Cyrus stopped mid-sentence, and his eyebrows pulled together in a frown that she had spent three years interpreting asconcernand that she was suddenly seeing for what it was, which wasinconvenience.
“Can’t what?”
“I realized I can’t ever make it up to you—”
Oh no, I’m lying again.
“—and that’s what I came here to tell you.”
Is he on to me? Please oh please let him not be on to me.
She took a breath that didn’t really fill her lungs, and gripped her bag strap harder, and made herself look at him.
“I’m sorry, Cyrus, but I can’t be with you anymore.”
Cyrus stared at her in shock.
For one second, his face didn’t do anything at all, and Kyara could see underneath the smile-mask for the first time in three years—a flat, cold flicker that wasn’t gentle at all and wasn’t even surprised, justannoyed—
And then...his face slowly softened. Almost like he had remembered to put it back on. “Babycakes.”
Kyara couldn’t believe it.
Her every word was a big fat lie, but he had actually fallen for it...because of his ego?
Easy, Cyrus thought, and his shoulders settled back against the booth as the small flare of panic he wasn’t going to acknowledge having had drained away. Of course. Of course she was just upset. She had embarrassed herself by showing up looking like she did, and now she wasspiraling, the way girls like her always spiraled, and it was up to him to graciously walk her back from the edge.
He reached across the table and patted her hand for the benefit of anyone who might be watching.
“It’s okay. We can still make it work. You just need to change your diet and sign up for a gym—”
Kyara covered her face with both hands and slowly shook her head.
It was the only thing she could do...before she ended up laughing hysterically.
Like seriously.
How could she be so, so blind?
Cyrus mistook the shake of her head for trembling, and the silence behind her hands for tears, and couldn’t help feeling touched at Kyara’s understandable pain. She had embarrassed him by showing up looking like she did, but...he could forgive her for it. He wasn’t evil like the others. He was good-looking and good, and that was why he would forgive her this once, but he would also make sure to warn her not to do it again.
He was, in fact, feeling rather magnanimous about the whole thing.
Kyara only lowered her hands when she was sure she had properly composed herself, even thoughcomposedwas generous, because her chest was still shaking with what she was pretty sure was laughter trying not to be laughter, and her eyes were a little wet, but those...those weren’t for him.
Cyrus was smiling as Kyara lifted her gaze to his. He smoothed his tie and gave her his most reasonable smile, the one he used on his father’s secretaries.
“You know what, babycakes?” He was feeling rather magnanimous. “I think it’s okay—”
“I’m sorry, Cyrus.” Kyara spoke in a rush, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. “I’m never going to change my mind about this. Goodbye.”
She was on her feet and reaching for her bag before he had even fully processed the wordgoodbye.
Cyrus’s jaw actually dropped.
What the hell?
He was just about to tell her that she could sit next to him again, but...
