A Way Out

Chapter 16

"Good afternoon, Miss Florence."

"H-Hi." It was the only word I could come up with. Without really doing anything, he was able to get inside my head, making it malfunction. My spoken words were never the ones that had been in my mind the seconds before they left my lips.

"Black," he said again. I felt it. A breeze laced with ice, draping over me. It was the 'cold' and this time he directed it towards me. Donovan's gaze was harsh and his jaw tense as he waited for me to take his order. There was no warmth in his features. It made me feel like I had done something terribly wrong, but I just didn't know what.

He held up a five-dollar bill and said, "I'm in a hurry." With a soft smack, he placed the bill on the counter.

I opened my mouth and closed it again, not knowing how to react. I've seen the cold, felt it, but never directed towards me. It felt like stepping from a warm, comfortable space into the open air of a cold winter's day. The sudden change in temperature hitting me like a slap in the face.

"Donovan," I tried, sounding somewhat desperate. His eyes widened ever so slightly at the mention of his name, and that's when I knew I could still get to him. I was still able to destroy the 'cold' he surrounded himself with, so I took it as a small victory and prepared his coffee.

"Have a nice day, sir," I said, handing him his coffee. His thumb lightly brushed over my hand when he took his coffee, making me miss his touch.

"Thanks," he said before turning around and leaving. My eyes followed his every move until he disappeared through the door and vanished around the corner. Something within me snapped, and I felt betrayed. What the hell was that at the beach? He had let me in, but now he shut the door and locked it behind him, throwing the key far out of my reach.

The day dragged on and luckily Cassie offered to switch places. The coming and going of people had died down, and I was cleaning the tables when the bell of the door indicated another customer had entered. I became too occupied with the thoughts in my head to look up. In my mind, I scolded Donovan Dane, screamed at him, and even cussed him out. He had taken my heart and threw it on the ground, which I didn't deserve.

"Coffee girl!" Those words brightened my mood instantly, and I welcomed the smiling guy with a big hug.

"Didn't expect to get a welcome like this, but okay." Justin chuckled in my ear before softly wrapping his arms around me and rubbing my back.

I moved away and smiled at him. "You currently are on the top of my 'nice guys list,'" I told him as I took a seat at one of the tables. Justin followed suit and grinned. His blue eyes shimmering and the dimples in his cheeks showing.  Although Justin and Donovan's eyes were both blue Justin's were much softer and much more pleasant. There was no 'cold' and for now, that had been a very welcoming sight.

"I don't have to tell you that keeping a list of guys tends to be creepy, right?" he pointed out, making me laugh. "How have you been?"

I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing how to answer his question. I thought I was doing fine, but Jake and even Donovan both crapped all over that feeling. The only difference between the two of them was that I wanted to know what the hell Donovan's problem was. I had closed Jake's chapter a long time ago, but he didn't seem to do me that same favor.

Justin gave me a tight-lipped smile and said, "I know the remedy for that."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Do you now?"

"Oh yes, I do". Justin leaned closer and whispered. "Harry Potter movie marathon."

I laughed, and Justin feigned hurt as he placed his hand on his heart. "God, you really are a nerd," I snickered.  Justin narrowed his eyes at me. "But a sweet nerd," I added. "It's definitely a date."