up, his fingertips grazing Naomi's jawline before he captured her mouth in his own.

The crack of her palm connecting with his cheek sliced through the air and every customer swung their gaze to the source of the sound. Too far away to hear properly, I figured I had caught the bulk of Naomi's sentiment from the phrase 'in front of everyone' and 'too fast' before she stormed out of the Pegasus, wild flaming hair flailing around her as she did so.

Lachlan sighed as he moved from the booth and clicked his tongue as he strode to my table. The pub was silent before Phil clapped his hands. "Show is over everyone."

I settled my coffee on the table when Lachlan opposite me. He lowered his head as he pulled out a box of cigarettes and plucked one out to tuck behind his ear.

"Morning, Lockie," he said.

"I would say good morning, but that scene you just made with Naomi feels like it would be inappropriate."

He scoffed as he scooped the cup from my fingers and took a sip before I could object. "So," he said, "I hear you you didn't get the happily ever after you wanted."

Understatement of the year. I could feel my heart battering painfully against my ribcage as I thought about Zach and his engagement.

"Your hair is different," I said.

"Like it?" he asked, combing his fingers through the curls with over dramatic actions before he stared at me for a moment, "Nice try to change the subject, though. Lockie, you look awful. Why are you in work?"

I shrugged. "Need the money."

"You look unwell, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, stop fussing."

Before I can stop him Lachlan reached over the table and stroked the knuckles of my hand with the pad of his thumb gently. "You need to look after yourself," he said, "He is not worth you running yourself into the ground."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay." he said, "We don't have to talk. I think you should take the day off though."

I shook my head. "I'm on cleaning duty and then I'm swapping to waiting later on. Phil has no one available to cover so I offered to take the extra shift."

"Well, fine," Lachlan said as he walked over to the hook beside the bar and hung the apron over his neck, "We should probably get this shift over and done with as soon as we can then, shouldn't we Lockie?"

My eyebrow raised with disbelief and his dimples pierced the smooth surface of his cheeks once more as he beamed at me. Those forest green eyes stared into mine and my chest constricted, just for a moment, before I stood up to start my shift with my unlikely volunteer.