The thin straps rest against her shoulders, sliding over freckles I recognize without trying. The fabric hugs her waist gently, clings just enough to make my hands itch with awareness. Idon’t have to look at her chest. The shape of her breasts is there, undeniable, the neckline modest but devastating all the same.
I look away. I look back.
Her eyes flick up and meet mine for half a second.
There’s a faint flush on her cheeks now, a delicate dusting of pink that tells me she knows exactly what she’s doing to me. Her lips, painted red, fuller than I remember, softer than they have any right to be, press together as if she knows her dangerous effect.
My pulse kicks hard.
I swallow again and stand abruptly. “I’ll grab the drinks.”
Her brows lift slightly, a hint of a dimple at the corner of her cheek. “Okay.”
I turn away before I do something stupid.
The counter feels like a safe distance. A necessary buffer.
I order mindlessly, my attention still locked on the way she sits alone now, phone in hand, one foot swinging lightly beneath the table. She’s done that since we were kids, when she’s waiting, when she’s thinking, when she doesn’t realize anyone is watching.
The sight punches straight through me.
Then I hear it.
“Claire hasn’t changed at all.”
The words drift over, casual, unguarded.
“If anything,” the deep voice continues, “she’s only gotten better.”
My jaw tightens.
I don’t turn. I shouldn’t.
I know that voice.
Liam.
I focus on the register screen; on the way the cashier asks if I want a receipt. I nod, take the cups, tell myself to let it go.
Then he laughs.
“Think she’d let me do her?”
Fury, cold and sharp slices through my chest.
His friend snorts. “Who?”
Liam gestures lazily. “Her. Blonde. Green dress.”
I glance over despite myself.
Claire is still looking at her phone, unaware. Her foot swings. Her hair falls forward, catching the light.
The friend squints. “Dude. No way. Have you ever looked into a mirror? She’s way out of your league.”
Liam smiles. “She’s got low self-esteem.”
My grip tightens around the cups.
