Chapter 3

Ellie Bean. The nickname that stuck when I couldn't say jellybean at three years old. Conveniently, it sounded like the beginning of my name, Elizabeth. From there came Ellie, and then as I got older, Elle. No one I knew called me Ellie Bean anymore, except Dad when he was feeling sentimental.

And now Justin.

Standing this close, I was finally able to take him in completely. As always, those eyes, which currently sparkled with a hint of arrogance, were gorgeous. His black hair, which was shorter on the sides and a little overgrown on top, shone with the remnants of sweat he earned throughout his time on stage. He was clean-shaven but looked a little scruffier than usual, also a result of the drumming, no doubt.

There was also a tattoo on his chest. I thought I saw a glimpse of it earlier, but now I could confirm that Justin definitely did have a tattoo. I could see the corner of it peeking out of his shirt. What it was exactly, I couldn't tell.

"So you do know who I am," I stated with a spark of confidence I didn't know I possessed.

He shrugged. "I wasn't sure at first but figured it out recently."

Recently? How recently? Ten minutes ago recently?

I took a chance, remembering the all-knowing smirks I'd received tonight. "And you never said hello?"

He licked his lips slowly as he thought about it. Oh, wow.

"You've always been a little standoffish," he admitted openly. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

Standoffish? "No, I'm not," I countered boldly.

The corner of Justin's lips curved up and he looked me over. "Are you sure? Your body language is telling me a different story, and you've always sort of been that way."

My body language? I took a moment to consider that. Crossed arms, a popped knee and a cold attitude. I quickly unfolded myself and tried to relax. That only made him laugh. "I'm not 8-years-old anymore," I reminded him, "and I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

He laughed again. It was nice, and I momentarily forgot that he was teasing me. "So, that drink?"

I shook my head politely. "I'm not drinking tonight."

"Alcohol's not a condition on the offer." When I didn't respond, he continued with an air of confidence. "How about a skinny macadamia latte?"

My heart picked up its uneven rhythm again. He knew my coffee order. "So you have noticed me." All those times in the campus café when I stole glances at him, watched him from afar, and daydreamed about things I shouldn't have be daydreaming about while trying to study, he noticed.

He spread his hands in a shrug. "It's a little hard to ignore the ogling eyes of a beautiful woman."

I had to look away to hide the beginnings of a smile that threatened to break through. So I was beautiful? The shock of that only lasted a few seconds as my eyes widened in realisation.

Ogling. He knew that I'd been watching him! Could this meeting be any more embarrassing?

Again, I didn't respond. I was coming up blank, not knowing what to say. Thankfully, he picked up the conversation. "So, that coffee?"

"Sure, thank you," I accepted, intentionally avoiding gaze. I seemed to lose my words when I looked at him.

Justin caught the attention of the bartender and ordered our drinks. While he was doing that, I glanced back at Sascha. She mouthed an 'are you okay?' from her position in Dale's arms. I smiled to let her know that I was. Somehow, despite the swirling storm of emotions and memories occurring inside me, I was okay.

With drinks in hand, Justin and I walked back to our group. It had grown again. He pulled another bar table over and then found me a stool to sit on. I took it gratefully and thanked him for the seat and the coffee. That was the only bout of grateful I could manage, though, because as soon as we sat down, Darcy pounced upon him with one of her friends.

It wasn't like I should be surprised, or have any feelings about it at all, but watching Darcy lean against him as they laughed at some inside joke, stirred something inside me. It was plain to see that they were friends. They were clearly close, and there was nothing sensual about their actions, but it still sent a wave of annoyance through me. Her friend, Emily, was far worse. She outright flirted with him, tossed those perfect brunette curls over her shoulder, pressed herself against his side, and touched him with a confidence he didn't knock back.

I had to look away, if only to hide my eye roll. I wasn't sure what I was feeling, or why I was feeling it. I'd always had minor bouts of jealousy when I saw Hot Café Guy flirting with girls at the café. Surely that's what this was. Two years of obsession that needed to be thrown out.

Anthony, the guitarist, happened to be sitting next to me, so I decided starting a conversation with him would be a good distraction. It was, and I found myself falling easily into the group and tried to be confident.

Later in the night I caught Sascha's attention. She pulled herself away from Dale's embrace and came to stand beside me. She placed her drink—some blue concoction on ice—beside my now empty latte.

"What was the deal, again? Oh, right, no coffee!"

I held my hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, Justin offered. I could hardly refuse. That would be rude."

"Mhmm..." she mumbled with pursed lips. Then she lowered her voice. "Are you okay with all that? It looked a little awkward earlier."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told her. I snuck a glance at him. Justin was now engrossed in a conversation with Emily but he looked a little stern. Sascha clearly wasn't convinced, so I distracted her. "You and Dale are cosy. How's that going?"

She brightened immediately. It was then that I could tell she was tipsy. The giddy smile and glassy eyes were a tip off. "I have no words," she admitted. "No, really, I'm speechless. I go completely blank." She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me directly in the eye. "It's like nothing else matters." And then she giggled.

Definitely tipsy.

"Okay, I think I'm cutting you off now."

Sascha pouted. "Oh, come on, I need to drink for the both of us."

"Except you're more of a lightweight than I am," I chastised.

She folded her arms. "Yeah, okay Sawyer." Before I had time to respond to that little dig, Dale appeared. He placed a tall glass of water in front of her. "Now you guys are just ganging up on me." Sascha's hands went to her hips, but her attitude contradicted her eyes completely. They melted as she looked up at Dale.

