Chasing Stars ✔️

12.

"I love the stars because they do not judge anyone"–Natsuki Takaya

She

"Did you get her number, yet?" I asked with an amused voice.

Jake let out a breath, like a parent about to lose his patience with a child. I had to admit the past few days I had learned how to push his buttons in that way, and it was entertaining, especially after therapy. Teasing him about Sam, the girl that worked at the café near Dr. B's office, always did the trick.

We were sitting at the table in the far corner from the balcony. He took a long sip at his black coffee, steam still spilling out of the cup.

"I don't want her number. I told you this. In fact, I tell you this every time we came here."

I shrugged, distracting myself momentarily by observing the hot pink stripes on the wall in front of me "It's only the 3rd day we have come here."

"Then I told you three times already." The corner of his left eye twitched.

"She's pretty," I said, absently touching a faded scar underneath my ear.

"She is," he confirmed, "but I wouldn't ask for her number. If you really must know, she gave it to me, but I never used it." He said pushing his empty cup aside. "Can we go now?"

"Sure." I stood up and followed him, trying to contain the smile that was persistently making its way to my lips.

As we passed by the counter, Sam waved in our direction. "Bye Jake," she said. A giggle left her mouth as she ran the tips of her fingers across her collarbone. I swallowed my laughter as Jake opened the door for me.

"Bye Sam." His tone was polite and neutral. He really wasn't interested, I thought, as my smile grew bigger.

"You are breaking the poor girl's heart, Jake," I said mimicking her gesture. My finger contouring the seams of my top. His eyes followed the movement; I dropped my hand and make my way to the car, taking large steps.

"I don't think she is concerned about her heart, or interested in mine," Jake answered, starting the car.

I couldn't help laugh this time, enjoying the lightness of the moment.

"Well, fair point, I guess," I said, remembering the hunger eyes the barista threw at Jake.

"It's a shame," I insisted after a couple of minutes of silence. "I think you have a good heart."

The tension in his body was visible in the way they grasped the steering heal.

"I don't." 

Our eyes crossed paths. A storm was rising from the shadows of his gray gaze. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't at ease either, so I dropped the subject. He only spoke again at home.

"Do you have ice cream?" the tension was yet lingering on his shoulders. He was trying to get our good mood back.

"Follow me."

We were on the couch nursing our bowls of vanilla ice cream. The way I explained I was not a vanilla kind of girl, before comprehending the innuendo, successfully took Jake off his dark humor.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, his demeanor shifting to a more serious tone.

I let out a deep sigh. "Fine... What do you want to ask about?"

"So... I have been told you were adopted, but you and Sabrina don't have the same last name and Brian said once that the legal situation is complicated... what's the deal with that after all?"