Coffee and Cream

Malcom's Interest

                                                                                           DARCELLE

I felt like a bird perched on a tree, resting, thinking about where to fly next. Emrys' words echoed in my head—you can't be with anyone else but me. It was like a lock had clicked into place, trapping me in something I hadn't fully agreed to. I thought it was unfair. Hell, it was unfair. He had a girlfriend for crying out loud, whether he loved her or not. I told him so, but all I got was a hum in response. Just a lazy, dismissive "mmm." He didn't even bother to argue.

But his eyes? They spoke volumes. They always did. A whole story in those dark depths, full of words I knew I wouldn't want to hear. After that, he brushed me off and told me he had somewhere to be and that I needed to leave. Kicked me out like I was nothing. No argument, no drama—just cold dismissal. And I stood there, watching him turn away as if what we just had wasn't worth more than a few minutes of his time.

Now here I was, curled up on my balcony with my knees pulled to my chest, staring at the night sky like it might offer me some answers. The wind was cool, and the city sounds felt distant, like I was in my own little bubble. A part of me wanted to cry, to scream, to do something, but the tears never came. They never did.

Just then, my phone rang. Nathan. He wanted to hang out, get some pizza, and maybe work on our geography assignment. It sounded like a distraction I needed, so I agreed. Geography could wait—we both knew that. Nathan wasn't the type to focus on schoolwork for long, anyway.

We did more eating than studying, and as usual, Nathan launched into his latest rant about his "sugar mummy." I laughed between bites of pizza, shaking my head. "Wait, so are you still messing with the married librarian too?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fuck that," he said with a grin, pulling out a fat stack of cash, probably five grand or more. He waved it in my face like a prize. "This is from today, for showing her a good time."

I gasped, then smirked. "Damn, Nathan, you hit the jackpot."

He counted out a thousand dollars from the stack and handed it to me with a sweet smile. "Just because I love you."

I squealed, the kind of excitement I hadn't felt all night, and pocketed the cash. People at the nearby tables shot us weird looks for being too loud, but I didn't care. I needed this. Something light, something stupid. Nathan always knew how to distract me.

After pizza, he walked me home, still joking, still being Nathan. But before I could unlock the door, he looked at me with that knowing grin. "I wonder who it is you're fucking."

I laughed, but something inside me froze. "Why do you assume I'm fucking anyone?"

"Maybe because you're flashing hickeys on your neck like a goddamn neon sign," he teased, pointing at my collarbone.

I rolled my eyes, pushing him playfully. "You know me—I go fishing at the club. Old habits die hard."

He bought it, of course. He knew my past well enough to believe it. After all, I did lose my virginity to someone I met at the club. It made sense that I'd keep up the same routine. That's what he told me, anyway. And that's what I let him think.

The next day, after school and a long, grueling shift at the grocery store, I found myself day-drinking in the park again. It was becoming a bad habit, but I needed the numbness, the silence it brought to my mind. The alcohol made everything a little softer and less sharp. I sat on the bench, watching people walk by, feeling disconnected from all of it.

I didn't even notice Emrys at first, but suddenly, he was there, sitting beside me like he belonged in my personal escape. I didn't say anything. I was still mad at him for kicking me out, but I wasn't stupid enough to push him away. Not yet, anyway.