Chapter 5: ||Four||

Scarlet woke me up in the morning. Too early in the morning considering we both slept for only a few hours.

She set a plate of breakfast on the table next to the couch.

"Eat up," she said.

My body moved sluggishly towards the food. "You didn't have to."

She sat beside me and watched as I lifted the plate and placed it on my lap.

"I think a simple thank you would have sufficed, but you're welcome."

I smile. "Thank you, Scarlet."

She smiled back. "Don't mention it. You have an hour to get to your dorm."

I glanced at the nearest clock to find it was exactly 8AM, and rushed through my breakfast.

"Do you want to have lunch with me today?" she asked.

"What time?"

"My lunch break is around one. I want you to tell me more about the boys you've previously dated."

I snorted. "Nate is the only boy I've dated."

"Really? Okay, the boys you've slept up with."

I shook my head. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Fine, fine. Tell me about Raphael."

"Considering he's nonexistent, there's not much I can say."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she said, standing up. "I need to get ready for work. Just leave the plate in the kitchen when you're done."

I nodded. "Thanks, again."

She kissed my cheek. "I'll see you at lunch."

"Where are we going again?"

"I'll text you the address."

—

"You're kidding me," I muttered to myself as I stood outside the tea shop.

With a sigh, I walked through the front door and my eyes met with Scarlet's from across the room.

I took a seat facing her. "They don't serve lunch here."

"I know. I thought we could get some tea first."

"Why?"

"Because I like having tea before a meal."

"We could've had tea at the restaurant."

She shook her head, long, brown locks of hair swinging. "Not the same. What's wrong with it anyway?"

"Nothing. Just that I've been here twice this week already."

She winced. "Sorry, I didn't know. You should've told me."

"I didn't recognize the address when you sent it to me."

She pushed a menu towards me. "At least you're familiar with the menu."

When we were ready to order, Scarlet scanned the room until she found a waiter and beckoned him towards us with a nod and a charming smile.

I was too busy to notice the waiter's arrival, still skimming through the tea options.

What would Nate have?

"I'll have the Jasmine tea," Scarlet said. "Jake?"

"Maybe just the...Oh."

I'd glanced up mid-speech and instantly recognized the striking blonde hair.

It was the guy who sat by the trash.

His eyebrows shot up. "You're back a third time? Obsessed are we?"

I cracked a smile. "Who's counting? I thought you worked in the kitchens."

"Usually," he said, "I'm filling in for a friend. What are you having?"

"Cinnamon," I replied.

He nodded, sliding the pencil from behind his ear and using it to scribble down our order.

"Is that all?" he asked.

I nodded.

He glanced at Scarlet. "Sorry, who are you?"

The seat beneath me suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Scarlet." She grinned. "A friend. You are...?"

"Raphael."

Scarlet nodded. Then she froze for half a second before bursting out in laughter.

Raphael narrowed his eyes at her, glancing at me briefly. "Should I be this surprised at your taste in friends?"

"I have no idea what she's doing, I promise you. I'm just surprised we never exchanged names."

"It's...just...," Scarlet spoke in between gasps, "his name. His name, Jake."

"What's wrong with my name?" Raphael stood up straighter.

"Raphael. Fucking Raphael, Jake."

"Oh."

Her shoulders shook with laughter while I tried to wrap my mind around this new found information.

"I don't get it," Raphael said.

"It's nothing," I said quickly.

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

"Get us the tea," Scarlet said, "I'll explain when you get back."

Raphael didn't look fully convinced but complied anyway.

"Holy shit, Jake."

"This is weird. This is really weird. Is this the universe's idea of a joke?"

"I don't know, but I find it hilarious."

I shook my head. "This is messed up."

"It's brilliant. You have to be friends with him, you just have to be."

"Why?"

"Because! The coincidence!" She spluttered.

"I don't know," I muttered, "I always imagined Raphael with dark hair."

Scarlet laughed again, wiping at the tears that formed beneath her eyes. "This is legendary."

I groaned. "You're never letting this go, are you?"

"Never. I  love this."

He came back then, and just in time, setting our cups of tea in front of us.

"That was quick," I commented.

"I'm a curious person," he said, tucking his hands into the front pockets of his apron. "So who's Raphael?"

I licked my lips, glancing at Scarlet.

