“I know.”
Rick’s mouth twitched, and his eyes warmed slightly. “You’re not leaving.”
Allen stared at him, then whispered, “No.”
Rick leaned back in his chair. “Okay.”
Allen felt his pulse pick up, and he forced himself to breathe. This was ridiculous. He barely knew Rick. He’d seen him on a screen years ago and that was it. He shouldn’t be sitting here like this, feeling as if a table in a café was suddenly the most important place in the world and yet…
Rick’s gaze dropped to Allen’s hands around his cup. “Your hands are shaking.”
Allen blinked and looked down. They weren’t shaking. Well, not much. He tightened his grip and forced them to stop. “They’re not.”
Rick’s mouth twitched. “They were.”
Allen swallowed and met Rick’s eyes. “Maybe I’m cold.”
Rick nodded and didn’t call Allen out on an obvious lie, which kind of made it feel worse to Allen. He took a breath, then said the thing that had been sitting in his head since Rick sat down. “Why did you ask to sit with me?”
Rick’s eyes met his. “Because you looked like you didn’t want to be alone.”
Allen’s stomach flipped hard, and he stared at Rick. “That’s a weird thing to say.”
Rick nodded. “Yeah, it is.”
Allen’s throat tightened. “And you? You didn’t want to be alone either?”
Rick held his gaze. “No.”
Allen stared at him for a minute, then looked away first because he couldn’t handle the intensity. He took a sip of chai to give himself something to do, and when he put it down again, he said quietly, “Okay.”
Rick’s eyes stayed on him. “Okay?” Rick glanced toward the counter. “Do you want anything to eat?”
Allen blinked. “No, I’m fine.”
Rick tilted his head. “You’re hungry.”
Allen furrowed his brow and stared at Rick. “How do you know that?”
“Lucky guess.”
Allen stared at him, then let out a quiet laugh. “You’re annoying.”
Rick’s smile widened. “I’ve been told.”
Allen should’ve ended it there. He should’ve finished his drink, said it was nice to meet you, and gone home, but instead he said, “I’m not hungry.”
Rick held his gaze, then he nodded slowly. “Alright.” When Rick stood, Allen said nothing. He watched him walk to the counter and order something. When Rick came back, he put a plate between them, and Allen looked and saw a slice of cake.
Allen stared at it. “I didn’t ask for that.”
Rick sat down. “I know.”
Allen’s chest tightened. “Why?”
“Because you looked as if you needed it.”
Allen stared at him, and his throat tightened. He looked down at the cake instead, then he picked up the fork. “Fine,” Allen muttered.
