Twin Fate: Sun and Moon

Chapter 15 - Unexpected Plans

My breath caught, frozen in my lungs, as I stared at Bjorn. Silence felt like a weight, heavy and suspicious, so I forced myself to breathe, calming my racing heart with a single, shaky inhale. "Oh, yeah," I managed, striving for nonchalance, though the words felt strained. Just then, as if on cue, the waitress appeared, her timing impeccable. Alex and I placed our orders. I caught the briefest flicker of a wink from him, aimed her way. She noticed, her smile widening in a way I'd never seen before.

"You were saying?" Bjorn's voice cut through, unyielding. My suspicion deepened—it wouldn't be that easy to deflect. For a long moment, I was lost, grasping for an answer. "It's nice... what more is there to say?" The words slipped out, laced with a subtle edge of bitterness even I couldn't ignore.

"So, how was your weekend, guys?" Alex's voice was overly casual, and I knew he was trying to steer the conversation away from me and Elin. For that, I was grateful. Bjorn and Felix exchanged glances, momentarily taken aback by the sharpness in my tone, but they recovered quickly. "Oh, yeah, it was good. I went to my aunt's in Grutholm," Bjorn replied, his gaze sliding away from me.

They continued, recounting their weekends, but to me, their words became a distant murmur, barely registering. Bjorn had visited someone too, but if you asked me to repeat what he said, I couldn't. My thoughts spiraled, questioning, searching for answers. How did they know? For a fleeting second, doubt flickered toward Alex, but I dismissed it—he would never betray me like that. The next possibility was someone from the meadow, but why? They weren't the gossiping type, and I couldn't imagine any of them spreading rumors.

The noise around me faded, a dull hum that only reminded me I wasn't alone. I needed to know. I would have to ask Elin—find out what really happened between her and Arvid. Maybe then, I'd understand what I was up against.

My eyes drifted to the rustic clock on the wall, its hands inching closer to our next class. Less than ten minutes. My heart quickened again, a now-familiar rush, knowing I'd see Elin soon.

"We should go," Alex said, his tone overly apologetic, betraying his discomfort with the entire situation. I left some money on the table, barely muttering a "bye" to Felix and Bjorn as I headed for the door.

As expected, Alex lingered, chatting animatedly with someone behind the counter. I couldn't help but smirk, knowing exactly who it was—the black-haired waitress. He pointed to his wrist, mimicking a watch, then joined me outside seconds later.

"That's a date," he said, his voice smug. I didn't need to ask; I just smirked in response.

"Shut it," he cut in before I could get a word out. I was going to protest, but honestly, he hadn't given me a hard time about Elin, so I let it slide. The walk to the classroom seemed quicker than usual—probably because I knew exactly who would be waiting. Elin was sitting almost at the back, her usual spot. I frowned but headed there anyway, Alex trailing behind me.

"Just don't snog," he quipped, his tone light and teasing. I swatted his shin in return, a playful retaliation for not teasing him earlier.

Elin didn't notice us at first; she wasn't paying attention to the students filtering into the room. It wasn't until we reached the start of her row that she looked up. Her smile spread effortlessly across her face, and I couldn't help but mirror it. It was infectious, the kind of smile that could brighten even the darkest of days. I sat next to her, inhaling the familiar scent that clung to her, making my head spin just like before. The dream hadn't done her justice, I realized.

"Hey, you," she greeted, her eyes narrowing as she noticed my distant expression. She snapped her fingers in front of my face, pulling me back to reality with a soft laugh.

"What am I going to do with you?" she murmured, leaning in for a kiss. My first instinct was panic—someone could see us—but as she drew closer and her scent overwhelmed my senses, the worry melted away, replaced by a more relaxed, who cares mentality. The dream felt like a distant memory, silly even, and I found myself laughing quietly as our lips parted.

"What?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Nothing," I replied with a smirk. "I'll tell you later."

The class passed in a blur, better than any before. As usual, Alex wasn't paying attention, instead, he kept trying to talk to me. Elin occasionally shot me a reprimanding look, but I'd already explained Alex's particular talent for ignoring math.

"I'll see you later then? The usual spot?" Elin asked as the class ended. I nodded, leaning in to peck her forehead.

"Now I'm going to have to endure you two lovebirds," Alex groaned.

"Come on, man, I didn't tease you about the waitress—don't be rude now," I retorted, chuckling.

The day went surprisingly well. During lunch, I told Elin about my dream.

"You're kidding," she said, laughing. "You got scared by red eyes?" She teased, raising her hands in mock horror. "Boo!"

I laughed along with her, but the smile didn't quite reach my eyes. Eventually, I'd tell her the truth—that the real problem with the dream wasn't her red eyes. Not entirely. It was the thought of losing her, of never seeing her again. The idea that she might never come back, that I could be left lying there alone, forever, without her by my side. I pushed the thought away before it could consume me right then and there.

"Elin can be a monster," Freya teased, her voice light. She was the only one who joined us on Mondays, her schedule fitting neatly with ours. I thought I saw Elin shoot her a strange look—was it a warning? I couldn't quite place it, so I decided not to dwell on it.

"Oh, yeah," Elin replied sarcastically after a beat, her tone playful but her expression slightly off. "I turn into a bat on full moons." She chuckled, my gut was telling me there is something almost forced in her laugh. "Or was it a wolf? I always forget."

We sat there for a moment, everyone still chuckling at Elin's joke, though I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"Almost forgot," Elin said, breaking the momentary silence. "Are you guys joining us after school? Freya, Leif, and I are going." She looked primarily at me as she spoke.

"For what?" I asked, confused, not having heard any plans.

"We want to see that new superhero movie, Shadowstrike," she explained. Instinctively, I glanced at Alex.

"When is it?" he asked, his tone casual but with an edge of curiosity.

"Six o'clock," Freya replied. I didn't know what Alex was thinking, why he wanted to know the exact time, but something about it made me wonder what was going on in his mind.

"We have plans already," Alex said casually. "Jordan and I are playing basketball with the group." His tone was matter-of-fact, but his words caught me off guard. Did we? I wondered, not recalling when we'd made these plans. Maybe it was during that coffee meet-up when I wasn't paying attention.

Elin studied us, her expression unreadable. "The movie is only today," she said after a moment, her voice carrying a hint of persuasion. "You can play ball any day."

I glanced at Alex, staying silent, waiting for his response. "Well, I guess," he said slowly, hesitating. "But still, we should probably let them know." He turned his gaze to me, seeking my agreement.

"Yeah, she's right," I said, trying to reassure him. "We can play ball any other day."

Alex smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "We all know why you're siding with her," he teased, his tone light.

"Of course he's going to side with me," Elin chimed in, her movements swift as she pulled me into a hug, faster than I expected. For a moment, it felt more like a bear hug—stronger than I was prepared for. Was she always this strong, or did she not realize her own strength?

"Ouch," I protested, massaging my ribs with a playful grimace.

"Don't be such a wimp," she retorted, but there was that same strange expression on her face, one I couldn't decipher. I was still reeling from the force of her embrace when Alex's voice broke through the haze. "We've got class in less than five minutes," he announced