I gaped down at the off-the-shoulder T-shirt and loose sweats tucked into my old Uggs that I threw on before leaving the house. Oh, and I couldn’t forget about the bare face and unruly hair tied back in a crazy bun.
“Sure, that sounds great, but I need to change first. I can’t go out looking like this.”
West shrugged like he actually didn’t care that I looked hobo-ish. “That works, but only if you really want to. I think you look great without changing, though. Adorable, actually.” Popping a quick kiss to the end of my nose, he stepped back, giving me some space. “But if we head there now, we’ll get there before all the good pastries are gone. You know the best ones sell out fast.”
Teeth gnawing on my lower lip, I debated between looking put together and mouthwatering pastries. I didn’t actually mind going out dressed as I was. Sure, it was slouchy, but I was comfortable, and everything matched, with no holes in inappropriate places. Was that really so bad?
Old Juno would’ve said yes. I needed to hurry home to shower, change, and fix my face just to grab a chocolate croissant and coffee in town. I would put on flattering jeans, cute boots, fix my hair and face enough to look nice but not overdone. Just the way he liked me to present myself out in public.
Howheliked me to look in public.
Thankfully, new Juno said,Fuck that.
“Actually, if you’re good with being seen with me like this?—”
“I’m happy as fuck to be spending time with you, Juno, no matter what you’re wearing.”
“Oh.” I paused, studying him with narrowed eyes, looking for any deception. “Really?”
“Really, really. Now, are we walking or walking?” I couldn’t help the way my smile grew at his shy grin. “I’m not comfortable taking you on the bike with only one good hand, and Langston took his 4Runner to the docks.”
I lifted one hand and then the other, like I was weighing my options. “I think walking sounds great. It’s a little cloudy out but still nice, so yes, that sounds perfect.”
His shy grin grew into a genuine smile so wide his joy practically radiated off him.
Me.
I made him that happy simply by agreeing to walk to breakfast with the incredible man.
Was that normal? Or was it part of this newish thing between us and would soon fade? That seemed more likely. Which scared the shit out of me, because that meant every relationship was doomed, the spark not sustainable, and in the end, it left you more hollow and lost than you started. But there was only one way to find out, and I needed to figure out if I wanted to take that risk.
West was right. I was scared. Terrified, really, of opening up to another person and them leaving again like I never mattered. Then there was also the chance that I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone like that again no matter how hard I tried. At least not without a little shove from the universe, forcing me to open up and let new people in.
Like that would happen.
“Again,”West begged. “Show me again the look on Langston’s face when you took him down in the locker room.” With both elbows pressed on the table, he leaned in with an expectant expression.
With a dramatic eye roll at his persistence, I reenacted Langston’s shocked expression for the third time since we sat down at the two-person table on the walkway outside Sips’s large glass window.
Like the previous time, West barked out a loud laugh. “Damn, I wish I could’ve seen it firsthand. That bastard is hard to surprise.”
“Probably because he knows everything, or am I the only one he follows?”
He stilled at that revelation, the coffee mug hovering halfway between the metal table and his lips.
I shrugged and popped another bite of buttery croissant into my mouth. “Yes, I’m aware he’s sometimes there watching what I do and where I go. I just can’t figure out why.”
His mug landed on the table with a soft clink. “Why haven’t you called him out on it?”
I slid the paper napkin between my fingers as I focused on folding it instead of looking at West. “I don’t know.” Lie. “It’s annoying.” More lies. “But I’d rather ignore him and hope he stops than confront him.” Oh, so many lies.
I felt his focused stare as he studied me as if he could see straight through the false words. “Do you have any theories aboutwhyLangston is obsessed with stalking you?”
It was my turn to freeze. I blinked in disbelief and utter confusion at the man now smirking at me like he was in on some secret. “Um, I did not use the wordsobsessedandstalking. What the hell are you talking about?”
“You clearly haven’t noticedallthe times he has,” West grumbled into the almost-empty mug.
“That’s… disturbing.” Yeah, that was the right word, which explained the swarm of butterflies fluttering in my gut and the thrum of excitement that heated me from the inside out. “He’s such a weirdo. But for a theory, maybe it’s that he doesn’t want me here and is trying to find a reason for Brandon to fire me?”
