We rode in Jesse's SUV at seven o'clock in the morning. The sky was flower pink and beginning to brighten with the left coast sunrise. I wore a smile on my face just like Jesse did. He rubbed my hand on the center console that hadn't left his since we got in the SUV.
"Wanna stop for breakfast?" his eyes glistened and glittered like the most beautiful brown jewels I had ever seen.
"Yeah."
Jesse was like an embarrassed teenager; dropping his head and blushing like a fool. He makes me laugh.
We stopped at a little breakfast shop. It was a cute place that smelled like bread and coffee.
"You smell the muffins?"
I laughed and bumped into him. "Yeah, I smell the muffins."
"Come on." he pulled me into a little booth, rubbing across each of my knuckles like he always did.
"Hi, what can I get you guys?" a young man came over with spiked brown hair and striking hazel eyes. He looked at me then Jes, pointing his pen at J.
"Are you Jesse Rutherford?" he asked. Jesse smiled.
"I am. Are you..." he looked at the boy's name-tag. "Chayphin insert-last-name-here?"
"You're so lame Jesse." I chuckled.
"Yeah, I admit that was pretty corny."
Even the waiter cracked up. "Well, yeah my name is Chayphin. Chayphin Callian."
"That's a cool name." I said.
"Thank you. So, what could I get you guys?"
J told him what we decided to get and soon our breakfast muffins and two large coffees were sitting at our table along with an iPod and a Sharpie.
"Could you sign my iPod please? I'm such a huge fan of you guys."
I sat back and watched as he talked with the boy.
"That's cool. Always nice to meet our fans. And, take whatever you want off the menu-coffee, a biscuit, whatever-and add it to our tab."
Chayphin started to object but J kindly told him to do it. Chayphin left and began to show his buddies behind the counter.
"Aren't the muffins good?"
I had a stuffed face so all I could do was nod.
We talked gingerly and laughed until we were done and left to pay at the counter. And, by the way, Chayphin did get a coffee.
*
We walked up to the house, the sun barely above it. Silence ensued for the remainder of our ride home, but we held hands the whole way. I guess holding hands would help us both hold onto this fantasy we didn't want to let go of.
We went in and it was all silent; no one stirred. We stood there, not really ready to be out of one another's presence.
"Thank you Jesse." I said, standing there.
"No, thank you." he slid his hand around my jaw. " Like I said more than a hundred times last night... I love you."
We kissed, standing there for a long time in the moment before we relinquished.
"I love you."
And then we went our separate ways like nothing happened.
