Page 13 of Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa

“Come on. Tell me. You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“It’s nothing. Just an old college memory, I guess.” She took tiny sips of her own cocoa while it cooled, then scooped up a marshmallow with her spoon and popped it into her mouth.

Without having to ask, Wade knew exactly what she was referring to. “I hope it’s a good memory,” he said softly. “You’re having déjà vu, aren’t you?”

“What does that mean?” Marina asked flippantly.

Wade wasn’t fooled. She knew what it meant; she was just denying their past.

He chuckled, giving her a knowing look. “I seem to remember that on frosty January mornings, I’d bring you a Coffee Loft hot cocoa to wake you up.”

“Pretty trivial now, don’t you think?” she said quickly, brushing it off.

“It wasn’t at the time,” Wade said, reaching out to lightly touch her hand that was gripping her mug of chocolate like super glue.

He wanted her to look at him and not stare at her food—or flick her eyes over his shoulder to check the antique store repeatedly.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“Remember when you had first-hour classes and didn’t want to get up?”

“I’ll have you know that I never skipped a class. Even if there was ice frozen to my bedroom window.”

“Yep, you did.” He paused. When Marina finally raised her head and their eyes met, he went on, “With a little help from the man you adored—me. Don’t tell me you forgot your favorite purple mug filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows—or whipped cream when I could afford it on a student budget.”

“Oh, yeah. I guess you did. That was nice of you,” she said vaguely, sipping from her cup again to avoid speaking.

Wade was sure that she was pretending not to remember. Hoping he’d drop the subject. But suddenly, here they were drinking hot chocolate and reminiscing about one of the best times of his life . . . frosty winter mornings when he’d hike over from his apartment with four rowdy roommates to bring her cocoa in bed, give her a kiss, and then drag her out from under the electric blanket so she’d make it to class.

“It was more than ‘nice’ of me, Marina Cormier,” he said firmly now. Why was she acting like they hardly knew each other? “We dated for three years.”

“I remember,” she said stiffly, blinking those exquisite blue eyes, as if trying to stop an onslaught of tears.

“I guess the memories are more nostalgic to me than you,” he said now, feeling a bit hurt.

But it was stupid to feel hurt. Those times togetherwerea lot of years ago. He and Marina were super young, became instant friends, and helped each other through Alabama State University before graduating with a decent GPA—and moving on with their lives.

Wade was engaged to Lydia now, a beautiful, smart woman who was giddy each day planning their wedding and starting a life together.

This day had turned very strange. Seeing Marina had thrown him off his game. The past was the past, right? No matter how much they had loved each other, they’d been kids back then.

They both had different futures now.

A new thought struck Wade. Perhaps Marina was acting distant and vague with him because she was engaged herself.

Or married. Which meant she’d moved on long ago and forgotten him.

Chapter Seven

Marina couldn’t believe the words coming out of Wade’s mouth. “You think that you and me—us—back in college meant more toyouthan me?”

She scraped back her chair and tried to stand, but she was trembling so badly she feared she might fall over. Tears bubbled to the surface, blurring her vision. “Sorry, gotta go,” she said, her voice quivering.

Really?Nowshe was going to cry? No way. Not in front of him. That would be worse than hiding behind the grandfather clock!

Well, maybe worse. Maybe not. Depending on one’s perspective, she supposed.

Stop,she ordered herself. Do not cry over Wade Kennedy.

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