Miss Pen

Chapter Twenty-four

Unsure of how to begin the conversation, I hovered over the booth Rhode sat in, chewing on my bottom lip and waiting for him to face me. He never did, and my heart dropped into my stomach, but I didn’t let it get to me that much. He was making this a bigger deal than what it really was. I never even got to explain myself before his little temper tantrum, and I made sure he would sit and listen, even if he didn’t bother to spare me a glance.

“Do you mind if I sit here, or are you going to get me with that right hook of yours?”

Okay, so my joke wasn’t funny considering how he didn’t laugh, but it was enough to get a reaction out of him. He still kept his gaze trained out the window, but his eyebrows lifted in acknowledgement, so I slid onto the bench opposite from him.

“This place is great, isn’t it? It’s nice and cozy, especially in this cold weather. Have you tried the desserts? I was here yesterday and swear I had the best cake I’ve ever eaten.”

Again, no answer as I tried to get him to speak. So I was rambling, but it was better than the silence that lingered when my mouth wasn’t opening and closing like an idiot. It was like I was talking to myself or a brick wall. Actually, a brick wall had more emotion. I blew out a frustrated breath, burning holes in the side of Rhode’s face, but he was still unaffected. I even had to cross my legs under the table to stop myself from kicking him so he would turn to look at me. Based on his recent behavior, he probably would’ve done it right back.

“What are you drinking?” I leaned over the table, peering into his cup. There were so many smells drifting through the air and the liquid before him was nearly gone, so I wasn’t sure.

“It’s a coffee shop, Aubrey. Take a wild guess.”

Not the kind of answer I was expecting considering the snippiness, but it was at least something, and my mouth turned up at the sound of his voice saying my name.

Rhode slowly turned his head to look at me, his lips pressed together in a thin line. We sat staring at each other for what felt like minutes, like we were really seeing the other for the first time. I couldn’t place what was different about him, but he didn’t look like the same man I’d been working side by side with for the past month or so. The one in front of me was like a shell of his previous self.

“No specific flavor or anything?”

“No.” His eyes narrowed, probably wondering what I was up to.

“Excuse me while I go get one. I’m in the mood for French Vanilla.”

I didn’t know why I felt the need to tell him my coffee preference, and I mumbled under my breath while scooting out the booth about how awkward I was making everything. Up at the line, I gave my order to the girl behind the counter, glancing over my shoulder every so often to make sure Rhode wasn’t planning on making an escape. He continued to sit at the table with his hands around his mug, eyes randomly flickering around the shop but never making contact with mine, though it was obvious I had been staring.

When I got back to the table and began stirring my beverage, Rhode leaned his head to the side to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face. He wasn’t angry like I’d anticipated, and was rather calm, despite how he left my room the night before.

“You wanted to talk, right?” My hand that stirred froze, and I nodded. “So let’s talk.” He shrugged.

“Okay.” I gulped, wishing I’d chosen a cold drink to cool me down instead of the one with steam rising in my face, making me even hotter under his gaze. “Do you want to go first?”

It was better that he did, that way when I brought up his confession of being in love with me then inviting Serene to the party without mentioning a word of it, I wouldn’t have felt so bad. Who knew what else those two talked about?