Chapter 7
Yellow.
I stared down at the single word on my phone, a text message that had come through from an unsaved number.
Not that I had to wonder who it was. There was only one possible answer, and even after spending the entire day reflecting on the worst parts of my past, that one word was enough to make me smile.
That didn’t help my fingers decide what to type back.
They hovered over my keyboard for two full minutes while my mind searched for something that felt adequate.
Something that didn’t sound stupid. Or eager.
Or like I cared too much. I threw my head back against the soft orange pillows lining my bed, the ones Cherry always said clashed with my blue sheets.
I didn’t mind the clash. The colors together reminded me of a sunset over the ocean, and I couldn’t understand how that could feel wrong to anyone.
I let out a quiet breath, wondering what had gotten into me.
I wasn’t completely clueless when it came to talking to boys.
I knew a thing or two. It just seemed those things had abandoned me entirely, because I felt like I was in middle school again, staring at my phone after the first boy who’d ever paid me attention.
With nothing better to offer, I finally gave up on trying to be cute or clever and typed back the simplest thing possible.
Hi.
I tossed my phone away from me the second I hit send, nerves shooting through my body. I wasn’t sure why I did that. I knew I’d grab it again the moment it made a sound. But the sound I heard wasn’t a text notification. It was my ringtone.
Less than ten seconds after my phone left my hand, the familiar melody filled my room, making my stomach drop. I picked it up from the bed beside me, not surprised in the slightest to see the unsaved number calling. Austin.
I hesitated, my eyes flicking between the green and red buttons.
Answer. Decline. Green or red. I could ignore it.
I could make up an excuse later. Any excuse.
Texting was one thing. Talking felt different.
Louder. More real. I groaned, staring up at the ceiling, irritated with myself and whatever pathetic part of me was suddenly incapable of acting normal. Then I pressed accept.
“Hello?” I said, the phone pressed to my ear. I hated how my voice came out, too high, too soft.
“Yellow.” Austin’s voice was the opposite of mine. Steady. Calm. Effortlessly cool.
“Hi,” I said, and immediately wondered why my cheeks felt warm. I felt like I was going through puberty all over again instead of being years past it.
“Hi,” he repeated, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Why did you text me if you were just going to call?” I asked, genuinely curious.
“I didn’t want to give you an excuse to decline,” he chuckled, like he already knew exactly what I’d been considering.
“Why would you think I’d decline a call from you?” I bluffed.
“You never know with you, Yellow,” he said, then paused. “I need to see you.”
“You need to see me?” I laughed, trying to hide the way my heart softened at the words. “Am I in trouble?”
“Something tells me you’ve never been in trouble a day in your life.”
I smiled despite myself. “I keep telling you that you don’t know me.”
“Whatever you say,” he replied, amusement still in his voice. There was a brief silence between us, one that felt full instead of awkward. My smile hadn’t faded. “So,” he said quietly. “Can I see you?”
“When?” I asked him, already running through my work schedule in my head.
“Tonight,” he said quickly. “Right now.”
“What? Right now?” I couldn’t hide the shock in my voice.
“What’s wrong with right now?” Austin teased. “Are you busy?”
“Um…” I trailed off, not wanting to admit the truth. I was almost never busy.
“What do you have to lose, Yellow?” he pressed. “It’s just you and me.”
“Alright,” I said, surprising myself as the word left my mouth. It felt like it came from a part of my brain I didn’t usually listen to.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed, and instantly realized what I’d done.
I leapt off my bed, phone still in my hand, stopping short in front of my mirror.
I looked like a disaster. Full Netflix mode.
An oversized shirt that had seen better days and ratty pajama pants that should have been retired years ago.
“When will you be here?” I asked, already assuming he’d pick me up.
“Um…” Austin hesitated, and for the first time his voice wasn’t smooth or confident. “I was actually hoping you could meet me somewhere.”
“Oh. Right. That’s fine.” I mentally cringed. Why had I assumed this was a date?
“Okay, great. I’ll text you the address,” he said easily, like nothing had shifted. “Oh, and Yellow?”
