I snap and unsnap the cap of my pen in my hand, my gaze fixed on the computer screen displaying the chapter I'm supposed to be writing. However, my mind isn't focused on the book at all; it's occupied with replaying the last six days' worth of text messages between Wells and me. I tell myself not to read too much into them, but things just feel different.

When I woke up this morning, I found a text from him that simply said, 'Good morning.'

That was it. That was all there was—nothing before or after. Just 'Good morning.' I waited for about half an hour, expecting more, but nothing else came. So, I texted him back, returning the greeting with a 'Good morning' as well.

These are not the kind of text messages you send to a coworker; these are the kind of text messages you send to someone you're seeing, someone you're interested in, someone you are dating. And we aren't any of those things.

It's confusing. I'm confused.

I type another sentence on my laptop, attempting to regain focus, only to erase it all in frustration. I sigh, glancing around Hansens Coffee. I absentmindedly pick up my pen and bite onto the cap of it, scanning for any sign of Wells.

It's almost four o'clock, just a few minutes away from the time he told me to meet him here. There's been this knot of anxiousness coiled in my stomach since I woke up this morning, refusing to dissipate. I've never been nervous to talk to Wells. Before all of this, I'd just be irritated that I had to be around him and it's weirding me out.

What's even more weird about this whole situation, aside from the fact that we've been constantly texting since he left on Tuesday, is that— I miss him. A lot.

I'm not supposed to miss him, but I do. More than I ever missed Beckett, and we were together for two years.

And then there's the fact Wells hinted that he missed me too. He didn't say it directly, but the implication was crystal clear.

It's all I've been doing.

I keep finding myself scrolling back to that text, wondering if I misinterpreted it or if he meant it in a different way, wondering maybe if he doesn't actually mean it. But I keep coming up with the same conclusion— he misses me too.

I scrunch my eyes together, trying not to overthink it because I'm not supposed to feel this way. This wasn't part of the deal. It was supposed to be strictly physical—sex, something that would come to an end once summer was over. But now, I feel like I'm going find myself stuck in a hole and I won't be able to climb out of at the end of it all.

Because yes, I like him.

I like him a lot.

"Hey."

"Oh shit," I gasp, my hand darting to my chest as I snap my laptop shut. I turn to see Delaney walking around, coming to stand in front of my table. "You scared me."

"You're jumpy today," she remarks, sliding into the seat across from me.

"I'm not jumpy," I clear my throat, rubbing my hands over my thighs. I glance around the coffee shop, scanning for any sign of Wells. "What are you doing here?"

"Ellis wanted to get coffee before dinner."

Surprised, my eyes dart towards her. "Ellis is here too?"

"Yeah, she's just paying for her coffee," she says, gesturing with a nod toward Ellis's direction. She snatches a piece of my blueberry muffin and pops it into her mouth.

"We're having dinner tonight?"

"Yeah. Something about some new restaurants down the street."

"Oh."

"You're not actually working today, are you?" Ellis asks as she approaches, sliding into the seat beside me. "It's Saturday. You never work on weekends."

"Um, well, no. Not really," I respond, scanning the room once more for Wells. "I just had a few things to finish up."

"Hmm," she hums, shifting her focus to her phone. Taking a sip of her coffee, she begins scrolling. "Well, hurry up, we'll wait for you."

Glancing over at her. "I can just meet you at the house when I'm done. You guys don't have to wait." shaking my head slightly.

"No, we'll wait for you," she insists.

"You really don't need to." I nervously laugh.

"June," Delaney groans, "just hurry up so we can go."

With a small sigh, I look at both of them engrossed in their phones. Irritation creeps in knowing that I now have to pretend to work on something, which also means I won't have the chance to talk with Wells. I scan the shop again before reluctantly opening up my laptop again to start 'working'.

I wonder if faking a stomach ache to avoid dinner with them is excessive. Or maybe I could say I have an unexpected work call instead. Maybe they'd buy that excuse.

My phone buzzes on the table, and I quickly glance at it hoping it might be Wells. Instead, it's Beckett, trying to call again. The calls are dwindling, but they still come.

I reach for it, aware of Ellis's eyes flicking toward me and my phone. I quickly hit the ignore button, exhaling deeply in frustration.

And then I hear him laugh from behind the counter, and suddenly, my stomach jumps to my throat. I don't even have to turn around to confirm it's him—I can feel his presence. The atmosphere shifts, the air around me thickens (which is odd because this is just supposed to be just sex, right?).

I try to resist, but I can't help stealing a glance at him. And when I do, our eyes immediately lock. Today he's in black pants, slightly scuffed white Converse, and a tan button-up casually rolled up to his forearms, his brown hair falls into a perfectly wavy mess. And for a moment, I blink, almost expecting this to be a dream—but it's all too real.

My stomach swoops when he grins and begins heading toward my table.

There's an overwhelming urge to get up and wrap my arms around his waist. I want to bury my face into his neck, inhaling the scent of his bergamot amber cologne. I want to wrap my legs around him and never let go.

Instead, I remain seated and meet his gaze. "Hi, Wells Hansen," I say, biting my lip, wanting to say so much more.

