Dwindle [Motough]

{Chapter 6}

Beth's POV

I puffed out a shiver and inhaled sharply. My boots crunched the snow beneath me. We walked silently to Starbucks. His hair bounced with every step he took and his eyes shined in the morning sun.

We arrived at Starbucks. He raced ahead of me so that he could hold the door open for me. I thanked him and joined the line. He joined me and we stood there and waited.

Finally, we arrived at the front of the line. There on the other side of the counter was a man with short blond hair that hung over his forehead. He wore the Starbucks uniform, you know, black shirt and pants under a dark green apron and a baseball cap with the Starbucks logo centred in the middle of the front and a name tag that read Joshua.

"Hello, welcome to Starbucks, what would you like to order?" he asked. "Um, I'll have a small strawberry and creme," I said. "Okay, what's your name?", he asked. "Beth," I replied. He scribbled down my name on the cup.

"Can I have a double chocolate chip," Jeremy requested.

"What size?"

"Um, medium"

"And your name?"

"Jeremy"

I unzipped my purse and pulled out my wallet. I opened my wallet and was getting some cash to pay when Jeremy said, "I'll pay", I sighed and placed my wallet back into my bag.

Once we got our drinks, we sat at a small, round table beside the large, open glass window.

I toke a sip. The frothy drink soothed my throat. Jeremy toke a sip of his drink as well.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine" I replied. I toke another sip or two.

"I mean about this entire situation"

I sighed, how did I feel about all this?

"It has been going pretty well. Everyone is just being so supportive"

I spun my straw around in circles in my drink.

"What about Derek?"

I stopped spinning my straw around and toke a deep breath in. I found myself having trouble answering that question, because with it, comes the memories of the pain I had caused him.

"He hasn't been taking it too well, like I know that he's trying to be strong, but inside, it's killing him, and I hate seeing him this way". I toke another sip.

"Yeah, My mom died from cancer, so I understand how Derek is feeling about all this."

"Mrs.Reynolds had cancer?", I asked. It had been quite a while since I had last seen her. I'll never forget those shimmering white pearl earring or that effortless smile that she wore.

"Yeah"

"And...she's dead?"

"Sadly, yes"

I toke another sip of my drink.

"So, how long are you planning to be here for?"

"To be honest...I'm not really sure."

"Oh, okay"

There was a few moments of utter silence.

"You absolutely killed it in Dancing with the Stars." Jeremy said.

I grinned. "Thanks, I never knew I had it in me"

"I always knew", he said.

I turned my head to look down at my cup and smiled.

His hand reached over to my chin and he shifted my head so that I was facing him. He grazed his thumb on my lower lip. He leaned into me, our lips came closer and closer until I stopped. I leaned back onto my seat. I couldn't do this, not to Derek.

Jeremy fell back into his seat. "Bethany, I have always loved since I laid eyes on you and I thought it was just a small crush, but even now, when I saw you come to the doorway, looking beautiful and sexier than ever, my heart fluttered."

"Jeremy, I have a boyfriend"

"I know, I know, but please, just please think about it."

I bit my lower lip. I shouldn't even be unsure about this, I'm with Derek, I had been for quite a few years now, but yet, despite all that I let that minuscule, four letter word slip my lips.

"Okay"