“What?”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
The line went dead. I pulled the phone away from my ear, feeling like I’d just been swept up in a storm I hadn’t seen coming. An unforecasted one. But as far as chaos went, this was the kind I could live with.
I stared at my reflection again, fully aware I had no idea what to wear.
I considered calling Cherry, then immediately dismissed the idea.
I could already hear her laughter when I explained I needed outfit advice for a not-date with a boy I barely knew, to do something I didn’t even know yet.
I settled on something simple. Jeans and a white shirt. It would have to be enough.
My parents barely reacted when I told them I was heading out.
They probably assumed I was meeting Cherry or going to work.
Those were the only two places I ever seemed to go.
Once I was in my car, I checked the address Austin had sent.
It didn’t give anything away. Just an unfamiliar street a few minutes from my house.
The drive there was spent trying to calm myself, though my stomach was already wound tight with nerves. Not the bad kind. The kind that blurs into excitement until you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. All I knew was that my body felt alive, buzzing with something new.
I tilted my head as I pulled into the parking lot, my eyebrows lifting when I registered where I was.
Baker Dayz. The sign was cheerful, almost playful.
The windows were plastered with photos of desserts, every kind imaginable.
Cakes, pastries, frosting piled high. The bakery itself looked delicate, almost childlike, painted in pale colors that softened its edges.
It was cute. And confusing. It felt like the opposite of what I would have expected from Austin.
My lips curved into a smile when I spotted him.
He was leaning against the front of the bakery, wearing the leather jacket I already recognized, the one he’d worn every time we’d met.
Or, in his words, collided. His blond hair looked different tonight, less messy, like he’d actually taken time with it.
His eyes were already on my car, a smile mirroring my own spread across his mouth.
The moment he realized it was me, he pushed off the wall.
His hands stayed tucked into his jacket pockets as he walked alongside my still-moving car, matching its pace until I pulled into a spot.
Before I could even glance at my reflection in the window, he was opening my door.
“Hey,” I said, stepping out, fighting the urge to let my eyes travel over him. I refused. I was not embarrassing myself tonight.
“Yellow,” he smirked. He didn’t bother pretending not to look. His gaze moved over me, slow and deliberate, like he was taking me in as a whole rather than picking me apart. It didn’t feel invasive. It felt intentional. “You’re beautiful.”
“What is this place?” I asked quickly, latching onto the distraction before my heart could fully betray me. I stepped out of the car, and Austin closed the door behind me without thinking, like it was second nature.
“Just a little place I found,” he said easily, that same smile still playing on his lips as he looked at me.
“Okay,” I nodded. “What did you want to do?”
“Really, Yellow?” Austin tilted his head at me.
“You think I’d ask you to come see me without having anything planned?
You might want to evaluate the quality of men you’re letting hang around you if that’s what you’re used to.
” As he spoke, his hand settled on my back, familiar now, just like it had been at The Pitt.
He guided me toward the bakery door with an ease that felt practiced.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, watching the corner of his mouth twitch into a deeper smirk.
“You should,” he replied. “Or you could consider eliminating the lower-quality ones altogether.” He pushed the door open and held it for me, letting me step inside first.
The bakery looked exactly how I expected.
Soft and bright. The décor was all gentle colors, pale blues, blush pinks, buttery yellows.
Everything felt light in here, almost airy.
What I didn’t expect was the emptiness. No customers.
No employees behind the counter. I took another step inside, glancing around just as I heard the click of a lock behind me. I turned, raising an eyebrow at Austin.
“I like privacy,” he shrugged, his hand leaving the lock. “I paid to rent the place out.”
“Should I be concerned?” I teased. “Is this where you kill me?”
His expression shifted instantly. The smirk faded, replaced with something more serious. “Are you not comfortable being alone with me in here?” he asked, already moving back toward the door. “I can unlock it.”
“No,” I said quickly, surprised by the warmth that flooded my chest. “I was joking.”
Then I glanced around again, curiosity taking over. “But how are we supposed to order?”
Austin’s face lit back up. “You really do underestimate me, Yellow,” he said, and his hand found my back again, warm and familiar. He guided me toward the back of the bakery, and with every step, my curiosity sharpened. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this.