"Hello, Juniper Jenkins," he greets, giving me that smile with those little lines on the sides of his lips. And I swear when he smiles like that, I forget how to breathe.

Unable to resist, I return the smile and we quietly grin at each other for a moment until Ellis breaks the silence between us and says, "Hey Wells."

He casts a surprised glance down at her, then shifts his gaze to Delaney, as if they both materialized out of thin air in front of him. I'm not sure if he even noticed I was sitting with them until just now.

"Hey, guys," he greets, his smile dropping just a fraction.

"Hey," Delaney responds before refocusing on her phone.

Wells glances back down at me, his lips pursing together, shooting me a questioning look. I attempt to ignore it because I kind of don't want him to leave now that he's here.

"Um, how did the interview go?" I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

"It was good," he clears his throat, brushing his hand through his hair, stealing a glance back at Ellis and Delany. Both of them are entirely engrossed in their phones.

"Oh good," I reply, nodding, twisting the cap on my pen nervously.

Maybe I should have stuck with my excuse of feeling sick after all. I wonder if I could still get away with it.

He takes a deep breath. "How was your week?" he asks, a smirk tugging on his lips. Delaney looks up at him, her brows pinched together, prompting him to quickly add, "I mean with the piece about the, um..."

"New highway?" I answer for him.

"Yeah."

"It went well, I think," I reply. I have no idea. He's the one writing it for me.

"Good, good. That's good," he says, nodding his head, his hands resting on his hips. "Can I get you a coffee or anything?"

I glance at Delaney as she sets her phone in her lap, her eyes narrowing slightly as they shift between me and Wells, listening to our conversation.

I huff out a laugh, but it sounds a tad more nervous than I'd like. "Does Hansen Coffee offer table service now?" I quip.

A smile grazes his lips. "No, just for you."

Heat spreads through my chest, and I have to clear my throat to speak. "Oh, well, no, that's alright," I manage, gesturing with my cup to show him my coffee. "I already have one, anyway."

"I can get you a refill if you need? Or another muffin if that one is cold?" He points toward my half-eaten muffin.

I smile and shake my head. "No, really, it's fine."

"Are you sure? I can—"

"Wait, I'm sorry," Delaney interjects, shaking her head in confusion and cutting off Wells. We look over to her, including Ellis. "But what is happening right now?"

"What? Nothing," I answer a bit too hastily, another nervous laugh escaping my lips. "What are you talking about?"

Delaney studies my face intently. I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks. She redirects her gaze back to Wells. There's no way she can tell what's happening between Wells and me just by looking at us, right? I mean, we're barely interacting.

"Oh my god," Delaney says, her gaze shifting back to me, narrowing her blue eyes.

"What?" I ask, attempting not to sound too panicked.

Ellis leans in. "What?"

"No," Delaney says, her expression filled with disbelief, a hint of a smile creeping onto her face.

"What Delaney?" Ellis questions again.

"Um, I'll, uh, leave you guys to it," Wells announces to the table, then turns to me, asking, "I'll see you later?"

I nod as he leaves, then glance back at Delaney, who's grinning at me. "Oh my god," she exclaims.

"What?" Ellis looks between us, growing visibly frustrated and raising her voice a notch.

"Juniper. Are you—" Delaney starts.

"Delaney," I say, gently shaking my head, signaling I don't want her to verbalize the thoughts I already know are in her mind.

"—are you sleeping with Wells?"

"You're sleeping with Wells Hansen?" Ellis blurts out, her eyes widening with surprise.

Everyone –and I do mean everyone in the coffee shop– stops what they are doing and is wide-eyed, staring. Including Wells and his sister behind the counter.

I sink deep into my chair. "Why don't you say it a little louder Ellis?" I retort in a whisper. "I'm not sure the guy across the street heard you."

She glances around, realizing the attention she unintentionally drew, offers a sheepish smile to the lingering onlookers, then refocuses on me, leaning in with a hushed voice, "You're sleeping with Wells Hansen?"

I look around as the coffee shop slowly returns to its regular bustle. Catching Wells's sister covering her mouth to stifle a laugh at him, I exhale heavily before reluctantly nodding at Ellis and Delaney.

"Since when?" Ellis whispers, her tone more like a yell.

"I don't know," I confess, nervously biting my lip. "Two or three weeks now."

"So this whole time you've been working on this article together–" Delaney starts.

"I was with Wells," I finish her sentence.

"Oh my god," Ellis speaks through a laugh. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because! We made a pact, and I didn't want to break it!"

"June, I made the pact for you!" Ellis exclaims.

"Wait, what?" I shake my head, confused.

"I made the pact for you, Juniper! I felt bad about what happened with Beckett, and I didn't want you to feel left out or upset if guys were around. But clearly, you've been over him for a while now." She grabs her coffee off the table and swiftly turns back to me, adding, "And I'm still waiting for your explanation about wanting to break up with him a few months ago. Don't think I've forgotten about that."

"Oh." I watch as she takes a sip of her coffee. I'm torn between feeling a little annoyed at her for lying to me and grateful for having friends who care enough to create a pact tailored to me.

