Page 82 of Next to Everything We Wanted
My lips curved into a frown. “Thanks for telling me how you feel. I’m sorry too.”
He extended his arms. “Hug it out?”
I got out of my bed and wrapped him in a tight hug, fighting back tears. It’d been a while since we’d hugged like this. I’d forgotten how strong his arms were, how his steady breathing sounded. For a guy so tough, Forrest had that soft side still there.
“I won’t let you down,” I told him.
He let out another heavy sigh. “I hope you won’t.”
Sienna skipped over to me with her brown tote bag slumped over her shoulder, her lips curving in a smile. It seemed like she’d cooled off from Friday night, yet it still made my blood boil that Forrest had hurt her.
“Good afternoon,” I said as she slid into the seat across from me. I’d picked a different booth than her usual one, a smaller one next to a window. Sure, the only view was a few trees and the outdoor setting, but I preferred to be near natural light.
“Good afternoon,” she sang. “I’ve been looking forward to this all weekend.” Her cheeks flushed as those warm eyes met mine. They looked much brighter in the sunlight, almost gold. “Seeing you makes my day.”
Warmth spread through my chest. “Seeing you makes my week.” I nodded over to where the menu and counter were. “What’s your order?”
“Vanilla Sugar Latte, sometimes with cookies or brownies,” Sienna said with a smile. “What’s your order?”
“Strawberry Chocolate Swirl and brownies.”
“You don’t drink coffee at a café?”
“Will you ghost me if I say I hate coffee?”
She cupped her mouth with her hand. “You’re joking.”
I laughed. “I promise I’m not.”
“How could you break my heart like this?” She shook her head. “I’m not sure if this will work anymore . . .”
“I’m sorry!” I put my head in my hands. “I ruined everything.”
“Yeah, you did.” She got up from the booth. “Let me get you a proper order. Andmaybethen I’ll reconsider.”
I beamed. “Anything for a chance.”
A few minutes later, she came back with three drinks and two plates of brownies. “I got you both drinks in case you hate my latte, just because I feel like being nice to you.”
“Thank you for your generosity,” I said before taking a sip of my milkshake. “I still can’t see how coffee is better than this. This is sweet while coffee is bitter for no reason.”
“Not my drink.” Sienna slid over her latte. “Try it.”
I sighed, pushing my milkshake aside. “Maybe I should be the one ghosting you for forcing me to do this.”
“Trust me, I think you’ll like it.”
“If you say so.” I took a sip of the latte, surprised at the sweetness as the warmth took over my senses. I took another sip. “Are you sure this is coffee?”
“Because it tastes good?” A grin spread across her lips. “See! Now you owe me six bucks.”
“Oh, yeah, I need to pay you for my stuff.”
“No, I’m joking.” Her eyes lit up, the brown flecks swimming in the amber. “I don’t mind paying.”
“No, I can pay you back. This is actually good.” I licked my lips. “I might need another one.”
She giggled. “Guess I win.”