She lifted her tea up and and took a long sip.

I sighed. "Fine, I'll tell him. Thanks for the help."

Scarlet blinked innocently.

"Raphael is a guy I made up because I want my ex to think I'm over him just as much as he's over me."

He grinned. "No way."

"Yeah, but...your name...and, well," I said, gesturing with my hands.

"That's priceless."

"Isn't it?" Scarlet burst out.

"So, who's Mr. Oblivious?"

"Nate," Scarlet said, "that's his name. He actually believes Jake."

"How?" Raphael asked. "He never asked for pictures?"

I shook my head. "No, I always avoided the topic whenever I could."

"Why aren't you over him, then?" he asked.

I frowned. "I don't know."

Scarlet stood up. "I need to get going."

I sat up. "What? You said we were grabbing lunch."

"I know, but something came up at the office," she said, winking. "I'll catch you another time."

My eyebrows met in confusion again, but I nodded anyway.

She reached for her wallet but I stopped her. "You paid for last night, it's my turn."

She dropped her hand and smiled. "Thanks. Bye, Raphael."

He waved lazily.

We watched her leave, and then he turned to me. "Last night?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "We had dinner."

"And you let her pay?"

"It was takeout. At her place."

He tilted his head to the side, then took Scarlet's seat. "Why aren't you over Nate?"

"I really don't know."

"Figure it out," he said. "How long has it been?"

"A year and a half, I think."

He cursed. "What? Is he some prince?"

"No, just...Nate."

Raphael scoffed. "You make him sound like a mystical  creature."

"I just like him a lot, more than I've ever liked anyone else."

"What about Scarlet?"

"What about her?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"She's my friend, I met her at a club," I said. "Why?"

"I was just wondering. You two seem close."

I chuckled. "I only met her a few days ago."

He nodded. "We only met a few days ago and it's different."

"I didn't sleep with you."

His eyes widened and a wicked grin split across his features. "Just friends?"

"Friends with benefits?"

He shook his head, smile still intact. "Would you like to sleep with me?"

I almost dropped the tea in my hand. "What?"

He bit his lip. "Nope."

"Wait, what?"

"I'm not saying it again."

"Then I'm not acknowledging it."

He held my gaze. "Fair enough."

"Shouldn't you be working?" I asked, taking a careful sip of my tea.

Raphael undid his apron and let it drop on the back of his chair. "It's not busy here anyway."

I watched him run his fingers through his hair, blue eyes clashing with mine for a moment.

"What?" he asked.

"Is the offer still up?"

"If you'd like to fuck me?"

It was more of a rhetorical question, really.

"Depends," he said. "When?"

"Not now," I said.

"No."

"No?"

"No, it no longer stands. You're not over this Nate bloke."

"It would be one time."

"Not after you have me, it won't."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're that good?"

"Or so I'm told," he said.

I leaned back against my chair and examined him. I could see it. His blonde hair, a halo against my white sheets. His pale skin flushed beneath me, hips grinding, chests flushed together.

"Fair enough," I said.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" I asked.

He grinned. "Are you any good?"

"I've never gotten a complaint."

"Maybe I should ask Scarlet."

"Please don't," I interjected, holding my tea cup in both hands.

"Why not? She would know. How many times-"

"No. We're definitely not going there."

"Party pooper."

I shook my head, taking a sip of my tea. Nate liked Cinnamon, didn't he?

I swallowed and set my tea aside, pushing it away as a dull ache grew in my chest.

"Something wrong with the tea?"

"It's nothing."

"Is it your ex?"

I said nothing, staring outside the large windows, watching people pass by, cars zoom down the street.

"Tell me about him," he said. "Maybe it could help."

"He liked tea," I said slowly.

"Avoiding tea might help you get over him."

"I know. I just can't help it," I said.

"What else?"

"I used to tutor him. He dropped out of high school because...it's kind of a long story but he dropped out and his parents contacted me and I began teaching him everything he could possibly need to know to move on to college."

He raised his eyebrows. "And he still dumped you?"

I ran my fingers through my hair. "It's not like that. He's happier without me."

"Then why can't you just let him go?" he said, frustration loud in his voice.

"It's not something I can just switch off."

"Have you tried meeting other people?"

I nodded. "But I just can't stop comparing them to him and it gets on my nerves. I don't like thinking about him all the time but it happens the more I surround myself with other people."

