Chapter 6:

August stirs her half empty cup of iced coffee with her straw, eyes sparkling in that way that tells me she’s about to drop news that will either make me laugh or gag.

Probably both.

“So…” she starts, dragging the word out until I roll my eyes. “Ethan and I realized something.”

“Please don’t say it’s that you’re related. I can’t handle that twist today.”

She smacks my arm with her straw, grinning. “Shut up. No. We realized we feel…more. More than just friends.”

"I mean you were kissing on our couch, so duh."

"Yes, that and we're kinda official."

I blink at her, dramatically slow. Then I gasp, clutching my chest. “Oh my God, Gus, does this mean… Ethan’s going to give me little blonde, freckled nieces and nephews who’ll call me Auntie Liv?”

Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t deny it. “Well…maybe someday. But we’re taking it slow.”

I groan, dragging my palms down my face. “Ugh, you’re serious. This is serious. You actually like him. As in… like-like.”

She gives me that patient look—the one that says she knows exactly how dramatic I’m being but is humoring me anyway. “Yes, Olivia. I like-like him. And he like-likes me back. Shocking, I know.”

I sigh as if the weight of her revelation has crushed my spirit. “Fine. But when you two inevitably have babies, I’m not babysitting unless they come with their own instruction manuals.”

August laughs, leaning back in her chair. "Why is it only babies that come to mind? Why not me moving in with him when we graduate, which is roughly eight months from now?"

"Oh, I'm expecting that soon. I'll head back to my parents and finally be alone, like I was meant to be."

She smiles, and I reach to pick up a muffin, only to realize the plate is empty and I've also run out of coffee.

“Refill?” I ask, standing before she can answer.

“Yes, please.” She beams at me like I’m a saint for fetching her caffeine.

I head toward the counter, balancing two mugs and a plate with the grace of someone who’s definitely had practice multitasking.

After getting us the coffee and snacks we need, I begin to head back to our table.

I’m halfway back when someone bumps me from behind. Hard. My coffee sloshes, the pastries tumble, and before I can even swear properly, everything is on the floor.

“Seriously—” I snap, spinning around, but my words die in my throat when that sweet scent of honey teases my nose.

Sweet, dizzying, curling into my brain and melting every muscle in my body like I’ve been drugged. My knees wobble.

"Mate!" the voice in my head squeals, practically bouncing off the walls of my mind. "He’s here! He’s HERE!"

I don’t need to turn to know who it is. My body already knows.

Zeke crouches before me, scooping up the ruined pastries with a sheepish grin. “Guess that’s my fault. I should’ve watched where I was going.”

He straightens, and yeah, up close in broad daylight, he’s still stupidly attractive. Tattoos inked down his arms, eyes sparkling with amusement, hair a perfect mess like he rolled out of bed looking that good.

His hair is not in a man bun or a ponytail today, it frames his face and rests on his shoulders, making him look slightly feminine.

“I’ll pay for these,” he says before I can argue.

“You don’t have to—”

He waves me off, already moving to the counter. “I insist. Think of it as my apology for almost destroying breakfast.”

"Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert," the voice purrs. "He could destroy all of it."

“Oh my God, shut up,” I mutter.

“What was that?” Zeke glances back at me, one brow raised.

“Nothing.” Heat creeps up my neck. Fantastic.

"I told you Olivia, you can talk to me without speaking out loud, dummy."

"I forgot."

"I'm not the one the world would tag mad anyway."

When Zeke returns, he’s holding the tray with effortless ease, balancing both mugs and pastries like a pro. He grins. “Where to?”

I narrow my eyes. “You’re not seriously walking me back to my table, are you?”

“Why not?” His grin widens, smug and boyish all at once. “You might trip again.”

“What are you eve doing here, Zeke? Are you stalking me?” I demand, keeping my voice low.

His eyes gleam with mischief. “Do you believe in coincidence?”

"Oh, so it was coincidence yesterday? You don't even go to this school, heck, I don't even think you're from town."

"Does that concern you?"

"This feels like harassment," I mutter.

Still, I don’t stop him when he follows me back to August. In fact, I try as much as I discreetly can to breathe him all in and enjoy his casual company.

I don't know what's wrong with me, but... yeah. I'm suddenly insane over this strange beauty of a man.

“August, this is… Zeke,” I say flatly as soon as we reach our table.

August looks up, and her jaw literally drops. Subtlety is dead. “Oh. My. God.”

Zeke flashes her a smile so charming, that something ugly in me wakes up and I want to strangle him.

“Nice to meet you, August. I hear you’ve got Olivia wrapped around your finger.”

August giggles...giggles! And I know I’ve lost her. “She exaggerates everything. Don’t listen to her.”

“Oh, I don’t,” Zeke says lightly, sliding into the seat beside me like he owns the place. “But it’s fun watching her try.”

August laughs again, and my blood pressure skyrockets.

Zeke looks away briefly and August mouths to me, "That's him? THE Zeke??!"

I nod with a half smile, though there's something ugly in me that wants to wipe her memory clean of this meeting with him.

"It's the jealousy, darling," my mind purrs, and though it tries to sound relaxed, I can pick up the slight undertone of irritation.

For the next twenty minutes, Zeke entertains August with ridiculous jokes, exaggerated impressions, and stories that may or may not be lies, judging by the sparkle in his eyes.

And August? She eats it all up, forgetting that this is the man she once accused of taking advantage of me some nights ago.

Meanwhile, I sit there grinding my teeth, trying not to look at the way his tattoos flex when he gestures or how his voice drops when he says my name, or how his eyes twinkles when they meet mine.

Finally, he stands, stretching. “Well ladies, as much as I'll love to stay, I've got some where to be. Can't be late now, can I?”

"Suddenly you remember you have somewhere to be," I mutter, trying to mask my disappointment with his sudden departure.

He winks. “What can I say? A pretty lady always distracts me, not to talk of two.” He turns to August who turns tomato red.

Then, before I can dodge, he leans down and pinches my cheek. My cheek. Like I’m five.

But the second his fingers brush my skin, heat explodes through me, sharp and hot, and my breath catches.

“See you soon, sunshine,” he murmurs, and then he’s gone.

I sit frozen, face burning, body humming like I just touched a live wire.

August, meanwhile, is practically fanning herself. “Liv. He is the most attractive man I have ever seen. Did you see his tattoos? They’re unreal. And that accent? That is not Australian, no way. Magical. He’s magical.”

I groan, dropping my forehead onto the table. “Please stop.”

“No, really, Liv,” she gushes. “I believe you now. When you said you were with him that night? Totally consensual. I mean… who could say no to that?”

Mortification claws through me, mixed with something dark and sharp—jealousy. “August, maybe think about Ethan before you drool all over the table.”

She smirks knowingly, sipping her coffee. “Relax. I’m not stealing your man.”

My head jerks up. “He’s not my—”

But the look on her face shuts me right up.

"We would not talk about him, okay? Ever," I say instead.

"Hm, we'll see about that."