…fucking damn it.
I know she’s right as soon as she gives the lecture.
It leaves me speechless as I clutch the phone to my ear and stare at the street up ahead. It’s true that fighting is what I do—I fight for everybody else, but when am I going to fight for whatIwant?
The relationship I had with Jhene is worth fighting for. I’ve got to step it up and at least try.
“When did you get so wise?”
“I’ve always been wise. You just never listen. Now go get your girl, jerk-face. And call me more often. Iworry about you.”
“Alright, alright. No more nagging, stinky butt. I’ll keep you updated.”
We hang up our call, and I walk the last block home thinking over what Maeve has said.
Fight for her. For our relationship.
It’s time I did exactly that.
Sunset Park isn’t my usual stomping grounds, but I show up to the coffee shop Jhene frequents.
It’s a long shot, but I’ve convinced myself it’s necessary if I’m going to see her again.
I consulted Chantal before coming here, and she told me she comes to this place every Tuesday and Thursday after her classes.
Fuck it. Here goes nothing.
I time it down to the hour, pushing through the door once she’s headed inside.
The bell chimes as I enter the small shop. It’s cramped for a guy my size, barely five tables squeezed inside, with exposed brick for walls and a chalkboard menu.
There’s a guy with a man bun seated alone with a laptop and a couple of students huddled over textbooks near the window.
Jhene’s at the table in the back corner, sipping on her drink. She’s scribbling in a spiral notebook, curls pulled atop her head and an oversized sweater slipping off her left shoulder.
I pause for a moment to simply enjoy the sight of her. I’ve always enjoyed the line of concentration that forms between her brows and how she nibbles at her lips when she’s thinking. Sometimes so hard her glasses slip down her nose and she barely notices.
I approach the table and give a clear of my throat. She looks up, eyes widening behind her glasses.
“Killian? What are you... how did you...”
“Funny running into you here,” I say casually. “Dropped by for a coffee and thought I saw a familiar fac—fuck it, I came here on purpose.”
A confused smile forms at the corner of her mouth. “Wait, what? On purpose as in…?”
“To see you,” I say. “Chantal told me you come here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
“Of course she did.”
“Don’t hold it against her. I bribed her with a gift card to Tiffany’s. But I wanted to see you. We never got to finish our conversation at the party…” I trail off, the back of my neck burning. I give another clear of my throat. “Can I sit? Figured maybe we could have a coffee date.”
“A coffee date?”
“Yeah, low stakes. Just the two of us catching up. Seeing if we…”
My sentence goes unfinished but Jhene tilts her head slightly as if understanding exactly what I mean. She can barely hold back the smile that keeps spreading, her eyes glittering.
“Well…” she says slowly. “As a matter of fact, it’s your lucky day, Killer. The guy I was meeting up with canceled.”
