LENA
He remembers my favorite drink without needing to be reminded, smoothly telling the barista, Rosie, exactly what I order every winter: a peppermint mocha.
I try not to let that affect me, but I can’t ignore how my pulse sounds like a racehorse in my skull.
My heart could use a reality check though. I don’t even know why he disappeared or where he’s been.
I should be mad. I should be digging my claws in and cracking him open to find out what’s going on.
But instead, I’m swooning over a coffee order.
For himself, he requests his usual boring black coffee. He’s always been Mr. Plain Black Coffee, and I’m starting to wonder if that’s why he’s so moody sometimes.
Maybe he needs more sugar and whipped cream in his life.
While I wait for my drink, I drop into a cozy chair in the corner of the bakery and pull out my phone.
We Catan Beat Finn
Lena: He remembered my coffee order.
Micah: Swoon.
Millie: Even the extra peppermint?
Lena: Yep.
Millie: Swoon.
Emil: I remember all of your coffee orders.
Micah: And we all swoon over it.
Lena: Am I in trouble?
Millie: What kind of trouble?
Lena: Back to thinking about Gavin way more often than I should kind of trouble.
Millie: You might be.
“I’m not sure if there’s any coffee in here or if it’s straight sugar.”
I look up to find a judgmental smirk on Gavin’s lips as he offers me the drink, along with my bagel.
Shoving my phone into my jacket pocket, I stand and grab my coffee and breakfast. “You’re just jealous.” I peer at his cup like it’s a virus I’m trying to stay away from. “If you keep drinking that, it’s going to end up staining your soul the same color.”
He huffs a laugh as he turns to walk toward the door. “Who says it hasn’t already?”
As I step after him, I tuck my cup in my elbow to unwrap my chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese. Inhaling the sweet scent, I open my mouth to take—
Oof.
Air rushes out of me as I slam into his back. My bagel smacks me right in the face, smearing the cream cheese all over my cheek, and a few drops of coffee splash out of the tiny hole in the lid and land on the arm of my jacket.
He goes rigid as I groan and step back, swiping the cream cheese from my face. “Fuck, Gav, why did you—”
“Hey, man,” comes a drawled greeting from the other side of him.
