Heartbeats of the City

Chapter 18

Kevin was still talking, his voice blending into the background noise of the restaurant, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I kept replaying the moment Miguel and Adrianna appeared in front of us, the shock on Miguel's face quickly replaced by that neutral mask he always seemed to wear when he didn't want people to know what he was thinking.

How did I end up in this mess? I had declined Miguel's coffee date earlier, citing that I wasn't feeling well, and now here I was, on an awkward dinner date of my own, while Miguel sat a few tables away... with Adrianna. It didn't help that every time I glanced in their direction, I caught Miguel sneaking a look at me too. Was it curiosity? Annoyance? I couldn't tell, and I hated that I cared so much.

"Hey, you okay?" Kevin's voice finally pulled me back to the present. He looked at me, his brow furrowed, waiting for a response. I hadn't been paying attention at all.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," I replied, offering a quick smile. I pushed my food around my plate, trying to look more engaged than I felt.

"You sure?" Kevin asked, clearly sensing my distraction. "You've been kind of quiet."

I nodded, trying to reassure him, but the truth was, all I wanted to do was leave. I couldn't focus on anything Kevin was saying because my mind kept wandering back to Miguel and Adrianna. What were they talking about? Were they laughing? Was it a date, or just dinner?

Kevin finished his meal and leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied. "Do you want to grab dessert somewhere? Or maybe go for a walk? It's a nice night."

I forced myself to smile, but the idea of extending the night any longer seemed unbearable. "Actually, I think I should call it a night," I said. "I have surgery early tomorrow, and I need to be well-rested."

Kevin looked a little disappointed, but he nodded. "Of course, no problem. Let's get you home."

The ride back was long and quiet. Kevin tried to make small talk, but my responses were brief, and eventually, he gave up, letting the silence take over. My mind kept replaying the night, focusing on every glance Miguel and I exchanged, every second I wished I could take back.

When Kevin finally pulled up in front of my apartment, I thanked him for the evening, though my heart wasn't really in it. He smiled, leaning in slightly, but I quickly opened the door, stepping out before he could read too much into the moment.

"Good night, Michaela," Kevin said, his voice warm.

"Good night, Kevin. Thanks again."

I closed the door behind me, leaning against it for a moment, feeling the weight of the evening. My mind was still on Miguel, the way he looked at me when he walked into that restaurant. I didn't expect to see him tonight, much less with Adrianna.

"Lexi! Bree!" I called out, my voice echoing through the apartment.

Lexi popped her head out of the kitchen first, holding a glass of water. "Hey, how'd your date go?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in a teasing way.

Bree followed right behind her, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. "Come on, we need details. Was it romantic? Did Kevin kiss you?"

I couldn't help but laugh, but it was a weak one. "It was... fine, we did not kiss." I muttered, pulling off my shoes and making my way to the couch. "But something happened that kind of ruined the mood."

Both of them instantly perked up and hurried over, Bree sitting on one side of me while Lexi took the other.

"What happened?" Bree asked, her face now serious.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the couch. "We ran into Miguel and Adrianna at the restaurant."

Their reactions were immediate. Lexi's eyes widened, and Bree's jaw practically dropped. "No way!" Bree exclaimed. "Are you serious? Like Miguel Miguel?"

"Yeah," I groaned, rubbing my temples. "I told him earlier that I couldn't grab coffee with him because I wasn't feeling well. And then he sees me there, all dressed up with Kevin."

Lexi winced. "Ouch. That's awkward."

"Exactly," I muttered. "And Miguel wasn't exactly subtle about it. He made a comment about how I didn't look sick."

Bree groaned dramatically, covering her face with her hands. "Ugh, why did it have to be Miguel and Adrianna? Of all people!"

Lexi's eyes narrowed. "And how was Adrianna acting?"

"She was talking to Kevin like they were old friends," I said, crossing my arms. "And she kept glancing at me like she knew she was making me uncomfortable."

"Well, she's definitely still trying to get back with Miguel," Bree pointed out. "It's so obvious. You know how she is."

I nodded, my mind going back to how composed Miguel seemed, even though I knew he must've been surprised to see me. There was a part of me that wondered what he was thinking when he saw me sitting there with Kevin.

"I don't know why I feel so weird about it," I admitted softly. "I mean, Miguel and I are just... friends, right? But seeing him with Adrianna, it just made me feel... off."

Bree and Lexi exchanged glances, and Bree nudged me gently. "Look, Michaela, maybe it's time you admit that there's something between you and Miguel."

"What?" I shook my head, dismissing the idea. "No, we're just colleagues. Friends at best."

Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Friends? The way you're acting doesn't seem like you're just thinking of him as a friend."

I sighed again. Maybe they were right, but I wasn't ready to confront that. Not yet, at least. "I just don't know," I mumbled. "Kevin is great, he's kind, and tonight was really nice... until we saw them."

"Kevin's nice, sure," Bree said carefully. "But is he the one who's on your mind right now?"

I bit my lip, knowing the answer but not wanting to say it out loud.

Lexi nudged me with her elbow. "Look, no one's saying you have to make a decision right now. But maybe it's something you need to think about."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right. I need to figure this out."

There was a pause, and Bree suddenly brightened up. "Well, in the meantime, how about we open up a bottle of wine and forget about all this drama for a little while?"

I chuckled. "That sounds like a plan."

As Bree headed off to grab a bottle of wine from the kitchen, I couldn't help but replay the night's events in my head. Miguel's face, the way he looked at me... Maybe Bree and Lexi were onto something.

Maybe there was more between us than I was willing to admit.