Chapter 9
Daniel
"Morning, everyone!" I say, yawning as I stumble out of my room. Jayda and Caleb are practically glued to each other on the couch watching some obscure anime flashing on the tv screen, all cuddled up under a blanket they've somehow managed to split between them.
Jayda springs up beside Caleb, planting a quick kiss on his lips, then she looks over at me. "Morning, sleepyhead! How was your night?"
I can't stop myself from smiling like an idiot. "It was fantastic, Harald and I chatted for five hours nonstop! He's incredible and his voice is absolutely dreamy and he's so thoughtful and attentive and sweet and..."
Jayda laughs and gestures to cut me off. "Hold up, let's circle back. You actually talked to Harald? Like, real-time human interaction using your phone—not some fake profile or catfish situation?"
"Five hours straight of it!" I exclaim excitedly, buzzing with energy as I step closer to the couch.
Jayda's features melt into an affectionate grin when I sink onto the cushions beside her, careful to avoid the blanket draped across their laps.
"But really—it was mind-blowing," I continue after a beat, my words tumbling out fast. "His voice is all rich and velvety, like melted chocolate.
" I pause to catch my breath, adding with a quiet chuckle, "Plus he's got that way of listening that makes you feel like you're the only person in the world. "
Jayda sinks deeper into the sofa, her gaze gleaming playfully at my overflowing enthusiasm. "Sounds dreamy. So now that we've covered how amazing your chat was," she teases, smooth voice curling with amusement, "maybe we could discuss what you actually found out about the guy?"
"Right yeah, so Harald's in... like, the family corporation thing.
Mega corporate environment, he spends a lot of time in stuffy budget meetings and at charitable events.
" I tugged a cushion into my lap, plucking loose threads from the corner.
"His father's a total nightmare—sky-high demands, impossible standards.
Turns out we both drew the short straw with family.
He got toxic, I got..." My voice trailed off, thumb rubbing the fabric's worn spot where stuffing peeked through.
Caleb snorted into his coffee. "So you’re dating a nepo baby?"
"Talking to," Jayda corrected, swatting his arm. "What else?"
I shrugged. "He’s into weird Danish punk bands, apparently they really bug his dad so both him and his sister take every opportunity to use it against him. We both hate kale." My knee bounced as I fought the urge to check my phone. "And he’s coming to New York soon. For work."
The porcelain mug burned my palms as Jayda leaned closer, her smirk widening in that dangerous way that always preceded a line of questioning capable of unraveling me. My stomach flipped when she drummed black-painted nails against her coffee-stained Nirvana tee.
"Work or work?" Her voice dripped with innuendo, crescent-moon eyebrows bouncing like she'd just cracked some secret code.
Caleb didn't bother looking up from his avocado toast. "Translation—is this rich boy swinging through JFK to sign merger papers, or dick papers?"
Coffee coated my throat like sludge, the half-trapped mouthful making me sputter and gag. "Jesus, can you two contain your collective porn brain for five seconds. Not everyone is as horny as the two of you!"
Jayda laughs and snatches my phone from my hands, quickly opening up my chat history with Harald. "Oh my would you look at these photos and these texts" she singsonged, tilting the screen for Caleb. "Danny you dog, such a shameless flirt too!"
I snatched my phone away forcefully, wincing as it left a dent in my palm.
"I'll take that back, thank you very much," I retorted, trying to maintain a semblance of dignity.
"And I will have you know, I am not a shameless flirt.
I am a sophisticated and refined gentleman!
" I added, chuckling as Jayda appraised me with a skeptical gaze and let out a snort.
"So tell me, Mr. Refined Gentleman, what's your plan if this guy turns out to be legitimate? How do you intend to handle a real relationship?" Caleb chimes in, his attention fixed on the breakfast in front of him.
"Don’t know. Don’t care. Just..." The pillow tumbled to the floor as I stood, suddenly needing to move. "It’s nice. Not being treated like I’m made of glass for once. Let me just be happy with what I've got, at least for now."
