𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

forty eight

Kaiden

Sitting across from Ethan in the nearly empty cafeteria, I stirred the ice in my soda, watching the cubes spin around and clink against the glass.

I'd barely taken a sip.

My thoughts were still somewhere else—mostly on Delphine and the completely unexpected way last night unfolded.

"Okay, man, spill it," Ethan said, snapping me out of my headspace. He leaned back, one arm stretched across the chair beside him, looking at me with that easygoing, knowing smile of his. "You've been zoning out for the last twenty minutes. And I know it has something to do with Delphine."

I shrugged, not sure how to start. "Yeah... I guess I asked her out," I muttered, trying to play it cool.

"You guess?" He laughed, leaning forward. "Since when are you this shy? You don't guess—you either asked her out or you didn't. So? Details. What did she say?"

"She didn't really say anything." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I mean, I kind of went up to her, told her I didn't regret... you know, what happened between us. But I also kind of unloaded this whole thing about how I wished it hadn't happened when we were both drunk. It came out messy."

Ethan snorted, shaking his head. "Messy. Right. That sounds about right for you." He smirked but quickly changed his tone when he saw my expression. "Hey, don't worry. She's... complicated. That's just how she is."

"Complicated?" I repeated, feeling the understatement of the century. "Try difficult. All girls are difficult. It's like she's got a thousand walls up, and she just... I don't know, man, it's like she's daring me to find a way past them. But it's almost like she doesn't want me to at the same time."

Ethan gave a thoughtful nod, leaning back again. "Listen, Kaiden, girls aren't difficult. Delphine's difficult. That's her thing. It's part of her charm, you know?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Charm? I don't think she's charmed by anything—at least not by me. I mean, she gave me this look like she didn't know whether to roll her eyes or just walk away."

"And yet, she didn't walk away, did she?" Ethan pointed out, eyebrow raised. "She stayed. You had her attention."

I shook my head, a small smile breaking through. "Yeah, barely. I mean, it felt like she was doing me a favor just by sticking around to listen. I'm not used to that. Most girls are... well, you know. Easier to figure out."

"Maybe that's the problem," Ethan said, smirking as he took a sip of his coffee. "Maybe you're too used to girls who wear their hearts on their sleeves, who tell you exactly what they're thinking."

He had a point, as much as I hated to admit it. Delphine didn't hand anything out easily, didn't make it obvious where she stood or what she wanted.

Everything with her was layered, complicated.

She kept her emotions locked up, only giving small glimpses, and those glimpses were like a riddle waiting to be solved.

"Yeah, well, I don't know if I'm cut out for this whole puzzle thing," I admitted. "Feels like I'm always guessing wrong."

Ethan chuckled. "Dude, that's part of the fun. If it were easy, you'd be bored out of your mind. Don't pretend you're not into the challenge."

He was right, of course.

I wasn't the kind of guy who wanted everything handed to him.

I liked the thrill, the uncertainty.

But with Delphine, it felt different—less like a game and more like something real, something that could be great if I could just figure it out.

"So, what do I do?" I asked, feeling a bit ridiculous for even asking. I wasn't usually the guy who asked for advice about girls. But with Delphine, I felt out of my depth.

Ethan shrugged, giving me a casual smile. "Just take it slow. Don't push her, but don't let her push you away either. Let her know you're interested, but don't act like it's the end of the world if she doesn't immediately throw herself at you. Be patient."

"Patience." I laughed, shaking my head. "Not exactly my strong suit."

"Yeah, no kidding." He grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. "But if anyone can get through to her, it's probably you. You just need to show her that she's not as unreadable as she thinks."

The cafeteria had filled up a bit more while we were talking, but Ethan and I stayed in our little bubble, talking and laughing as I tried to make sense of everything.

Delphine was like nothing I'd ever dealt with before, and I wasn't sure if I was excited or terrified.

Maybe both.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Ethan asked, watching me closely.

"Guess I'll see where this goes," I replied, feeling a strange mix of confidence and doubt. "I mean, I'm not about to give up, that's for sure."

Ethan nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit. And hey, worst case, you get a little more practice in patience."

I rolled my eyes, chuckling. "Yeah, thanks for that."

Ethan smirked, but he looked pleased. "Anytime, man. Just don't overthink it. It's Delphine. She's tough, but she's not impossible. Just keep being yourself."

And with that, I felt a bit lighter, even if I still didn't have all the answers.