“I am sorry, but WHAT?” she mimics my tone.
“He must be really good for you to kiss him on your first date, and you forgot about your captain too, wow. I need to know everything,” she says, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. It was her idea that I should go out on a date with a hot guy who could distract me. She’s the romance expert here. Not only has she dated more than both me and Siya combined, but she also writes romance books. She has never let us read it, but I am very sure she is good at it.
“She’s talking about Daniel, Soph,” Siya says, finally closing her book and looking at me carefully. My eyes widen. It’s scary how she can even read my mind.
“How do you know?” I whisper. “Are you a psychic now?” I raise an eyebrow.
She smiles sheepishly. “Because I told him where you were,” she says, not meeting my eyes. “that you were on a date. He was searching for you desperately.”
I gasp dramatically. Soph rolls her eyes, watching us intently. “Why would you do that? Do you know what a scene he—”
“I don’t know that, but I did it for you, Anya,” Siya says quietly but firmly, still avoiding my eyes. I wait for her to explain her logic because I would really like to know. “I am sure you know it too, that you like him,” she says, her dark brown eyes turning amber as sunlight hits them. “The poor man has been trying to tell you how he feels about you. Why are you ignoring him, Anya?” she asks.
I stare at her, my mouth parted slightly. “What are you talking about?” I try to play it cool. But she doesn’t answer. Soph stares at me expressionless, so I sigh, taking a sip of my black coffee, my face twisting in disgust. God knows how he drinks it and why I ordered it.
“I am afraid,” I admit, putting the mug down.
“Of what?” Soph asks as she eyes me carefully.
“He gets me. He understands me too well,” I say. “He knows when I need silence.” I look out of the window. “Or when I want to rant.” I turn around to face them. “He learned my coffee order, you know.” I chuckle. I feel a lump in my throat. “I just automatically feel better when I see him. I find ways to see him.” I feel my eyes burning.
Siya keeps her hand on mine. “That’s a good thing, you know.”
I nod. “I want to be with him,” I say. “But what if he realizes that I am not enough? He makes me feel visible.” I chuckle humorlessly. “At least, for now. He can have anyone he wants, so what if he doesn’t like me when he finally sees the entire me, the filter-less me?”
Soph scoffs. “Are you kidding me?” She shakes her head. “He looks at you like he can’t believe you exist. Like you are the only star in his sky.” I inhale sharply. I feel my stomach flutter at her words.
“What?” I whisper.
She pulls her phone out of her pocket, scrolling a little as her eyes scan the screen, and a sly smile appears on her lips. She glances at me and lifts her phone to show me a picture of Daniel and me. It’s from the beach. When we had the sandcastle-making competition.
“Do you see it? His eyes are sparkling. Look at how happy you guys seem,” she says, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and I can’t fathom what I am looking at.
“He likes you, Anya. He likes you so much,” Siya says. Soph nods, bobbing her head as she picks up a fry and munches on it.
“Don’t run away anymore, babe,” Soph says, her eyes not leaving mine.
“It’s okay to try, right?” Siya smiles and I realize she approves of him. It means a lot because she isn’t open to new people. She has social anxiety, so she runs away from strangers, but if she supports it, it means she sees something genuine. She would never want me to get hurt. I feel I am more hurt while being away from him. What if it works out? What if he still likes me when he sees the real me?
I suddenly feel breathless. I am speechless. As if on cue, Daniel walks in through the door. Call me delusional, but that’s a sign, right?
As I watch him walking toward us, my heart starts racing and my palms are sweating. But Siya’s squeeze of encouragement grounds me.
Daniel comes to a stop in front of the table. His eyes rake over me. It’s as if he can see through me. Maybe he can. But there’s no judgment visible in his eyes.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low andvelvety.
I feel a shiver run down my spine as his voice registers in my head, my body subconsciously leaning towards him.
“Hey,” I manage to croak out, my voice betraying my attempt to sound casual.
“Can I steal her for a while?” He glances at my friends, his gaze lingering on Siya for a second longer before he looks back at me.
“Of course!” Soph grins.
I do not protest this time. I get up and push the chair under the table as I walk beside him. He doesn’t say anything. I hate the crease on his forehead. He looks tired, and if I am the reason, I want to punish myself. People stare at us, but he doesn’t seem to be bothered by that. He is used to it.
Thankfully, when he shoved his tongue down my throat, there weren’t many people around except the cafe staff, because otherwise, it would have gone viral, and I hate attention, especially from strangers. And since he is a known figure, people will make everything a big deal. I am never going back to that cafe ever again.
