Page 71 of It Never Was

"I didn't mean to, you looked like you were frightened when I came out of the kitchen. Are you okay?" His face was soft in expression but the crease in his brows showed his concern.

"I just thought I saw—" my words trailed off as I looked back at the window.

"Saw what?" He crouched down in front of me in the chair, his lips making a flat line as his eyes grew in worry.

"Nothing." I shook the feeling off. It wasn't Devon. I was making this up in my head. I was just on edge ever since everything. He hasn't even tried to contact me about us or anything that he did. Why would he just show up?

Why wouldn't he? Stop!

"Oh hi!" A squeaky voice is approaching us. I look up to see Suzie and all her glory and by glory, I mean tits.

"Am I interrupting something or…" her words trail off as she looks between Parker and I from above.

Parker stands before saying, "Yes but do you really care?" Crossing his toned arms, his biceps twitch.

A smile crossed her lips, "No, but it's only good manners to ask, right?' Her voice dropping in tone, taking a sip of the coffee in her hand, I can smell the overly sweet white chocolate swirled with peppermint from here.

Parker scoffs at her reply.

"Anywhosies, I just wanted to see how my most favorite almost co-workers were?" Using her straw, she dips it in the whip cream that sits on the top of her frappuccino and lets her tongue drag along the length of it, licking it clean. Her eyes never leave Parker's. His stare is cold as he watches her, when he looks like this, I can hardly recognize him. He looks nothing like the warm Parker I have gotten to know the past few months, the guy who just wiped icing from my lips just a moment ago. This guy I would never approach, this guy I would admire from afar.

"Fine, thanks." My words slicing through the awkward tension that lies between Parker and her.

"Well, that's good." Her squeaky voice back, "I was just here to meet someone." She looks around for a second, her lip pouts when she doesn't see who she is searching for. "But I don't see them. Guess I'll give them a few more minutes." She looks between Parker and I again before silently walking away to find her own table for her and her friend.

I take the final bite of the cinnamon roll when Parker finally says, "I don't like her." His arms are still tense as he sits in the seat across from me.

"That makes two of us." I agree.

His eyes look at the empty plate before grabbing it while he stands, "Good? Need another coffee or anything?" His body has relaxed now, and his expressions have returned to the soft features I am used to.

"Yeah, I'm good and no, no coffee but thanks." I smiled at him.

"Even your forced smile is beautiful." A sly smile on his face as he joked, "The real ones are the ones I have to look out for. Those, those will have me on my knees." And with that he was walking away, my empty plate in hand.

Parker has a way of leaving me speechless. Speechless and confused.

I looked over my shoulders at where Suzie was sitting, her eyes staring at the door like she was willing it to open and have whoever she was waiting for walk through.

My throat grew dry as I felt my gut turn and drop as I felt eyes on me again. It couldn't be Suzie because she was still having a staring contest with the door. I fix my eyes on my hands trying to get this feeling to go away.

You are fine Ryen. Breathe.

41

Ryen

I have this feeling somebody's watching me.

Who? I have no clue.

Is it in my head? Maybe.

But this uneasy feeling was not letting up. I felt it at work as I made orders. On the walks to campus and back. I even felt it when I was in my room at home. It was making me even more on edge than I already was.

I was filling up another frothing pitcher when Paul made his way up to the front, "So, Parker has been…" He paused for a second, my eyes were still watching my working hands, "a good addition to the shop, huh?" I could feel the awkwardness fill the space between us.

"I think so." If my broken voice didn't give away my nervousness, my cheeks sure did, the heat crossed my face, and I kept my head down.

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