He held her gaze and didn't back down.

"Fine," she moaned and reached for the glass.

I laughed and turned my attention to Dale. "I like you."

Sascha almost spat out the sip she'd taken.

"So you're impressed then?" he asked hopefully.

I held my pointer finger and thumb close together. "Just enough."

Sascha and Dale had been hanging off each other all night. I'd been mindful not to overcrowd her and gave her plenty of space to be with him. I was glad I did because it gave me a good view of them. Dale was very attentive. He was always touching her in one way or another: a hand on the small of her back; an embrace from behind; or a sweet kiss. And Sascha? Well, I'd never seen her so happy. She was no stranger to a good time, but the way she seemed tonight was on a new level.

My best friend was completely smitten.

When she'd finished her glass of water, Sascha spun and hugged me. I put my arms around her, a little stunned by her sudden burst of affection.

"We're getting ready to head off," Dale said as she turned to him. "You ladies are welcome to join us if you want."

"We have work in the morning," Sascha said reluctantly before I could respond. That was a surprise. She didn't normally mind working with a hangover. I would have to question her about this later. "Next time?" Her tone turned hopeful.

"Of course." Dale tried to hide the disappointment in his expression. "I'll walk you to your car." That was to both of us. What a gentleman. Yes, I definitely liked Dale. I'd only known him for a few hours but could tell he was a good guy. Sascha deserved a good guy.

We said our goodbyes to the group, and I made sure to pay Justin no particular attention. Then Dale walked us out. It was a chilly June night and I wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm. I'd parked in the lot around the corner. It was only a short walk, but the breeze wasn't very kind.

We'd barely taken a few steps when another body joined us. Justin.

Much like most of the night, he didn't say a word to me. I felt my frustration deepen. What could have been a nice stroll on a winter's night turned into one of awkward tension. To make it worse, I could hear Emily and co. giggling behind us. A brief glance back showed me that she, Darcy, and Ryan had joined our group. Their presence made me wonder. Was Emily his girlfriend or just a potential suitor?

I felt relief wash over me as we approached my white Audi. Safety and warmth at last.

I stood there awkwardly as Dale and Sascha kissed goodbye. It was probably a little too intimate for others to witness and I turned away to give them some privacy. Justin, apparently, was thinking along the same lines.

We had turned to each other, and he did nothing to hide his grin. I pressed my lips together trying to contain my own smile.

"Shame you're not coming with us," he said. "I'm going to be hearing about how perfect your friend is all night, now." I was both surprised and annoyed. If he wanted me there so badly than why had he ignored me? Why buy me a drink and then let other girls hang all over you?

I couldn't let him see my frustration, so I laughed. "Don't worry. I'll probably cop it as well. She's sleeping in my bed tonight."

His eyebrows rose and his lips parted in surprised. I had no doubts about what he was thinking. He pressed his lips together, deciding not to comment on the suggestive connection he'd just made in his mind. Smart boy.

Just then, Sascha and Dale resurfaced. Justin took that as his cue and gave me a nod. "I'll see you 'round, Ellie Bean." And then he turned and walked away.

That added even more confusion to this shamble of a night. He'd spent the better part of the last two hours ignoring me and then he calls me by my nickname as if we're old friends?

He was so frustrating!

Sascha seemed oblivious to my spiralling mood as we drove home. Possibly because she was lost in her own little world of romance, or because she was still drunk. Either way, she left me alone to my thoughts. I actively tried to push Justin Hart out of my mind by thinking of other things, like my new class schedule. It worked, sort of. I needed to figure out how I would fit shifts at the hotel into my timetable. I was going to be very busy this semester.

By the time we made it back to my place and I'd deposited Sascha in my room, she was almost asleep. She was going to have a thumping headache in the morning, but that should be all. On my way downstairs to grab her a glass of water and some aspirin for when she woke up, I poked my head into my father's room. He'd left the door slightly ajar, like he always did when I was out. He liked to hear when I got home, to know that I was okay. But tonight he'd fallen asleep, his light snores telling me he'd passed out a while ago.

Standing there watching him, I was reminded of who I'd been hanging out with tonight. What would Dad think if he knew I spent time with a Hart? He'd been so hurt by the actions of his ex-wife and best friend. Would he be upset if he found out I chose to spend time with Justin? Would he be disappointed in me? I quietly closed his door, deciding it was best he didn't know. Not if tonight was a once off. It was better not to upset him.

I fetched the water and painkillers for Sascha and then got ready for bed.

As I climbed under the warm covers with her, she spoke in a sleepy voice, very close to nodding off. "He couldn't keep his eyes off you, you know."

I turned to face her. She was curled up with the sheets pulled close to her chin. Her usually perfect hair was splayed across the pillow in an unruly fashion, but she still looked beautiful. "What are you talking about?"

"Your hot café guy," she went on. "He was checking you out all night. You didn't notice?"

Had he been? I'd made a pointed effort to avoid looking at Justin. Surely he was too busy flirting with his groupies to pay me any attention. Not that it mattered. He wasn't just Hot Café Guy anymore. He was Justin Hart. I didn't want him to give me any attention. That would be wrong, and it would stir up a lot of memories and pain. Not just for me, but for Dad if he ever found out.

"No," I whispered. "I didn't notice."

I received no response from Sascha. She was already asleep.

I tossed and turned most of the night, wondering about Justin and all the what ifs that came with him.