Oliver strolls over, a grin lighting up his face. "Isla," he greets me, clearly more comfortable than he was last night; at least he's actually looking me in the eye this time.
"Hey," I reply, though my attention keeps flicking over to Reid, who's scanning the room, no doubt noticing all the stares and whispers flying our way.
They're both dressed in navy tracksuits with matching swim bags slung over their shoulders, slightly damp from the pool. The bags look heavy, probably filled with gear â swim caps, goggles, towels, water bottles. A few strands of hair fall across Reid's forehead, still damp from training, while Oliver's hair is pushed back, catching a bit of the sunlight streaming through the window.
As he grins at me, I notice something between Oliver's teeth â looks like chocolate. It almost makes him look like he's missing a couple of front teeth.
"Oliver," I say, pointing at my teeth, "you've got a little something stuck..."
"Ah, hell," he mutters, whipping out his phone to check, and his cheeks flush a deep pink. He shoots a glare at Reid. "Bloody hell, mate, why didn't you say anything?"
Reid just shrugs, his expression playful.
Oliver mutters something under his breath before excusing himself to the restroom, leaving me alone with Reid. My mind scrambles, looking for an escape route, but Reid is already sitting across from me, long legs stretched out, looking effortlessly comfortable as he drops his bag and slips off his glasses. His gaze finds mine, and my brain momentarily short-circuits.
"What are you doing?" I blurt, trying to keep my thoughts from drifting to how good he looks â the tracksuit hugging his frame just right, accentuating his broad shoulders and athletic build.
"Sitting," he replies simply, a hint of amusement in his eyes as if my question was silly.
"I didn't invite you to sit."
"Good thing I didn't ask, then," he smirks, that playful glint in his gaze infuriating and... well, attractive.
"Do you realize the entire school's gossiping about us?" I whisper, leaning in slightly. "This isn't helping."
"Let them talk, love," he says casually, his accent turning the last word into something that makes my stomach flip. "By next week, they'll be on about some other scandal."
The casual confidence in his tone makes me hesitate. Maybe I was overreacting? Or was he underreacting? Maybe he's just used to being the center of attention, something I'll never understand. Another reminder that we'd never work. The thought makes me cringeâ who said anything about us being a "thing"?
That kiss meant nothing to him; he's had plenty of practice, after all. But for me, it was different. It wasn't just the kiss itself but the feelings I'd buried deep over the past year. When he crashed into my life - literally - I was blindsided by it all over again.
Lost in thought, I barely notice Reid reaching over to swipe my blueberry scone. He takes a massive bite, eyes twinkling as he chews.
"Uhm, that was mine," I protest.
His grin only widens, but then I notice a faint, reddish-purple mark just below his left eye, barely visible until he removed his glasses. My gaze zeroes in on it, feeling like I'm seeing a side of him he didn't mean to show.
"Your eye - what happened there?" I ask softly. His expression shifts as he pulls back, his body stiffening slightly, and I instantly regret prying.
"Hey, what did I miss?" Oliver returns, dropping into the seat beside me.
"Nothing," I reply, but his gaze flicks between me and Reid, pausing on the half-eaten scone in Reid's hand.
"You ordered without me?"
Reid ignores him, absorbed in his phone again, clearly not one for pleasantries. Glad I wasn't the only one on the receiving end.
"It was mine," I tell Oliver, nodding toward the scone.
"Oh, was it any good?"
"I wouldn't know," I laugh. "I never got the chance to try it."
Oliver's face falls, and then he brightens. "I'll get you a new one. Want anything else?"
"Yeah, a double-shot espresso, almond milk," Reid chimes in, barely looking up.
"Wasn't talking to you, mate." Oliver rolls his eyes, his attention firmly back on me. "What would you like?"
"Oh, I'm fine, thanks. Just order for yourself." I smile, causing Oliver to blush and Reid to shoot him an unimpressed look before refocusing on his phone.
"Don't forget two sugars," Reid calls after him, smirking as Oliver flips him off. Their back-and-forth is endearing, like they've been doing it forever. Oliver did mention they grew up together in Englandâ there's something fascinating about imagining a younger Reid, still cocky and charming in a different world.
"So, when did you two get so chummy?" Reid asks suddenly, glancing at Oliver at the counter.
"Chummy?"
"He's normally not this chatty, especially with pretty girls," Reid says, a teasing grin lighting up his face as he takes another bite of my scone. Did he just call me pretty? My mind races as I watch his hands flex with each bite, memories of our kiss flooding back.
"Last night, when he drove me home, we talked a little," I murmur, hoping my latte will somehow cool the blush creeping up my cheeks.
"Oh," he says, barely lifting his eyes from his phone.
I want to ask him what's so interesting on that screen or about the scar under his eye, but I stay quiet, sensing I've already pushed too far. The silence stretches on as he finishes my scone and I sip my coffee, each moment charged with a tension I don't want to admit to.
After a few minutes, Oliver returns with a tray. He places Reid's espresso and a fresh scone in front of me, settling down with his order â a caramel latte and a chocolate croissant.
"Thank you," I say warmly, but a buzzing sound on the table, draws my attention to Reid's phone. The screen flashes with an incoming call from "Red."
Reid's and Oliver's eyes both widen, and Reid snatches the phone off the table, sighing heavily. "Gotta go," he mumbles, taking the last bite of the scone and grabbing his bag.
"What about the coffee?" Oliver frowns.
"Enjoy," Reid replies, already halfway out the door.
Oliver mutters something about wasted orders, but I'm still staring after Reid. That's twice now he's dropped everything for this mysterious Red, and something doesn't feel right about it.
When I glance back, I catch Oliver watching me, his expression cautious. The second our eyes meet, he chokes on his croissant, and I quickly hand him his drink.
Once he's recovered, he leans in. "Don't go digging, yeah?"
"Excuse me?"
"It's better if you ignore it," he says, his voice almost pleading.
"Hm." I try to look unconcerned, turning to gaze out the window and taking a careful sip of my coffee.
"Have I made things awkward?" he asks, his face falling slightly.
"No, it's fine. You're right; curiosity never did anyone much good," I reply, and he nods, looking relieved.
"And about the gossip, it'll blow over soon enough. The second Reid's seen with another girl, they'll have a new scandal to chew on," he says, trying to be reassuring, though the comment settles uneasily with me. Shouldn't I be glad the attention would fade?
I gather my things, trying to escape the odd weight of it all. "I should go."
"Oh, I'll drive you," Oliver offers, scratching the back of his neck, an almost shy expression crossing his face.
"Thanks, but I drove here." Disappointment flits across his features, though he tries to hide it.
"Well, then... you should come to tonight's rager," he says, brightening as he speaks. "It's for all the new recruits in each athletic department. Honestly, it's worth it once the initiation nonsense is done."
"Hmm, I don't know. One party was enough for me this year," I reply, still a bit wary after last night's events.
"Oh, you're right. But this one's actually funâand Reid won't be there," he adds, making me laugh despite myself.
"Okay, I'll think about it."
"Okay, just give me your number and I'll send you the details and you can decide later." He says pulling out his phone and handing it to me.
"Fine," I say, and he grins as I punch in my number. Just then, I spot Maddy and Lila through the window. "If I do decide to go, can I bring friends?"
He nods. "Of course! How many?"
"Just two." I respond and he nods.
As I head out to meet Maddy and Lila, Maddy loops her arm through mine, grinning. "Who's the cute one, then?" she asks, nodding back toward Oliver.
I glance back to see him quickly averting his gaze, cheeks tinged pink, and smile.
He was cute.
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