Sweet and Spicy [COMPLETED]

Evasion

Kaya tapped her fingers against the shell of her phone. How did she get out of this date? Could she get out of the date? 

If she left alone, she might get mobbed by the fan club. They were starting to get on her nerves. If she stayed, she might give Zoren false hope about too many things. He would take anything she said or did the wrong way at this point. 

Kaya had to return to Conditus at some point, if only to finish her first day of work. She couldn't spend hours trying to figure out her own problems. 

Zoren returned to the table with a tray set with pastries and coffee. 

Kaya reached for the danish and ignored the coffee. Caffeine at this point would only give her the jitters. She couldn't handle both caffeine and a date. 

"You're really quiet today." Zoren settled in his seat and reached for a cup. 

Kaya forced a half-smile. "I have a lot on my mind." 

"You're overthinking, aren't you?" 

"I don't overthink." 

"Yeah you do." Zoren sighed. "Look, if I did something wrong, I apologize. This whole plan was meant to calm you down, not stress you out." 

"I'm not stressed." Kaya's voice sounded too high-pitched even to her own ears. She winced. If there was one person she should be comfortable with, it should be Zoren. Yet, here she was freaking out. Again.

Zoren scooted his chair away from the table. "I'll leave if you want me to." 

"No, it's not that." Kaya picked at the flaky danish crust. 

"Then, what is it?" 

"I'm confused and not ready."

"Not ready for what?" 

"Anything." Kaya finally looked up at her friend. "For some reasons I can't explain right now, I can't be in any kind of relationship. Even friends are a luxury. You never know when I might disappear again." 

"Why would you disappear?"

"I'm just saying, it's possible."

"That's weird, don't say things like that." 

"You say weird things all the time, so don't even try that with me." 

Zoren scrunched his face, but Kaya didn't mind the childish gesture. It reminded her that they were, indeed, friends. 

"Thank you for the danish, but I think we should cut this meeting short." 

Kaya planted a hand on the table to scoot her chair back, but Zoren reached out to catch her fingers. 

"Kaya, stay. Just for a few more minutes. You don't have to go back to work yet, right?" 

"I have a little bit." Kaya couldn't lie to him. Zoren had never truly lied to her. "I don't want to stay here. It's awkward." 

"Are you still mad because I didn't tell you I had money? That's just petty." 

"I'm not angry about that." 

"Great! Then I have an idea. Let's go find out Lina's secret. She's been misinforming you, too." 

"Really?" Kaya didn't think that sounded quite right. Lina couldn't shut her lips to save her life, so how did she keep a secret from Kaya? 

Zoren nodded. "You've never seen her at work, right? Let's go. She should be deep into it by now." 

"Deep into what?" 

Kaya's question fell on deaf ears. Zoren had already grabbed his food and coffee and headed for the door. How did she say no when he was already out of ear shot?

"Hey! Wait up!"