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It’s a public place. What could he do?Plus, the thought of just going back to my dorm all alone right now sounds depressing.
“Okay,” I say, shrugging away from him and fingering the end of my braid.
Matt frowns at the gesture before he realizes what I said.
“Really?” he asks eagerly.
“Yeah. Just give me about twenty minutes to finish closing up, and I’ll meet you over there.”
“Great.” He gives me a wink before walking back out into the night.
Damon gives me a dubious look. “Coffee, huh? Does Lincoln know?”
I meet his dark blue eyes, amused. “Why would Lincoln care?”
Damon looks away quickly, the tips of his ears flushing pink.
“Damon,” I say, lowering my voice sternly. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Well, you know how you guys are…whatever you guys are.”
I’m not surprised he’s noticed the tension between me and Link—the kid is super perceptive, preferring to observe rather than interact just like I do—and honestly, I doubt I hide my fucked-up, undefined relationship well.
I huff out a laugh and resume counting my till. “I have no idea what Lincoln and I are,” I admit. “But he doesn’t control whether I have coffee with someone or not.”
“Well, of course not,” Damon says. “That’s not really what I meant. Lincoln is…”
“An asshole?”
Damon snorts a laugh. “Well, okay, that’s fair. But he’s also super possessive, and I know he hates that guy.”
I stop midcount and look up at him. “How do you know he hates Matt?”
“I’ve seen him around here before, though I didn’t know you knew him,” Damon says with a shrug. “And when he tried to come in, Lincoln stopped him and got all alpha male in his face in the lobby.”
My eyes widen. “When was this?”
“Maybe a few weeks ago, just after Halloween,” he says thoughtfully.
“Then what happened?”
“I didn’t hear what they said because their voices were all low and growly, but then Lincoln kind of pushed him, and he looked super pissed, but then he just turned and left,” Damon says, shrugging. He gives an exaggerated shiver. “Honestly, though, that guy gives me the creeps—kind of a hot serial killer vibe.”
I jump as one of the auditorium doors swings open, and the make-out couple walks out, their arms wrapped around each other’s waists.
“Have a nice night,” I say to them before I finish my counting and turn back to Damon. “Well, don’t worry. It’s just coffee. And while you’re right, I doubt Lincoln would approve, he’s not here right now, and he’s only the boss of me while I’m working.”
Damon shakes his head and smiles. “Your funeral if he does find out.
I lockthe door and watch Damon disappear down the street. He made me promise to call him if Matt tried anything, and I told him I would. He’s a nice guy, and I feel a little less anxious knowing someone is looking out for me.
The icy wind cuts through my clothes, and even though the distance to the coffee shop is short, I still put up my hood and run across the street, skipping around puddles to avoid soaking my boots.
I rush through the doors, savoring the whoosh of coffee-scented air that hits my face as I enter. I pull down my hood, glancing around before I notice Matt sitting in a booth in the corner. I walk to the counter, order a mocha, and then turn to watch him while I wait.
He’s staring at something on his phone, and he hasn’t noticed me yet.
He looks like a regular college guy, sporting a gray Whitmore U hoodie with matching sweatpants. His face is all hard lines and angles—he’s obviously lost weight and gained muscle. His almost-black hair is longish, and it falls over his dark brows into his eyes. I’d probably find him attractive if I didn’t know him.
