“He’s in line for coffee, but he’s looking around, and…he just found us.” She waves at him, not a care in the world, meanwhile I can feel the sweat running down my chest from the panic. I’m not ready to face him yet.
I snatch her hand. “What are you doing?”
“Giving you two a moment to have the conversation that needs to happen.”
A few minutes go by, and afraid to move, I just stare at her, tracking her eye movement as she watches him. It doesn’t take long before my stomach begins to flutter, and I sense him behind me, my body tenses with the anticipation.
“Hello, Zayne,” Vix says in her raspy, judgmental tone.
“Hey, Vix,” he says. “This seat taken?” He points at what I can only imagine is the chair to the left of me.
“No, not at all.” As he sits, Vix starts to collect her things.
“Well, kids, as much as I’d like to stay and watch the awkwardness play out, I have things to do,”
I shoot her a dirty look, and she looks at me, completely unfazed. “See you two tonight.” Before I can say anything back, she turns, walking away.
I watch her walk out and take a deep breath, letting it out before I can even face him. I know the minute I look into those hazel eyes, I will forget my name.
After a minute passes by in awkward silence, I finally turn to look at him.
“Hi,” he says with a soft smile.
“Hi,” I reply with a small frown.
A single wordand the look in his eyes is all it takes—everyone around us disappears, and all I see is him.
“You left?” he said quietly.
“I left.”
“Myssa, I…” but before he can continue, I interrupt.
“Zayne. you don’t owe me anything, really. We got caught up in a moment, right? No big deal, it’s all good.” I rush to look at anything but him.
“You’re not going to let me talk, are you?”
Having nothing to say, I continue to keep my eyes locked onto the table, expressionless.
“Hey, Myssa, please look at me.” He slides his hand towards mine, but I quickly move it and grab my coffee.
Reluctantly, I look back at him. I know what he’s going to say. I’ve heard it so many times throughout my whole life. The hollowness rises inside me, and I push it down. My mental armor remains in place to take the hit.
“I like you, I really do, but…”
He must see it in my eyes, because he quickly says, “This is such a frustrating situation.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumble, taking a sip of my coffee.
“My focus has to be on what’s happening in Aetheriem, and there’s just too much at stake at this moment. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I don’t regret a single fucking moment of last night, not even for a second. But I can’t take it any further than that. It's just too risky right now,” he pleads.
I take a moment to really hear what he’s saying, and I know he’s right. Jasper could use this, and just make this more complicated, especially since we have no idea what is going on. I need to focus on Nik, and how to get her away from him. But one thing he did say I can hold on to is, “right now”.
That means there could be a right time after all this.
And for now, that will be enough.
“I agree. Friends, then?” I say, smiling while holding out my hand and awaiting his handshake.
