Chapter Seven #2
She hesitated for half a second, suddenly hyperaware of how close he was, close enough that she could see the faint shadows under his eyes and the exact shade of his green irises, and she had to remind herself to speak before the silence stretched too long.
“Would it be weird,” she asked softly, “if I came by the record store tomorrow?”
The words sounded casual, almost offhand, but she felt the question settle into the space between them like something fragile.
She was asking because it would be fun, because she was curious, because she liked music, because she needed a reason that wasn’t ‘I want to see you again’, and she held his gaze as she waited for his answer.
His expression shifted subtly, surprise flickering across it before something warmer replaced it. “I’d like that,” he said simply.
Relief brushed through her so quickly she almost didn’t recognize it, and she nodded once as if his response hadn’t mattered much either way.
“Cool,” she said. “Don’t make it weird.”
“I’ll do my worst.”
She snorted softly, and a car rolled forward behind him, reminding them both that the world hadn’t actually paused. He straightened, giving her one last look that felt steady and searching at the same time, and then he nodded toward the bag in her hand. “Eat,” he added gently.
Her throat tightened unexpectedly. “Bossy,” she said.
“Only for you,” he corrected, and then he turned and headed back to his car.
She watched him go, telling herself she was just keeping an eye on the line, telling herself she wasn’t tracking the way his shoulders moved or how he glanced back once before getting in. The second he drove off, Kaylee’s voice drifted over in a sing-song tone that meant trouble.
“So.”
Myah didn’t look at her. “No.”
“I didn’t even say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Kaylee leaned against the counter, eyes bright with curiosity. “That looked suspiciously like flirting.”
“It looked like customer service.”
“With pastry deliveries?”
“He’s bribing me for better espresso shots.”
“Mhm.”
“Don’t mhm me.”
“I’m absolutely going to mhm you,” Kaylee replied cheerfully. “Especially since you still haven’t given me details about the park.”
Myah’s fingers paused on the lid she was snapping onto a cup, tension flickering through her chest as the memory resurfaced again, vivid and warm. “It wasn’t a date,” she said lightly.
“Oh?” Kaylee’s grin sharpened. “So the bet’s still on?”
Before Myah could answer, a new voice piped up from behind them. “Wait–what bet?”
She turned to see the new girl standing by the syrup rack, watching them with open curiosity, and irritation prickled faintly along her nerves when she realized she still didn’t know the girl’s name.
Fantastic. Audience acquired.
“Nothing,” Myah said flatly.
Kaylee gasped theatrically. “Rude. It’s not nothing. It’s basically a social experiment.”
“It’s not,” Myah said.
“It is,” Kaylee insisted. “Myah’s seeing how fast she can get a customer to fall in love with her.”
That wasn't true. They had agreed on it being a date. No one said anything about love.
Myah stared at her. “Kaylee.”
“What? Don't tell me you're backing out.”
The new girl’s eyes widened. “Wait, seriously?”
Something defensive tightened in Myah’s chest, sharp and protective, like someone had stepped too close to something she didn’t want touched. “It’s not like that,” she said.
Kaylee tilted her head. “You literally said you could make him blush on command.”
“That is not the same thing as–”
“So did you win?” the new girl interrupted eagerly. “Is he obsessed yet?”
The word scraped across Myah’s nerves wrong, and she felt heat rise along her neck as she reached for another cup, focusing on it so she wouldn’t have to focus on the sudden knot in her chest. “It was a joke,” she said with a shrug she hoped looked convincing.
She was beginning to feel sick. It was a joke, a mean, immature, stupid joke.
Kaylee studied her for a moment, something perceptive slipping behind her teasing expression. “Oh?” she said lightly.
“Yeah. Just messing around.”
The new girl looked faintly disappointed. “Aw. I thought it was like a challenge or something.”
Myah snapped a lid onto the cup a little harder than necessary. “Sorry to ruin the reality show.”
Kaylee held her gaze for a beat longer, then smiled again, softer this time, and turned back toward her window. “Well,” she said, “if it was a challenge, you’d definitely be winning.”
Myah knew Kaylee wasn't confused. She was the one who made the bet with her, but Myah was still thankful that Kaylee was putting on a front for the new girl.
Still, Myah didn’t respond, because the word obsessed was still echoing faintly in her head and she didn’t like the way it felt there.
She didn’t want Jace to be obsessed with her.
She didn’t want him tangled up in something messy or unstable or unpredictable.
She wanted–she stopped herself before finishing the thought, because she didn’t trust where it might lead if she let it form completely.
Instead she reached into the paper bag, broke off a piece of pastry, and took a bite. It was still warm, soft and sweet in a way that made her throat tighten again, and she swallowed slowly, staring out at the line of waiting cars while the feeling settled into her chest, complicated.
Three days had felt like a long time before. But now that she knew she’d see him tomorrow, it didn’t feel long at all.