Caleb’s beanie slipped sideways as he tilted his head. "He know about what happened with Alex?"
My mouth went dry but the words kept coming, sharp and raw like picking at a half-healed scab.
"Yeah, he knows everything. Not just the Alex-shaped dumpster fire.
' My fingers found the edge of my sleeve, twisting the worn fabric.
'The hospital stay. The...' I made a jagged slash motion across my left forearm, thumbnail catching too hard on skin. 'The Bad Year?."
Jayda's iced coffee hit the table with a clatter. "Danny, Jesus—"
Caleb froze mid-sip, his chai latte suspended halfway to the chipped lipstick stain on the mug's rim. I watched understanding click through them both like a padlock snapping shut—Jayda's manicured hand flying to her mouth, Caleb's Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed wrong.
The old scars itched beneath my sweater.
I forced a shrug, pulse hammering where the zipper of my hoodie dug into my collarbone.
"Relax, it's not like I showed him the scar collection.
Yet." The joke landed like a lead balloon, my voice cracking on the last syllable.
Across the room, the radiator hissed like it was laughing at me.
The radiator's metallic laughter followed me into the kitchenette. I kept my back to them as I yanked the coffee bag out of the cabinet—beans scattering across the counter like retreating cockroaches. The machine beeped its usual protest when I slammed the portafilter too hard.
Jayda's bare feet scuffed against the linoleum as she followed me tentatively. I braced for the interrogation, but her arms circled my waist instead, chin hooking over my shoulder. Her vanilla-scented curls tickled my neck.
"No disappearing into your head, okay?" Her hug tightened, trapping my arms against my sides. "Just wanted you to know...it’s good. The scary kind of good. If you feel safe enough to share that with him, then he must be the real deal."
My thumbnail found a groove in the coffee grinder. "Good like kombucha or...?"
"Good like watching anime intros without skipping." She released me to spin the mug carousel, plucking out the chipped #1 Barista one from her old job. "Had to spill your darkest trauma to get me finally doing that."
The coffee maker shrieked while I fussed over a brew I had no real desire for. My mind wandered to my conversation with Harald yesterday evening, and unexpected thrill rushed through me at the prospect of his physical visit.
Jayda noticed my change in mood, and her reflection appeared in the chrome. "You’re smiling."
"Am not."
"You’ve got that post-crush glow. Like when Caleb discovered artisanal pickles."
"Hey!" Caleb lobbed the fallen pillow at her. "Those pickles revolutionized my charcuterie boards."
I stared at the crema swirling in my cup. "Harald’s different. Listens like he’s actually interested instead of waiting for his turn to trauma-dump."
Jayda hip-checked me away from the machine. "Okay, lover boy. Let’s get pancakes in you before you float away."
Caleb snapped his fingers. "Extra syrup for the human Disney princess."
My phone buzzed in my pocket. Three rapid vibrations—Harald’s signature text pattern. I let it ring out, savoring the secret and grab my phone to see what he sent.
Jayda's eyes track my movements across the screen. "You seem serious all of a sudden," she observes, making me realize I'm probably wearing it all over my face like a neon sign.
"Maybe." The truth catches in my throat like a hairball. "I just... he says he is coming here today." I pause, running my fingers nervously through my messy curls. "He wants to meet up."
Caleb stands, moving toward me with that signature mix of warmth and protective intensity that only someone who truly cares about you can do.
He places a hand on my shoulder. "You're gonna be okay, dude.
Whatever happens, happens." His voice is steady but his eyes hold something else – concern wrapped in care.
Jayda joins us, sliding her arm around my waist. "And if he's the one who makes you as happy as Caleb does for me," she winks, "then that's pretty damn good news."
I nod, still staring at Harald's latest message: "Can't wait to see you in person, for real" The words make something twist in my chest, somewhere between fear and hope.