Page 92 of Falling for You

I shift nervously in my fuzzy boots, not sure how to proceed.

He sighs. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t nice. Obviously they worked this out to get us together and there’s no way I’m going to anger my pregnant wife so…”

“You want to go in?”

“I want one of their cinnamon rolls so, yeah. That okay with you?”

I think it over for a few seconds. I might feel a little duped, but if Rex and Olivia hadn’t colluded to get Ethan and I together, I’m not sure either of us would have done it on our own. It’s been two weeks since the Halloween party when we met and neither of us have done what we promised and made a move to contact each other.

Ethan opens the door for me, and I step inside with him following closely behind. We each order a regular black coffee and cinnamon roll and point to where we’re planning to sit.

I shuck out of my jacket and place it on the back of my chair and look around the small space. I’ve been in here a few times but don’t treat myself often. Buying myself a coffee when I could make it at home always felt like a treat, or something that maybe wasn’t necessary, especially when I was working to save for my own salon. Now, though, I’m not sure it matters.

“So you like coffee?” he asks then looks annoyed with himself for the question that has an obvious answer since I just ordered a coffee.

I nod, scratching at my jawline then rubbing the spot because there wasn’t even an itch but now I’ve made my skin irritated.

“Mm hmm. You?” I almost roll my eyes at my response.

“Yup.”

Neither of us are looking at each other, staring at anything but across the table, both nervous, feeling out of place in each other’s presence without the buffer or safety net of our friends. I resist the urge to pull out my phone. I won’t go to that level of rudeness, but the desire is definitely there. If nothing else, just for something to distract me.

“Here you go, two cinnamon rolls and coffees.”

“Thank you,” we murmur in unison.

“Can I get you anything else? Do you need creamer?”

“No,” again in unison.

“Okay! Enjoy!”

Our actions are mirrors of each other. Sip our coffee. Take a bite of cinnamon roll. Groan at the taste. Sip of coffee.

It takes several minutes for us to realize — at the same time, of course — what we’re doing.

“Well that was fucking weird,” Ethan comments, then looks sheepishly at me, “pardon my language.” I burst out laughing.

I wave off his apology. If I had a problem with someone dropping the f-bomb, I definitely couldn’t be with Rex. “Right? What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know. But it took the edge off,” he says, dropping his fork and leaning back against his seat, dropping an arm over the chair next to him.

“It did,” I agree. “That’s usually the way it works, right? Awkwardness helps make things less awkward.”

“So true.”

“I’m so—”

He shakes his head and groans. “No. Don’t apologize again. Please. I can’t take it and it will only make it weird again.”

“Okay,” I say softly, picking at my roll.

He groans. “See? It’s uncomfortable again. I can’t keep looking backwards. Yes, it made me angry. Pissed, actually, and it fucked with my head. But that’s not on you. When I think about it, I don’t really blame you. A little bit, maybe, but not entirely. Because as we’ve established, beat to death, basically, I could have reached out, too. Anyway, from what I understand, you were just as surprised as I was by the news that I had a sibling.”

I’m glad he’s just opened the lines of communication. Admitted his feelings so we can stop harping on it. “Yeah, it was more than a little shocking.”

“Can you tell me about yourself without bringing your mom into it?”

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