I glance at her, and all thoughts flee from my head. I take a sip of my coffee, mostly to give myself something to do other than stare at her.
It doesn’t help.
Violet watches me over the rim of her cup, her eyes steady. Focused. Like she’s intentionally studying me.
No one has ever paid this much attention to me before.
I shift slightly in my seat. The silence I normally prefer is now grating on my nerves.
“So,” I say, clearing my throat. “You come here a lot?”
Smooth. Real smooth.
Her red lips curve into a smile. “Not usually.”
She pauses long enough that it feels... deliberate. Like she’s weighing her words.
“But I had a feeling I’d see you here today.”
Something in my chest tightens.
This was an accidental run-in. Right?
I let out a small laugh. “Yeah?”
I should be more concerned with her statement. Instead, I’m fixated on one thing: She wanted to see me?
“Mm.” She takes another sip. “You seem like someone who sets a routine... and sticks to it.”
I blink, a bit uncomfortable by her statement. It’s not wrong, but it feels that way.
“What makes you say that?”
She shrugs one shoulder. “You walked in and went straight to the counter like you already knew what you wanted.”
I glance at my untouched pastry bag and coffee. “It’s a coffee shop. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”
Her lips twitch. “Yes. But you still checked the menu.”
I freeze.She noticed that?
“Oh.” I pause for a moment, mulling over her words. “We met one time,” I say lightly. “That’s a pretty confident read.”
She shrugs one shoulder, completely unfazed. “I notice things.”
Obviously.
I take another drink, trying to ignore the way that answer sits with me.
It’s not weird. People notice things.
But my instinct says something about it is… off.
“Like what?” I ask before I can stop myself.
Her gaze flicks to my hands. “To start?” she says softly. “You drink your coffee before you eat.”
I glance down at the unopened bag containing the coffee cake I ordered.
