Page 41 of Because I Liked A Boy
Heat climbs into my face. “Sorry. Guess I zoned out.”
“Mhm.” He eyes me for another beat before his expression softens. “Why don’t you take a break? Go grab a coffee from The Maple Bean. You look like you could use it.”
I start to protest. “I’m fine—”
“Coffee,” he says firmly, with the finality of a man who’s run this shop for thirty years and won’t hear another word. “Go on. The books will survive half an hour without you.”
My chest twists with something between embarrassment and relief. Maybehe’s right. Maybe I do need air, something warm in my hands to ground me before tonight tips me over the edge.
I grab my coat from behind the counter and slip outside. The air is cool, carrying that faint smell of woodsmoke that always lingers in Maplewood this time of year. The Maple Bean is only a few streets away, its fogged-up windows promising caffeine and distraction.
Three unread messages. From: Fuckboy.
I bite back a laugh and swipe them open.
Fuckboy: Morning, Princess. Don’t forget—tonight, 8pm. Try not to chicken out.
Fuckboy: Wear something cute. Not for me. For you. Actually no, scratch that. Definitely for me.
Fuckboy: And if you pretend you “forgot,” I’ll just break in again. Don’t test me.
A startled laugh escapes before I can stop it, earning me a strange look from a woman walking her dog. Typical Hunter. Bossy, smug, relentless. And somehow, exactly what I need.
I lock my phone quickly, shove it back into my pocket like his words might burn through my skin if I stare too long. My pulse won’t settle.
Tonight. 8pm.
Unsettled Ground
The Maple Bean’s windows are fogged with steam, the air inside thick with the smell of roasted coffee beans and sugar. The bell above the door chimes as I step in, already tugging my coat tighter around me like that will help keep me together.
“About time,” a familiar voice calls.
Ruby. She’s already staked out our usual corner table, two mugs in front of her. Her hair is piled on top of her head in its usual messy bun, oversized sweater slipping off one shoulder like she rolled straight out of bed and still looks annoyingly good.
I slide into the seat across from her, grateful and a little guilty all at once. “Didn’t know you’d be here.”
She shrugs, sliding one mug toward me. “Saw you coming up the street. Figured you’d need caffeine more than oxygen today. Perks of working here—I can sneak a break when it’s important.”
Her eyes narrow, sharp in a way only Ruby can pull off. “And judging by the fact you’ve already got that deer-in-the-headlights look… I was right.”
I freeze, mug halfway to my lips. “I don’t look like that.”
She smirks. “You always look like that when it’s about him.”
Heat prickles at my neck. Of course she’d know. Ruby knows everything, except—
She doesn’t know about tonight. I haven’t seen her since yesterday when it all went down at the garage.
I take a long sip of coffee, stalling. Then, finally: “So… Hunter’s picking me up later.”
Her brows shoot up. “Later like…?”
I swallow hard. “Eight. Tonight.”
Ruby slams her palms on the table, making the mugs rattle. “Shut. Up.”
“Keep your voice down,” I hiss, glancing at the barista who definitely heard.
