Sparks Reignited

14 | A Call for Help

Taylor stares up at the cafe sign before him and I don't miss his look of surprise.

"Riley," he says in awe. "You didn't tell me Happynest belongs to your aunt. I swear the scrambled eggs here are worth dying for."

It's hard not to smile back when his entire face is lit up like an innocent child, his boyish dimples appearing on both sides of his face. Seeing him like this, Blaire's warning tucks away at the back of my mind.

"It's not a big deal," I shrug before adding on. "Oh, but the hot chocolate is superb too."

His ocean-blue eyes twinkle with mirth. "I'll definitely be getting both of them."

We enter the cafe and I lead him to one of the private booths, ignoring the curious stares that my aunt's co-workers are shooting at me from behind the counter. Thank goodness Aunt Abbie isn't present because it's rare I bring a friend around with me, much less a guy, and she might try to interrogate him.

We scan the menu, and Taylor asks me. "What are you having?"

"A hot chocolate and an almond croissant," I say. When I stand, he stops me and pushes me back into my seat, leaving me confused.

He frowns at me. "Where are you going?"

"Getting our orders," I answer. "I want to treat you, especially after all the help you've given me."

He shakes his head at me. "Don't be silly. I was the one who asked you out, so I'm paying."

Despite my protests, he takes our order and heads for the counter, insisting on giving me a treat. Maya doesn't miss the opportunity to flirt with him and I don't blame her. It's rare we get good-looking guys entering our cafe and, given the fact she has already broken up with her ex-boyfriend several months ago, she's eager to find the next one. Even if it means getting a guy who's a couple of years younger than her.

When Taylor returns with our food, we immediately dive into an endless conversation, mainly with him sharing what it's like to be on the school's soccer team.

"Have you ever been to any games?"

"To be honest, nope. I'm a person who avoids crowds."

He agrees in understanding. "Yeah, it's loud and pretty intense. But it's the atmosphere that gets you all pumped up. You should come to one of our games someday. It'll be fun, I promise."

I give him a wry smile. "I'll think about it," I reply. "When did you play?"

"Ever since I was eight, I think. But it was a year ago when I played seriously."

He tells me about his plans for college and trying out for the national team, but I'm zoning out. He's incredibly nice and friendly, but when he moves on to talk about the endless torturous training that his coach is giving them because of the upcoming match, I'm completely lost. I don't watch soccer and the use of their terms is confusing to me; forwards, midfielders, defenders. He says he's a forward, and he specializes in volley shots.

But I do not know what that is.

I take a sip of my hot chocolate. When I glance up, Taylor studies me with a curious gaze.

"I'm boring you, aren't I?"

"Oh, no." I hold up both my hands and shake my head. "It's...it's me. I'm incredibly awkward being around people. In fact, I'm the boring one here."

"Well..." He leans closer towards me, staring at me as if I'm all he sees. The intensity of his gaze weighs down on me, making me feel uncomfortable. "I don't find you boring," he says truthfully. "I think you're a pretty girl with many secrets."