safety pin

Chapter 17

❝I'm a very strong believer in love, but I'm deathly terrified that it doesn't believe in me.❞

-

"It was nice of you to bring me here." I quietly said, taking another sip from my coffee.

"Told you you'd enjoy it." Steve smiled proudly, putting his cup back on the table.

I didn't want to admit it or show it, but having Steve with me these few days was helping in ways I didn't think were possible, he's truly a good friend. Even though I didn't tell him much about what happened, and I guess he didn't need to know to show that he care. He kept spamming me with text messages this morning, insisting that we should have breakfast and if not, only coffee and so I had to agree.

Things have been very quiet these past few days...nothing happens and it's kind of peaceful in a way, but still sometimes not knowing what's happening in the world is awful.

"Thank you, Steve." I paused, mentally deciding whether I should finally open up about how thankful I am or just end it right there.

"Don't mention it." He replied, not giving me a chance to wait any longer.

"No, it's just-" I paused again, clearly finding it hard to come up with words for some reason, "For all the times that I looked like I needed help, and the times that I didn't, you still found it necessary for you to step in and give me a hand to help. Now I know that I don't sound thankful at all, but I felt like you needed to know how appreciated and amazing I think it is." I took a breath at the end, waiting for his reaction.

His whole face lit up, "Did you just...?" He looked like a child who just got his first present on Christmas.

"Yeah, I don't believe it either." I said, looking down at my lap as my lips curved into a smile. I felt his hand over my left one that was resting on the table. I looked up again to see that huge grin on his face.

"I should be the one who's thanking you, like really, I'm so glad I stumbled upon you, Jade Jefferson." I beamed, feeling the same way about him actually but this time I decided not to say it because that would be too much and I'm already trying not to become emotional. I thanked him and we returned back to our comfortable silence.

"Have you heard about the party the girls were invited to tonight?" He asked.

"Yeah, they wanted me to tag along, but I'm not feeling like partying." I replied, but as soon as I said this I automatically remembered the days where I would decline every invite from the girls to go to parties for every problem or fight I had with Jack. Kinda made me feel bad, because returning back to that Jade was never on my to-do list.

"Will it help if I told you that I'll come with?" He said in a suggestive tone.

"How you coming with me is going to help?"

"C'mon, you know how much fun you get when I'm around." He smiled cheekily with a wink at the end. I scoffed, rolling my eyes, but now that I think about it, Steve is actually always fun to be around and maybe he'd help me stop going back to my old self.

"Fine." I said after a long moment of silence.

"Fine what?" He smirked, leaning on the table.

"Steve. Don't push your luck." I said with a warning tone, glaring at him.

"What? Don't I deserve a little bit of appreciation? Just a tiny little.." I wondered how can he be a flirt and then act like a child in less than a minute, but I guess that was one of his specialties. I didn't mind it though, I just felt like I don't wanna tell him what he want so easily.