Shadows of Yesterday

Chapter 36: Like a Brand-New, Declawed Shelter Cat

Surprisingly, waking up on Monday wasn't completely terrible.

I was still tired, sure, and still worried about my family's future. But Sunday appeared to have done its job well enough that when I trekked upstairs to eat, the optimistic spark in my chest had grown from a single, dying ember to a flickering match. I actually had the energy to slot two Pop-Tarts into the toaster and pour myself a glass of juice, and I even got dressed in real clothes instead of my sweatpants and hoodie from yesterday. It was a pathetically small amount of progress, but as Liam would probably say, "progress is progress."

I was beginning to think that some pathetic things were underrated.

Things, for instance, like my crush on a certain boy, which flared to life in full force when my phone lit up with a phone call from a familiar number. 

I hit Accept and put it on speaker so that I could keep eating. "Hey, Liam! You still good to be my chauffeur for the day?"

He chuckled. "Wow, did you just... get excited to hear from me? I never thought I'd live to see the day. Good morning."

My heart skipped a beat. My voice had been unusually eager. Especially considering how... not eager I'd been the last couple of times he saw me. Whoops. "Whatever," I covered with a forced laugh, "I'm just glad to finally get out of the house."

"Aw, there go my dreams. Crushed, just like that." He tsked. 

Even though I was the only one in the room, I hid my grin by taking a bite of the Pop Tart in front of me. It felt necessary, but I didn't know why. I made sure to swallow before teasing him with, "You must have weird dreams if my excitement is a starring feature. If I'm ever cursed with telepathy, remind me to stay far away from your imagination."

"Hey!" He protested. "My imagination is amazing; I'll have you know. And I wouldn't necessarily say 'excitement' is the right word."

I blushed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

My face felt like it was on fire. I heard him laughing on the other end of the line when I didn't respond, and I decided to take the opportunity to shove the rest of my food in my mouth and run my empty cup over to the sink. His teasing voice came through just in time for my butt to hit my seat again. "Get out here, Peterson, before I come in and carry you. Again."

That made me blush even harder, so I made sure to take a deep breath to calm my racing heart before I stood up and headed for the door. "... Shut up," I grumbled, my mind flashing back to the last time he carried me somewhere.

In his arms. Shirtless. 

If I was a freer kind of girl, I would have swooned.

Honestly, I almost did, anyway.

I walked out to his car faster than I probably should have, if I was trying to maintain my facade of not having a raging crush on him. The first thing Liam said to me was, "Morning again! Brown Chauffeur Company and Eatery, at your service."

He handed me a coffee and a raspberry streusel muffin without preamble and pulled out of my driveway. I tried to tell myself--unsuccessfully--that I didn't watch his arms flexing as he turned the steering wheel. His t-shirt today was more fitted than usual, and it was doing weird things to me. "You really love these things, huh? This is, like, the fourth time you've given me this flavor of muffin."

I chose not to mention that I had already eaten breakfast. If I had to choose between having two breakfasts and discouraging a handsome man from baking for me, I would gladly take the first option.