Page 79 of Crazy Thing

“Who, me?” he asks innocently, quickly stuffing his phone into his pocket. “You’re imagining things.”

I’m not buying it. “Let me see.” I reach for his phone.

He ducks, holding the phone out of my grasp. He grabs my hand as we stroll toward the entrance to The Pancake Village.

I’m momentarily distracted by the way his large, warm fingers feel closed around mine. When he pulls open the door for me, I shake my head to clear the fog.

“Darius, show me the picture.” I grab at the phone again.

He slaps my ass as we enter The Pancake Village.I gasp, then break into a fit of uproarious giggles just as I step inside. I’m so loud that all eyes in the diner turn my way.

Oops.

My gaze flits around the restaurant crowd and I accidentally make eye contact with my little sister.

Double oops.

I knew that Darius and I might see people we know, but I sure hadn’t considered running into Daphne this morning. I would have liked to have figured out what Darius and I are doing on my own before being forced to explain it to others.

But here’s my baby sister, seated at a small square table right in the middle of this restaurant, staring at me in shock. Well,shock’s not the right word. More like excited surprise. Seated across from Daphne, Felix is staring at Darius with an identical expression.

Then, the two of them start eagerly waving us over.Eesh!

I turn to Darius, ready to offer him an out. “If this is too much…I mean, if you’re not ready to deal with family…Or if you want to stay in our own little bubble…” I’d be happy to follow him outside and bike back to my bus that’s parked in his driveway in the mountains.

But Darius only grips my hand tighter, pulling me along as he marches toward his brother.

Anxious and blushing, I stumble after him, weaving between chairs and ducking to avoid prying eyes. All the while, Felix and Daphne are shoving aside glasses and silverware, hastily making room for us at their table.

None of this makes sense. I feel like I woke up in an alternate dimension today.My brain is struggling to compute what’s happening. Are we seriously getting ready to have a double date with my sister and his brother?

Daphne smiles brightly when we reach their table. “Good morning!” Her eyes are bouncing between the two of us with unspoken questions. I ignore those questions and instead give her a little wave as I bite back a smile.

“Good morning,” Darius responds, completely unfazed by all the weirdness.

“Wanna join us?” Felix offers, patting the seat of the chair beside him.

Darius doesn’t hesitate as he possessively throws an arm around my shoulder. “Sorry. No can do. We’re on a date.”

Felix and Daphne stare at each other, with spasming eyelids and twitching nostrils and poorly repressed grins. It’s like they’re communicating a secret language that only the two of them understand. I make a note to ask her what that’s about later.

Felix nods at his brother. “Okay. Good to know.”

The server finishes clearing the table right beside Felix and Daphne’s. The woman offers it to us.

We snatch up the table. Our own table. The rest of the restaurant is full, so it beats joining my sister and her fiancé.

But still, it can’t possibly get any weirder.

Darius helps me into my chair. Then he chooses the seat right next to me, rather than the one across the table. I grin at him as he hands me a menu before cracking open his own.

I feel Felix and Daphne’s eyes on us the whole time. It’s like they can’t stop staring.

But Darius is not paying them any mind, so I don’t either.

Besides, it’s hard to think of anything except for Darius, with how touchy-feely he’s being. He’s sneaking touches under the table and making me squirm while I’m trying to order. He's playing with my messy pink hair and holding it away from my face every time I take a sip from my straw. And he’s somehow always maintaining a hold on one of my hands as we wait for our breakfast to arrive.

I feel like a teenager again. Each touch makes my belly do this flip, reminding me of the rollercoasters I rode on that time my senior class had a trip to the amusement park.

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