“Have you started on your paper?” he asked.
I turned to face him. His thick lashes lined the blue-gray eyes that watched me. His mouth turned up into a smile. This was the first time he’d made this much of an effort to speak to me.
“I’m starting this weekend,” I said.
“I finished mine yesterday,” he said. I was shocked.
“Wow.”
“You’re doing it this weekend? Shouldn’t you be celebrating Halloween?” he asked, watching me intently.
“Do I look like someone who celebrates Halloween?”
He smirked. “I wanted to ask you something.”
“Yeah?”
“Will you read over my paper?” His eyes were full of hope, and I couldn’t be the one who killed that. Besides, Gabby told me he hadn’t acted like that since that night. She would know since she spent most of her time with Tyler.
“Uh, sure. I don’t know if I’ll have time before the professor comes in.”
His face broke out in a huge grin. “After class at the coffee shop?”
“Sure,” I said. I tried to look like I wasn’t as excited as I was. He’d kept his distance for weeks, and that hurt me. That was what I asked for, but I wanted him to at least try, but he didn’t.
“See you there,” he said just as the professor came through the door. Gabby slid into the chair on the opposite side of me. Her eyes bounced between us, and then she winked at me.
“Why does this feel like some lame attempt to get me to tutor you again?” I asked Liam as I set my notebook on the table. He pushed a cup in front of me with a grin.
“Because that’s what it is,” he said, smirking. I looked down at my coffee, cupping the sides, thinking it was a weird place we are in. First, we had a weird friendship, then we made out, then I hated him, and we were back to the weird friendship. Rinse and repeat.
“Give me your paper, Romeo.”
“I wonder why that one isn’t on the syllabus,” he said.
“Our professor is a hopeless romantic.”
“Isn’t that romantic?” he asked, and his face screwed into confusion.
I sighed. He should have known these things by this point. “No, it’s a tragedy…and it’s dramatic.”
“Dramatic tragedy. That should be a thing. We should make it a thing.”
“Give me your paper,” I deadpanned. His eyes were lit with humor. He leaned back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head. He made no attempt to reach in his backpack, and I was starting to get suspicious of him.
“So, about that…” I cut him off before he could talk.
“You lied to me?”
“It sounds really bad when you put it like that.”
“How would you put it?” I asked.
He leaned up, closer to the table. I could practically feel the wheels turning in his brain as he considered every word he would say. He palmed his drink, bouncing his leg. A strong layer of anxiety came over him. A stranger wouldn’t notice his behavior, but I saw him differently now.
“I should’ve said I’m sorry. I have been thinking of ways to talk to you for two weeks. That was the best I could do.” He shrugged his shoulders, finally looking up at me. His leg was rocking the table, sending the anxiety into the air. I could practically cut it with a knife.
“Why did you wait so long?”
He was confused; it was evident. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“Does anyone know what they want?” I asked. He stopped bouncing his leg; relief washed over him. I didn’t know what he’d expected me to say, but a question was better than my real answer. I had no idea if he should leave me alone. Did I want him to? No. Did he need to? Probably. “You were my friend…of course I didn’t want you to stay away forever.”
“I know what I want.” His face was wiped of humor. I’d never seen him so serious.
“Am I supposed to ask what?” I asked, and a corner of his mouth tilted up.
“Let me take you out.”
My heart did a little dance and my brain screamed no; all at the same time. “Okay.”
“Is tomorrow night good for you?” he asked, biting his lip, attempting to contain a smile.
“I get off at six.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he stated.
“Sounds great,” I said as I stood up. I grabbed my notebook and my coffee. “Thanks for the drink.”
I took a couple steps back, smiling at him. He was just standing there, watching me with amusement. I wanted to ask what was so funny, but I was afraid. I’d never met someone so honest in my life. I turned and began walking away.
“Hey, Autumn?”
“Yeah?” I turned to face him. He shoved his fist into his pocket. He wore the same expression as before. I had a feeling I was about to find out what he found so amusing.
“I’m not your friend.”
I laughed once, confused. “What?”
“You told me earlier I was your friend and you didn’t want me to stay away. I’m not your friend,” he said, stressing each word.
“Is that something you say to everyone after you ask them to hang out? You really should work on your manners.”
His face said he was completely amused by our conversation. “We aren’t hanging out, Autumn. It’s a date, and I’m going to kiss you again.”
I fought the heat that was rising to my cheeks. The more he said, the more aware I was of the students that were at the coffee shop, watching us. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I’d been around him long enough to know he thrived on embarrassing me.
“Your chance of that happening just dropped significantly,” I said.
“So, you’re saying I had a chance? You were thinking about it?” His shit-eating grin was about to push me over the edge. The fiery redhead in me was about to rip him a new one, but I played his game. And I lost.
“See you tomorrow, Liam,” I said, and walked off.
Without thinking, I surveyed the patio