"And being alone is a better alternative?"

"I study."

He shook his head, a strand of hair falling to his face. I watched him brush it back. "You live a very boring life, Jake. Except your one night stands don't sound too bad."

I smiled and allowed myself a joke. "Is that what this is all about? You want me to get over him so you can, what, have sex with me?"

He chuckled. "Maybe I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

"Are you? Really? You're in a tea shop, Jake. Do you even like tea?"

"I do," I protested.

"Right." He fished out a pen from his pocket and played with it, rolling it between his finger. "Do you draw?"

"Draw?" I asked, surprised at the sudden change of topic.

"Yes. Do you?"

I shook my head.

He hummed, eyes trained on me. "I guess there are other ways to express."

I raised my eyebrows. "How do you do it?"

"I want to be a tattoo artist," he said, then rolled up his sleeves.

My eyes fell upon an intricate design of a rose, perfect in detail, from the thorns on its stem to the soft looking petals.

"It's amazing," I breathed, stretching a finger out to touch it.

He pushed his arm away.

I was curious at reaction, but the closed off expression on his face had me locking my curiosity away.

"How much time did it take to get that done?" I asked.

He smirked. "It's not real."

"What?"

"It's not a real tattoo," he said, lifting the pen he had in his hand. "I drew it on myself. I'm afraid of needles."

I didn't know what to say. "Raph-"

"I'm working on it," he said, smoothly, like it was no big deal.

"Raphael, it's incredible. I thought it was real."

He brushed off the compliment, grabbing my left wrist instead. "Can I draw on you?"

I frowned. "Yeah. Go ahead."

His fingers slid against my skin as he pushed my sleeves up. He pushed himself to the edge of his seat, moving closer towards me so that his leg lightly grazed my own.

He pressed a gentle hand on mine and turned it over so my forearm stretched out before him. Satisfied, he placed the top of the pen in his mouth and pulled the cap off with his teeth.

I swallowed, watching him as he chewed on the cap, pressing the tip of his pen against my skin. Something about it had me wondering about his lips, his mouth, his tongue.

Maybe I could get over Nate.

Glancing down at my arm, I noticed Raphael was already drawing something. First a quick sketch of the image, then a thicker outline, before he went on and pressed the pen harder against my skin. The blue ink seeped into my skin, but faintly, and not enough to ruin the design he had in mind.

"Do you have a plan or are you just winging it?" I asked.

"A little bit of both," he said with a smile, removing the pen's cap from his mouth. "Would you ever get a tattoo?"

"I never gave it much thought. I think if I ever felt like it then I would, I'm not entirely apposed to the idea."

"What would you get?"

"A quote? I don't know. Something simple."

"Like this?" He lifted his hand away from my arm and I blinked.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "Yeah, probably."

It was a tiny tea cup, simple, at the center of my arm. He'd drawn it on a little saucer, adding a few wisps of smoke at the top, and shading it exactly how it would a real cup of tea.

"Wrong answer," he said, "this way you'll never get over Nate."

"Then why'd you draw it?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't think of anything else."

I edged my arm towards him. "Draw something else."

"Are you sure?"

I smiled. "Stop being modest. You know you're good, so keep going."

He put the pen cap back in his mouth. "What would you like me to draw?"

"Anything. What do you like? Draw a cigarette."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't like cigarettes."

"Yeah but it reminds me of when we met."

"And you'd want that on your body permanently?"

"You're using a pen," I pointed.

"I don't need the reminder."

I bit my tongue for a second. "I didn't mean it like that."

He waved his free hand in the air. "Forget it. I'll draw you the damn cigarette."

"Quiet, they'll know you were lying about it being weed."

He didn't look up but I saw the corners of his lips twitch into a smile as he began drawing at the side of my wrist.

Once he was finished, I brought my arm up and examined the simple drawing. "I like it. Maybe I should have it done permanently."

"What next? My name?"

But he didn't draw his name next. Next to the cigarette, he printed out a series of numbers and wrote his name beside it.

"Just in case," he said, before grabbing his apron and disappearing behind the counter.

Hey, hey, hey. I want to tattoo drarry across my forehead.

(lol jk)

Also, my mom is sitting really close to me rn and hahaha rip me if she can read what I'm writing

Thanks for reading :D