I see Brooke behind the counter, and Leo stiffens slightly.
“Hello, Brooke.” I give her a polite smile and begin to pull my wallet from my back pocket.
“Everett, right? Nice to see you again. What can I get for you?”
“A Leo please, honey on top.”
“You got it. So are you and Leo like…together?”
“No,” Leo says with a bit too much enthusiasm for my liking, and I just stare at her. She won't make eye contact with me. She glances back to Rune, checking on him, and I pay for my drink.
“I’ll have that out for you in just a second.”
“Thank you.”
I walk down to the other end of the bar and wait. Leo goes back to sit with Rune, who is sitting on the floor, rubbing Muffin’s belly. Muffin looks like he is in heaven.
Grabbing my to-go cup from Brooke, I notice her number scribbled on the side. I look at her, and she winks at me then walks away.
Bold. I respect it.
I go and sit across from Leo, next to Rune.
I sip from my cup, and Leo’s eyes widen in shock. I thoroughly enjoy it as I watch those blue eyes turn green with envy. I see her chest expand as she takes a deep breath in, her breasts pushing up, stretching the V-neck shirt she is wearing. Fucking perfection.
She takes the cup from my hands, making me have to catch the small amount of coffee that didn’t quite make it into my mouth as she pulls the cup away and walks to the trash and drops it in. Then she goes behind the bar and begins making me a new cup.
I fucking love her jealousy. Her irritation at seeing Brooke’s number on my cup tells me that she does still care. A spark of pride and hope lights in my chest.
“So Rune? Do you like football?”
He sips his hot cocoa, coming back with a little chocolate mustache. “Yeah. My dad used to play, so I wanted to be like him. But I’m not very good.”
My smile drops. My chest caves in. “Your”—I have to clear my throat—“dad?”
“Yeah, I’ve never met him, but Mom talks about him sometimes. She likes to tell me little things about him. I think she thinks that itmakes me feel less alone, since I was raised by all girls. I just like to know about him. One day I want to meet him.”
“Did your mom say why he isn’t around?” My curiosity is piqued. Maybe I will get more answers out of Rune than Leo.
“Hmmm. She said something about them being young and he had big important dreams. That he would have wanted me if they were older.” Rune’s face is sad. Like he thinks his dad didn’t want him or thought he would be a burden.
But that’s not true. I would have wanted him. He would have become my new dream. How could Leo think any differently?
“I’m sure your dad wanted you, buddy. Who wouldn’t? You’re pretty awesome.”
He is nodding, looking at me with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, a cool guy face on. “Yeah, I am.”
“So what else did Leo say about your dad?”
“Hmm…” He stares up to the ceiling while simultaneously patting Muffin's head, who is just sitting next to him with his head in Rune’s lap. Suck-up.
“She said that he really likes breakfast food, his favorite number is seven, he hates spiders, and that he—hey, you hate spiders too huh? I remember that video of you—”
Leo walks up with a new coffee in hand as Rune begins laughing so hard, he can’t even get words out anymore.
She puts the coffee down, and I lift my eyebrow at her. I turn my cup, and turn it, and turn it. My heart deflates when there isn’t a note from her.
No worries. Good thing I wrote her one. I take out the folded note and slide it across the table.
