The Bad Idea

⭐️ Bonus Chapter | The Scavenger Hunt

– Aubrey –

The thing about dating an absolute menace like Eli Cruz is that he makes everything difficult.

Which, honestly? I should have accounted for when I planned this whole Valentine's Day scavenger hunt for him as a gift.

But, stupidly, stupidly, I had faith that maybe for once he'd let me do something nice for him. That, just this once, he'd let me have my little moment.

Instead, I'm standing in the middle of the city, watching him pick up the entire clue envelope off a park bench and start walking away with it like a goddamn troll stealing treasure.

"ELI."

"What?" He turns around, frowning at me. "I got the clue."

"You're supposed to open it and read it. You know, for the next clue?"

"I am reading it."

"No, you're carrying it."

"...same thing."

I rub my temples, trying to find the patience to deal with this moron that I, for some reason, love more than anyone else in the universe. "Can you please just read the damn clue?"

Eli groans like I'm asking him to solve calculus. With theatrical reluctance, he rips open the envelope, clears his throat, and reads:

"Where we used to meet, and you'd make a scene—
Coffee spilled, a stare so mean.
Go there now, but don't delay—
Your next clue's waiting where lattes stay."

I wait for the realization to hit. The moment he connects the dots, his face will soften, and he'll remember the café I work at and all the times he walked in, rude as hell, demanding I personally make him coffee like he was the main character in a shitty rom-com.

Eli stares at the paper for a long moment. Then, without blinking, he says, "Taco Bell."

I almost die on the spot.

"WHAT."

"The answer is Taco Bell."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You said where we used to meet, and I'd make a scene—that one Taco Bell at two a.m. that one time."

"We didn't used to meet there, Eli... You made me go with you that one time because you were too high to drive, after we had already started dating."

He shrugs. "It was still a scene. I spilled my Baja Blast."

I rubbed my temples. "Oh my God. It's the café, where I work, you fucking gremlin."

Eli hums, considering. "Yeah. Could be that too."

I want to throw myself into oncoming traffic.

Instead, I grab Eli by the hoodie and physically steer him in the correct direction. He doesn't fight me, but he does sigh dramatically the entire walk there, like I'm dragging him to his own execution.