"Well, I guess this is a good time to tell you guys that I slept with Clayton," Delaney says with a sigh. Our heads snap in her direction, surprised by her confession.

"You slept with Clay?" I ask.

"The science teacher you've been pining over?"

"He's a math teacher, and yes," she responds with a rueful shrug, tearing off another piece of my blueberry muffin and popping it into her mouth.

"Oh no," Ellis remarks, her nose scrunching reading Delaney's demeanor. "Did you get weird again?"

She scoffs. "I did not get 'weird,'" she retorts, rolling her eyes before muttering, "Whatever that even means."

"You do kinda get weird Delaney," I say agreeing with Ellis.

"You've always gotten a little awkward when you like a guy," Ellis comments, prompting another eye roll from Delaney. She knows Ellis is right and doesn't even bother to argue with her. "It's like the moment you realize you like him you forget how to act like a normal human."

"What did he say?" I ask, steering the conversation in a different direction.

"He said we should just be friends."

"After you slept together?"

"Yeah," she says sheepishly.

"What a tool," I mutter, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Wow you guys, I can't believe you both. We had a 'no-boy' pact, and you both broke it," Ellis says, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Oh, please, Ellis. We share a wall. It's not like you're quiet," Delaney retorts at the same time I chime in, "I saw the cowboy boots at the front door the other morning. Don't even try to lie about it."

Ellis's mouth drops open in disbelief, and then she shakes her head listlessly. "You guys knew this whole time?"

"I had my suspicions," I admit.

"I had no suspicions. I had to use headphones on more than one occasion," Delaney adds and I snort out a laugh.

A faint blush colors Ellis's face. "I'm not that loud," she murmurs softly.

"So, who's your guy?" Delaney asks.

"I don't know," Ellis replies with a nonchalant shrug. "Just some cowboy from Wyoming."

"You don't know his name?" I question her.

"Rhett Lawson," she says, her tone indifferent, but her avoidance of eye contact says otherwise. Delaney and I exchange a knowing glance, but we decide to leave it be for now.

My phone vibrates on the table again and we all glance down at the same time to see Beckett calling again. I groan.

"Oh my god. Shut up, Beckett!" Ellis exclaims at the incessantly vibrating phone. "We're over you!"

Swiftly, I snatch my phone and press the ignore button.

"I don't understand why you don't answer his calls and tell him to stop bothering you," Ellis remarks as I scan the coffee shop for Wells. He must have left because I don't see him anymore.

"Can we not talk about this here?" I interject, slipping my computer into my bag and rising from the table.

"Where are you going?" Ellis asks.

"Leaving."

"You don't want to stay to see Wells?" Delaney asks, rising to her feet.

"I'm pretty sure you both scared him off. He's not here anymore. I'll text him."

"Oh, oops," Ellis says, scrunching her nose as they both trail behind me out of Hansen Coffee.

"So why don't you want to talk to him? I don't get it," Delaney asks as we walk along the sidewalk toward Ellis's car.

"Wells? I told you–"

"No, Beckett," she interjects. "You're obviously over him. I don't get it. Just get it over with and tell him to leave you alone."

"Because," I respond tersely, not wanting to talk about it.

"Because why?" Delaney presses.

I halt in my steps, pivoting to face them. "Because he's going to talk me out of it again!"

They both pause, their brows furrowed in confusion. "Again? What does that mean?" Ellis questions.

I close my eyes as I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "He's going to list all the reasons why we work together, why we should still be together, and I'll end up believing him. Just like last time, he'll talk me into it."

"Last time?" Delaney asks.

"I've already tried breaking up with Beckett. Remember that day I mentioned it? In your classroom, Delaney? I tried that day, and somehow, our conversation ended with us deciding to move in together. He talked me into it. I told him I wanted to end things, but he convinced me that what we needed was to progress to the next step and move in together. According to him, breaking up wasn't the solution; we just needed to go to the next level."

"He talked you out of breaking up with him?" Delaney's eyebrows shoot up.

"Yes," I sigh.

"June. He cheated on you. He can't talk his way out of that," Ellis asserts.

"I don't know. You don't know him like I do," I say, shaking my head at them. "It's just what he does. He's really good at selling you on things. I mean, why do you think he went into sales? Honestly, I'm surprised he couldn't talk his way into the NFL."

I turn to walk towards the car, Ellis tries to catch my attention. "June," she calls out.

"And do you want to know how I felt when I walked in on him with that girl?" I say, turning around to them again. "I was relieved. I was so fucking relieved that I finally had a reason just walk away without him trying to talk me out of it. I had a reason to never speak to him again. But apparently, he still thinks he can, which is probably why he calls me incessantly. And I'm worried that the moment he gets more than five minutes to talk to me, he'll manage to convince me that somehow I'm wrong about everything. "

I exhale a long, deep sigh, glancing at them to find both staring at me.

"Juniper—" Ellis begins.

"Can we please just not talk about it right now?" I plea, reaching for the car door handle.

"Okay," Delaney agrees after a small pause, and I quickly open the car door, sliding into the back seat.

Notes

Thoughts on this chapter? Did we see this coming?

Thank you everyone for reading, commenting, and voting. ❤️