“Someone you could hurt.” Marta shrugged. “And who doesn’t trust you enough yet not to hurt them. Like, for example, someone who’s hiding a crush on you.”
“You oughta talk to Felix,” I said. “Since you’ve got such a fertile imagination. Maybe get some writing tips.”
Marta snorted and opened her mouth to say something, but the bell at the front of the store interrupted her.
The closed sign was turned around, but we hadn’t locked the door yet—people around here respected a closed sign.
“He’s here,” Marta enthused, turning me away from the mirror and pushing me toward the staff room door. “Go get ‘em.”
“It’s just dinner,” I said, glancing at my hair one last time and then deciding it’d have to be good enough. “It’s not even a date.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Marta said as I pushed the door open, a swarm of butterflies taking flight in my stomach as I saw Morgan hovering just inside the shop, hands in his pockets, pretending to be fascinated by a big motivational poster about the road less travelled on the wall.
“Sorry,” I said. “Just settling a few things. Is this too early for you to eat? Because we could go for coffee or something instead.”
“Uh, no, it’s perfect, actually,” Morgan smiled. “I normally eat right after work.”
“Awesome,” I said, trying to force myself to relax.
It was just Morgan. It wasjust Morgan, I’d spent dozens of hours with him.
But not even one alone, my brain reminded me. I’d never been alone with Morgan, not for more than a few minutes at a time, and even that was rare.
Sometimes, when we were hanging out, itfeltlike it was just the two of us, but it never actually had been before. This was new. Thiswasa big deal, and the way my heart was doing a goddamn gymnastics routine in my chest proved it.
“I, uh, brought the van,” Morgan said, scratching the back of his neck. “Figured you’d been on your feet all day. Thought we might even head a town over, there’s this burger place with, uh, what I’m told are great vegetarian options.”
How was he so sweet?
“I can eat fries in the local diner,” I said. “You don’t have to go to any trouble for me.”
Morgan shrugged. “Gives me an excuse to try something new. I hate going to new places alone.”
“Same,” I admitted. “Umm. Sure, then? As long as I’m not keeping you out too late.”
“It’s a twenty minute drive, I think we’ll be okay.”
* * *
Twenty-seven minutes later,I wanted to die.
My eyes were watering, my throat itched, and I couldn’t stop sneezing long enough to explain myself.
I should’ve known Morgan’s van would set off my hay fever. There was areasonI never went into the florist’s, despite Morgan’s presence acting like a big blinking beacon attracting me there.
“I’m so sorry,” Morgan said, helping me out of the van through a haze of tears. “Here, hold on.”
He shoved a pack of pocket tissues into my hand, helping me pull one out so I could blow my nose and dab at my eyes.
“Can you find my allergy meds? They’re in the front pocket of my backpack.”
Morgan nodded, grabbing my bag and hunting through it efficiently, producing the bottle of pills a moment later.
I swallowed one down with a sip from my water bottle, then grabbed another tissue to blow my nose and wipe away the tears streaming down my face.
If I’d ever,everhad a chance with Morgan, I was pretty sure I’d just blown it.
I watched Morgan shrug his denim jacket off and shove it in the back of the van as I packed away the pills and clung to my water bottle like it was a safety blanket.
