This Love | ✓

Part 37

The smell of a hundred books hung in the air inside Athena's Used Books. I inhaled deeply as I walked alongside Zach, trying to commit the smell to memory.

Six, five, four, three, two, one.

"Well, this is the last one," Zach announced, indicating to the only shelf of books that we hadn't yet reorganised. "Thanks again for helping me do this. I owe you, hun."

"It's no big deal," I dismissed his gratitude with a smile.

Zach and I fell into a practised rhythm as we removed, stacked, and segregated book after book. Inevitably, my thoughts veered back to Jason. Just the thought of confronting him with the truth filled me with dread. I had spent the previous night tossing and turning with worry, leaving me tired and sleep-deprived in the morning.

How can I make Jason understand the truth when he is so wrongly convinced that we will make it?  

It wasn't until Zach's strong hands curled around my shoulders that I realised that he had asked me a question.

"Sorry, what?" I shook my head.

"I asked you how your weekend was," Zach said, peering at me closely.

"It was . . . eventful," I summed up the whirlwind weekend with the one word that came to mind. "How was yours?"

"Are you okay?" Zach inquired, picking up on my edginess. Instead of answering my question, he raised his own. "What happened?"

"I'm —" 

I stopped myself before I could say that I was fine. The all-too-familiar urge to confide in Zach overwhelmed me yet again.

But I can't tell him about Chris. 

I can't tell anyone.

"Zach," I began after a moment's hesitation. "What's the best way to break bad news to someone you lo—really like?"

"Someone you love, huh?" he asked, his cerulean eyes softening with understanding. "Are we talking about Jason here?"

I nodded meekly, my face burning with the realisation that he had caught my slip.

To my surprise, Zach's expression transformed the next instant, his mouth curling up in a crooked grin and his eyes sparkling with mischief. 

"Do you want to know the best way to do it?" he asked, resting a hand on his hip.

"Yes," I said slowly, weary of the playful glint in Zach's eyes.

"You should tell him after sex," he winked, showing off his flawless teeth in a big grin. 

"Zach," I complained, cracking a small smile. "I'm serious!"

"No, really," he insisted. "That is the best time to reveal bad news."

"I don't know," I sighed, regarding him dubiously. 

"Um, excuse me," Zach said, feigning offence. "This is like, science, hun. You don't ever doubt the science."

I shook my head and laughed as Zach grinned triumphantly, pleased that his attempt to cheer me up had worked.

"Trust me," he said, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. "It'll work."

Could he be right?

He definitely knows more about dating than I do.

Swayed by the confidence in his voice, I chewed my lower lip.

"I can't believe I'm actually considering this," I muttered.

***

I pushed through the café's entrance, nearly bubbling over with eagerness to talk to Jason. My eyes flitted around the cozy coffee shop, finding many of the small wooden tables occupied. Java Lava brimmed with life and energy, sounds of chatter and laughter filling the air.

Walking further into the café, I first noticed the back of Emily's head as she leaned over the coffee machine. It took me a moment of searching to realise that Jason was crouching down to fetch something from the glass display.

The inviting aroma of fresh muffins and cookies got stronger as I neared the display. I bent down until I was level with Jason's face on the other side of the glass. Focused on carefully pulling out a handful of cookies from one of the trays, he failed to notice me. 

"Hey," I called, tapping my fingers against the glass surface gently.

Jason looked up, startled. When his eyes darted to my face, he broke into a smile that caused my heart to twist inside my chest. Illuminated by the bright yellow lighting inside the display, his mismatched eyes looked eerily beautiful.

"Hey," he said, the two of us standing up to our full heights.

Dropping the cookies into a blue cardboard box, Jason reached for my hands from across the counter. Grasping my palms, he leaned over to press his lips to mine in the softest flutter of a kiss, sending little ripples of happiness coursing through me.

"What can I get you today, Leena Faye?"

"The usual."

I almost forgot the actual purpose of my visit until I swallowed the last bite of my half of a warm blueberry muffin. 

I have to talk to him tomorrow.

"Jason," I said, my stomach suddenly knotted with tension. "Can you take the night shift tomorrow, please?"

"Of course," he agreed immediately. Arching his thick eyebrows, he asked, "Do you want to go somewhere?"

"No, not exactly," I murmured, fidgeting with the straps of my backpack. 

"Oh," he smiled in understanding, causing my cheeks to redden with a deep blush. "We could go to my apartment. You never got to see my room."

Despite the circumstances, I found myself grinning in anticipation. Just as I opened my mouth to accept Jason's invitation, a familiar ringtone sounded from within my bag.

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled, fishing around my backpack for a few seconds before grabbing my phone.

My heart plummeted when I scanned the caller ID displayed on the screen: Chris.

Why is he calling me?

With quivering fingers, I fumbled to press Decline, stuffing the iPhone into the pocket of my jeans.

"Are you okay, Leena?" Jason asked, having noticed the distress in my face.

It'll get ugly.

"Yeah, it's just Claire," I said, hating the feeling of the lie rolling off my lips. "I'll call her later."

"Okay," he nodded, his eyes narrowing in concern. "When should I pick you up tomorrow?"

You're just going to drift apart.

"Anytime in the morning," I answered hastily, shaking my head in a futile attempt to erase Chris's words from my mind.