Chapter 9 Eve
NINE
EVE
Clocktower Brew House is packed when I go in for a caffeine fix. Students are in a mad rush to leave town before it snows, otherwise they’ll be trapped here for a few extra days into their winter break.
I get in line, noticing the outgoing waitress that started working at The Landmark recently. Typically when we hire freshmen they have a quick turnover, but I get the feeling she’ll outlast the others and be at the bar with me for a while.
“Reagan, hey.” I wave when she turns.
Her strawberry blonde hair is hastily braided with some pieces falling loose. She’s wearing a teal crewneck with Heston University across her ample chest in block letters. Even dressed down, she radiates confidence in herself.
“Eve! Hi.” She joins me in line. “I swear, if they run out of coffee before we get up there, I’ll riot. I’m in desperate need if I’m going to handle my drive.”
“It’s the crazy rush. I remember it after finals. Are you heading home for break?”
“Yup. I’m coming back right after New Year’s, though. Mr. B said he’d give me a couple shifts if I promised to take the stage.” Her nose crinkles with her laugh. “I’m excited for the chance to sing for an audience, even if it’s only The Landmark crowd.”
“You’ll rock it. You’re an amazing singer.” I bump my shoulder with hers and smile. “And I bet we score better tips.”
We shuffle forward when the line moves. The bell on the door jingles when it opens, letting in a gust of chilly air.
“Hey,” a deep voice says behind me.
I smile slowly, scraping my teeth across my lower lip. It’s pointless because there’s no stopping the warmth that spreads in my chest around him.
“Cole,” I answer without turning around.
“How’s the camper, sweetheart?”
That gets me to spin. He winks, only teasing. I wish he weren’t.
“Okay, enough of that. Big Al isn’t around,” I say. “The camper is fine. I’ve gotten as far as dusting it and scaring myself half to death when I thought I needed to fend off a huge spider. Turned out it was already dead.”
“Yikes,” Reagan says with a grimace.
“Tell me about it. I wanted to get one of Dad’s old hockey sticks from the garage, but I was terrified if I moved, I’d lose it. So it was just me and the carcass in a fifteen minute showdown before I worked up the courage to throw a shoe at it.”
“Solid move.” She shivers.
“You should’ve called me,” Cole says. “Dead or not, I would’ve rescued you.”
I roll my lips between my teeth and play with the beaded bracelet loop attached to my phone case.
He needs to stop being so sweet and caring or I’ll never get past this inconvenient crush.
It’s already worse from how kind he was the other day listening to me gush about my aspirations to start my business, genuinely interested in my goals.
“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m engaged in battle,” I sass.
The corners of his mouth curl, bringing out the dimple in his cheek. He rests a hand over his heart with a slight bow.
“I await your call to arms, my liege.”
Reagan shifts her gaze between us, then raises a brow at me. I give her a subtle shake of my head. We’re up next to order.
“This is on me for both of you.” Cole interrupts when I turn to him to protest. “What do you want, a mocha latte?”
My jaw snaps shut. He still remembers my coffee order after all these years? We used to stop by here every morning before he drove me and Benson to school, then we’d play Rock Paper Scissors at the ice rink before their hockey practices to see who would go out for coffee.
I nod. “Thank you.”
“Same for me. Thanks, dude,” Reagan says.
“You’re welcome. Do either of you want anything to eat?”
“I’m okay. What?” I press at his doubtful expression.
“You’re not hungry?” He lifts a brow when I shake my head.
“There are two things I never say no to: free coffee and baked goods.” Reagan leans close to whisper to me. “Babe, he’s all green flags. Keep him.”
I hush her. His eyes glint with humor. I’m sure he heard her, but he’s pretending he didn’t.
He cocks his head in that confident, attractive way that leaves me breathless. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else, Evie?”
You.
Not on the menu, unfortunately.
I wasn’t that hungry. Not until he points at the fresh pastry twists as they’re put in the display case. My mouth waters. I tap the glass and he smirks knowingly.
“Thought so. You’ve got it.”
He puts in his order and pays while I contemplate how I got to a point in my life where my brother’s best friend knows when I’m hungry before I do.
Not that I’m always conscious of it, the sense often muted when I’m preoccupied until the moment I realize I’ve skipped a meal by accident and, oops, I’m starving.
When we shuffle over to the pick up counter, we bump into each other. He steadies me with his hands on my shoulders, walking behind me.
