“Are you in trouble?”
“Thanks for thinking so highly of me.” I roll my eyes. “No, I’m not in fucking trouble.”
“Then, what?”
“I-I…” The words stick in my throat, but I know I need to get them out. I need to tell somebody, and my family are the only people I trust completely in the whole entire world. “I’m in love.”
“Love?” Blake chokes on his sip of black coffee. “What the fuck do you mean you’re in love? You don’t date, let alone get close enough to somebody to fall in love.”
So, I tell him.
It’s fitting, I almost laugh to myself, as I look around the café, finding red and pink streamers hanging from the ceiling, heart shaped bunting draped from the windows, seeing as it’s Valentine’s Day.
I lay myself bare in front of Blake because what else am I supposed to do? I’ve never fucking been in love before to know what to do, or how to handle the situation, or how to make right my wrongs.
Plus, I’m terrified. There’s no denying that.
When I’m finished, Blake sits back in his chair, his half-drunk cup of caffeine sitting stone cold in front of him.
“I think we should have ordered something stronger,” he says. “A pint. Two. A shot of vodka.”
“You’re telling me,” I mutter, pressing the tip of my tongue into the sharp point of my incisor.
“So… what’s your plan?”
I pop my shoulders, peering over his broad shoulder to watch the steady stream of customers walking through the café door.
“Come on, you’re telling me Hudson Millen doesn’t have a plan of action to win back the girl he’s in love with?”
I’m about to tell him I do, but right now the ball is firmly in Giselle’s court, when I see a familiar shock of glossy black hair, dark against her cropped cream coat – looking like an angel that’s been summoned simply by talking about her – walk into the coffee shop. She’s on her phone, chatting to somebody on the other end of the line while she peers at the fridge full ofcold sandwiches and takeaway salad boxes, her back to the table Blake and I are sitting at, but there’s no mistaking it’s her. I would know the sight of Giselle anywhere.
“What are you…” Blake follows my line of sight, turning his head to look over his shoulder. “Is that her?”
I nod, unable to speak.
“Are you—Never mind.” I catch the tail end of whatever my brother is saying, before pushing my chair back and standing.
This is my chance to talk to Giselle, away from work and prying ears, and I’m not about to waste it.
“That’ll be four-pound, twenty,” I hear the barista behind the counter reel off the Giselle’s total while scrawling something on a takeaway cup.
“I’ll get it.” Before Giselle can hand over a creased, plastic five-pound note, I’m tapping my phone to the machine, watching as it lights up green to signal the payment has been accepted.
“You didn’t have to do that, Hudson,” she says, back straight as a rod, grabbing her salad box from beside the glass cabinet full of deliciously looking buttery pastries and moving down towards the end of the counter to retrieve her hot drink.
“I wanted to, Gee.”
I see her soften at the sound of her name on my lips, turning to face me fully, green clashing with sky blue.
“Well, thank you… again.”
“You’re very welcome.”
There’s a heartbeat of silence between us – the noise of China teacups kissing porcelain saucers and mindless chitter chatter filtering through my ears – until Giselle breaks.
“I didn’t see you at the gym this morning.”
I shake my head. “It’s my day off.”
