Hard to Find

Chapter Six - Alone

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c h a p t e r s i x

{Alone}

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Skylar's POV

 I sip my coffee and readjust my seating position for the one hundredth time today. The smell of ground coffee motivated me earlier, now I could throw up from the scent. I have been working for three-hours at Mr. K's. I should take a break, but this is what I get for falling behind with paper-work.

I wouldn't be killing myself like this if Blake and I hadn't hung out every day this week. Now, I have to waste a perfectly good Friday night doing work when I could be with Raven.

"Another coffee?" Kenny tears my gaze from my illuminated screen. I shove my laptop aside and lean into my palm. 

"No thanks." I grimace at the thought. "I'll take tea though. Yeah, green tea with mint."

His eyebrows knit together. "You drink tea? Since when?" 

I shrug my shoulders. "I do now."

He lets out a hearty laugh and salutes me before retreating behind the counter. I reopen my laptop and let my fingers fly furiously across the keyboard. The bell to the cafe door chimes and I look up out of habit.
An adorable old couple walks in, hand in hand. The man kisses her cheek and moseys to the counter. The woman picks a table without hesitation. From the way they move, it looks like they've always done this. 

My heart constricts, and I hastily look away. The thought of never having that kind of love with someone irks me. But the problem is, I'm too stubborn for my own good. I find faults in everyone I have a relationship with. And if their faults are too much for me to handle, I give up before I even start. I mean, Blake has every trait a sane human would want in a romantic partner, but here I am pushing him away.

It's even more frustrating that I'm aware of my problems, but can't seem to fix them.

The bell to the cafe door chimes again, I readily gaze up. Jayden saunters to the register and converses with Kenny. An anxious feeling spreads through my body like a wildfire. I clench my fist to suppress the sudden feelings and tell myself; calm down Sky, these kinds of things happen when you live in the same neighborhood.

Kenny throws his head back from something Jayden says and I force myself to look away, but my eyes defy me and look up at Jayden once more. Every single movement he makes is with ease: the way he points to a drink scribbled on the chalkboard above Kenny's head, the way he tugs a five-dollar bill from his pants pocket, the way he runs his fingers through his stupid blond hair.

During my one-sided staring contest, Kenny waves an employee over to make Jayden's drink, then points toward me, holding my tea.

I let out a quiet but audible groan at the fact he just gave me up.

I fixate my eyes on anything but the front counter and wait until I see Kenny in my peripheral vision to look up.

"Thanks, Kenny," I say taking the cup from him and smiling as best as I can. He says something back, but I'm too busy freaking out over the fact Jayden is walking in my direction. His coffee cup is in one hand and an impish grin decorates his face as he sits across from me.

My heart is beating so hard, I swear everyone in the cafe can hear.

"Are you gonna look at me, Killer?" His voice melts into me like a knife in warm butter. I still haven't looked at him but I surely feel his gaze burning holes in my head.