‘He absolutely is.’
‘He’s not really my type. I just like the extra coffee. And the little cookies he slips me.’ Ellie passes me one of the little powdered sugar-topped cookies. Sam never gives me free cookies. I take it begrudgingly.
‘Then you should let him down easily.’
She snorts. ‘It’s just a bit of fun. It’s not like I lead him on.’
‘He looks like a blushing Disney rabbit every time you smile at him.’
‘Maybe he’s just looking for good tips.’ Ellie dipped her cookie in her coffee and took a bite.
‘We never tip him.’
Ellie shrugs, unbothered, and I lean back in my chair, glancing over at the counter.
Sam is staring right at us, and he gives me the creeps. He holds my gaze for a second too long, until Ellie follows my eyeline. He turns away, busying himself with scrubbing the counter.
I tap my fingers lightly against my mug.
‘He keeps looking over here.’
‘That’s because you keep staring at him.’ Ellie sits back and gives me a nudge under the table. ‘Anyone would think you’ve got a crush on him.’
‘Absolutely not.’
We sit for a while, sipping coffee and eating Ellie’s free cookies. My phone dings. Darren wants to book us a hotel for the night. The message isn’t too smushy at least, and I guess I could be done with forgetting the world for a while…
I type back a yes before shoving my phone in my pocket. Now I’m going to have to go shave my legs. Not that Darren is ever one to complain, but still.
Ellie chats about her afternoon class, and I only halflisten, going over how weird Greg had been after class. Why is everyone suddenly acting so damn weird? I’m pretty sure Greg isn’t the boy from my past, but could he be the person sending me the note? Maybe he thinks I cheated in class or something?
The thought actually relaxes the knot in my stomach a little. That would explain the damned note.I know what you did.The words have dinged around my skull like a pinball for days.
‘Earth to Kat,’ Ellie says. ‘You’re doing it again.’
‘Doing what?’
‘Disappearing into your head. You’re always away with the fairies these days.’
I force a smile and take another sip of coffee.
‘I’m fine.’
Ellie narrows her eyes.
‘Sure you are.’
‘I’m just tired. Classes and everything.’
‘You fucking hate your classes.’ She has a point. But I haven’t told her about the note. How can I? Then she’d know what I’d done too. Losing her isn’t an option.
‘True. But I still need to pass them.’
My fingers drift to the stone heart lying against my chest. I still remember the day he gave it to me. Standing ankle-deep in the stream, both of us soaked to our underpants, while I lectured the frogs about holy matrimony.
The boy was silent, as always. That dark hair was wet and sticking to his face, which for once was remarkably dirt-free. He’d clapped in excitement before shoving a hand into the stream, before holding out the dripping wet stone. At first, I’d thought it was a regular stone, until he’d placed it in my hand.
My eight-year-old heart had fallen in love just like a little penguin gaining her first love pebble. The rock was pearly white and roughly heart-shaped. Surrounded by my favourite place, filled with birdsong and flies lit up by the late afternoon sun. A truly magical moment.
