Page 31 of The Moment I Knew

I stood there, staring after him, my brain scrambling to catch up.

“Did he just order for you?” Ainsley said next to me, her voice a mix of awe and swoon.

The barista exhaled loudly. “Yeah,” she said, already typing into the register. “That’ll be $8.75.”

I blinked. “Sorry. What?”

“Card or cash?”

I blinked again then shook my head. I wasn’t sure what exactly Cole was playing at, constantly jumping in and ordering for me, but it was starting to get on my nerves a little. If he couldn’t even be bothered to talk to me, why did he get to decide what I was going to drink?

“Actually,” I said, “I think I’d rather have a…” I named the first drink I saw, “Sweet Kiss.”

“But she’ll take the extra whip,” Ainsley added, leaning over my shoulder to be heard.

The barista looked less than impressed as she sighed, but she put it in. I tapped my card to pay then moved down the counter. I was busy stuffing my card back into my wallet when I felt someone come right up behind me, and for one dizzying second, I thought it was Cole.

“Hey, Novak,” the voice said and I just about jumped out of my skin.

“Mitch!” I snapped, putting a hand to my pounding heart. “You almost scared me to death.”

He just grinned and leaned backwards against the counter, placing himself awkwardly right in front of me.

“You look… different today,” he said, running his eyes up and down my body.

I did my very best not to gag. “I’m wearing the same uniform as always.”

Ainsley, thankfully, joined us at this exact moment.

“I don’t know what it is about you,” he said as if I hadn’t spoken. “I mean, all the girls at school wear the same clothes, but there’s something about how they fit on you that…” He sighed and shook his head.

My twin looked down at her identical uniform, then back up at Mitch with a quizzical expression. He didn’t notice. “Thank you?” I said slowly. “I think?” I glanced at my sister, who just shrugged in response.

“So, have you given any more thought to my…” He wiggled his brows. “Offer for tomorrow night?”

“Actually, I⁠—”

“Hey.”

Cole appeared from nowhere on the other side of the counter. He’d ditched the hoodie somewhere between the staff room and now and was wearing a black Corner Cup T-shirt instead, the fabric stretched slightly across his broad shoulders and showing off his muscles. He didn’t even look at me as his fingers drummed lazily against the laminate, like he had all the time in the world.

“Uh… Can I help you?” Mitch said, trying to keep his tone casual, but he swallowed hard as Cole’s eyes landed on him.

“Yeah,” Cole said. His voice was calm, almost bored. “You can step back.”

Mitch laughed, short and sharp. “Excuse me?”

“You’re in the pickup area,” Cole said, tapping the counter once. Then his eyes flicked to mine for a second before returning to Mitch. “And you’re crowding her.”

Mitch scoffed and straightened, puffing up in a way that would’ve been impressive if it wasn’t so transparent. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“It’s my business if you’re making Imogen uncomfortable, which you very clearly are.”

I paused for a moment, my mind scrambling to catch up to the swift change in events—and to the fact that Cole just used my name. And dare I say that it sounded way better coming out of his mouth than Mitch’s? Ainsley gripped my arm and I swore I heard her squeal like this was the most entertaining movie she’d ever seen and not a very real moment in my actual life.

Mitch straightened, trying to regain his cool. “Listen, I don’t know who you think you are, but maybe you should focus on your job instead of⁠—”

“—instead of what?” Cole cut in, finally smiling. It wasn’t friendly. It was the kind of smile that made Mitch hesitate, just a fraction too late. The kind that said Cole was enjoying this now.