While we’re waiting, Reagan spots some of the guys from the hockey team. They’ve claimed the armchairs and sofa around the low table in front of the crackling fireplace. They come in often enough to hang out at the bar that she’s befriended them since she started working there.
She waves. “Hey guys.”
They’re happy to see her. Higgins, one of the seniors that plays defense, offers her his seat. He’s a big softie despite his intimidating vibe.
“‘Sup, Reagan?” Theo bumps fists with her when she takes the open spot on the couch.
Cole hands me my drink and cruller, then we follow her over to them. The guys get rowdier when we join the group.
“Eve, when are you gonna marry me?” Daniel Hutchinson gives me a slow grin.
I hum, pretending to consider as if he hasn’t greeted me like this for the last three years since he was a freshman. “I don’t know. Make me a good offer.”
“You’ll be in the shit if Coach Lombard finds out how much you flirt with his daughter, Hutch,” Alex Keller jokes.
They share a laugh. Cole stiffens at my side. Daniel’s laughter chokes off and he sits up after Cole shoots him a warning look.
“You could always flirt with my brother, but his wife might come after you instead of my dad. Maybe they’d team up.” I hide my giggle at their spluttering by sipping my coffee.
“Yo, Kincaid.” Jake Brody nods with his chin. “What are you doing today? The boys were just saying we wanted to get a pizza. You in?”
“I’m not here to see any of your faces outside of working hours. I, too, drink coffee,” he deadpans while giving Reagan her cup. “Shocker, I know.”
Easton snorts. “Have a seat, man. Shoot the shit with us.”
“Why?”
“Because you secretly love us.” Cameron grins unapologetically from his slouch in the other arm chair.
Cole exchanges a look with me. When I shrug, he offers the armchair to me instead of taking it. I perch on the arm, smirking at him when he narrows his eyes playfully, then sits down. I hum in contentment at the bite of my pastry, then break off a piece to offer to him.
“You moved on fast,” a snide voice cuts through the cozy atmosphere of the coffee shop. “Guess you weren’t that torn up. Does this guy put up with all your neurotic crap? Are you going to drag him down, too?”
Everyone in the group goes quiet. A leaden weight crashes to the pit of my stomach, crushing my good mood. I turn slowly, finding my ex-boyfriend. Heston Lake is a small town. Of course I’d run into him eventually.
Cole stills, then gets up in one quick, fluid motion. “What did you say to her?”
The demand is brittle with an edge of danger. My shoulders hunch.
“Nothing. Ignore him.”
His big hand brushes the small of my back. “Sorry, Evie. I can’t do that.”
I try to convince him that he doesn’t have to, but my heart is in my throat. He glares at my ex, standing at his full height.
Shawn is Cole’s opposite in every way. His light brown hair is buzzed. He’s shorter by a solid five inches and is much leaner than Cole’s rugged build. His mouth is turned down in a natural, off-putting frown. Everything about his presence is cold compared to Cole’s warm and inviting personality.
Seeing the two of them side by side, I question what I ever saw in Shawn.
“Apologize to her,” Cole grits out.
“I’m good,” Shawn says.
I swallow past the burn in my throat, rising to my feet.
He doesn’t get to be the asshole who gives me shit for moving on when he dumped me—and was secretly cheating.
It doesn’t matter that I’m not with Cole or anyone else.
I won’t allow my ex to cut me down with belittling comments because it makes him feel bigger than me.
“No,” I snap.
Shawn swings his attention to me. “No?”
“No. I’m not dragging anyone down. If you felt like that when we were together, that was all your own doing, you absolutely pathetic piece of work. You don’t have a leg to stand on. I know what you did.”
He scoffs. I hate his smug bravado.
“I cut the fat from my life.” He eyes me up and down with a sneer.
My jaw works as several responses fly up my throat at once. I bite them all back, taking a breath to remain calm and cool for once instead of feeling my emotions so acutely. I don’t want to make more of a scene than he already has in the middle of the coffee shop.
“You broke up with me so you could move your other girlfriend in.” A hollow laugh leaves me at his caught out expression.
I narrow my eyes. “Yeah, I know you were cheating on me. Is that why you wrote out that wall of text explaining why you were breaking up with me out of the blue? Was I in the way? Did it take you all day to draft so you had it ready to send me at a moment’s notice? ”
Cole stands by my side, allowing me to say what I need to. His jaw locks and his fists balls tight enough his knuckles turn white.