Page 60 of Lose You to Find Me

That similar feeling of panic is back as I watch Raine behind the counter at Bea’s through the front window. I’ve been debating on going in for the past fifteen minutes but find myself backing away from the door every time I reach for the handle. At least eight people have passed through the door I’ve held open.

“What are you doing?” a familiar voice asks behind me before Skylar pops up by my side with a smile on her face. I look around to see if her boyfriend is with her, but it’s just us.

“I’m just…enjoying the fresh air,” I lie, knowing damn well she knows it’s bullshit.

Her eyes roll. “Is that why you’ve been pacing as you stare at your ex-girlfriend like a creep? Because a lot of people would get arrested for that sort of behavior.”

I eye her, not as amused as she is when I see the giant grin plastered on her face. “Are you going to call the cops?”

She hums in contemplation. “Nah, it’s too amusing to watch you all nervous like this. What exactlyareyou doing?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I glance at the window. Raine isn’t anywhere in sight, making me blow out a breath. I turn back to the girl with curious eyes who’s waiting for my answer. “I need to talk to Raine.”

Skylar slowly nods, but there’s obvious skepticism on her face. “I was wondering if she was all depressed because of you,” she murmurs, turning to look for the redhead inside.

Raine’s been depressed?

She doesn’t give me a chance to ask for more info about that casual statement. “So, what? You suddenly can’t talk? You open your mouth and words come out. It’s basically magic.”

Wiseass. “What areyoudoing here?”

“Do you mean on the public street or at the town’s best bakery? Because I’m here for coffee and doughnuts so I can hate myself later for eating carbs after bitching to DJ about how I’ve gained ten pounds since moving here.”

I don’t bother giving her a cursory glance out of solidarity. There’s nothing wrong with her body, regardless of what food she uses to fuel it. “I’m sure DJ told you not to worry about shit like that. That boy is lovestruck, so I doubt a doughnut will do any harm.”

“What about pie? I can buy us a couple of slices and we can catch up. I want the details on whatever is going on with you and Raine. She and I haven’t gotten a chance to hang out recently.” I’m about to answer her when she points at the window. “Look! Raine sees us. Wave at the cute barista, Caleb.”

She grabs my hand and starts waving it for me, drawing my attention to Raine. She stares between me and Skylar with a distant look on her face before turning to help someone at one of the tables.

“Come on,” Skylar says, tugging me toward the front door.

“Sky—”

She stops, turning to me and giving me a don’t-mess-with-me stare. “I’ve never taken you for a coward. Man up and go talk to your…er, well, Raine. Go talk to Raine.”

“Great pep talk. Really.”

She pats my shoulder and gives me her back as she opens the door. I know if I don’t follow her, she’ll probably pull me in, which I’d rather not have people witness.

A few of the town boys are in the back, calling out to me with friendly waves and raised coffees in greeting. Following my best friend’s girlfriend over to the counter after waving back to them, I stuff my hands in the pockets of my jeans and wait for Raine to turn around.

Chest tightening, I think back to the breathing exercises I had to do back in high school when I was worried about passing out in front of the father of the same girl standing mere feet away from me.

Elena shoves Raine forward when she sees us waiting, earning the teenager a dirty look that she simply grins at. When the redhead turns to me, my eyes go down to her hand, which isn’t wrapped like it was the last time I saw her.

She lifts her hand, bending her fingers and wincing slightly at the sensitive skin. “It was hard to work with all that gauze, so…” Her eyes go to Skylar, and she smiles briefly before turning back to me. “Do you both want your usual orders?”

Her eyes refuse to meet mine, and her evasion of the elephant in the room doesn’t sit right with me. Ironic, I guess, since I avoided her after our first hookup. Payback’s a bitch.

Skylar elbows my rib cage with a little more force than necessary. “We do, but first Caleb wants to talk to you about something.”

Jesus.

Raine’s eyes lift to mine with a brief flicker of panic. Her eyes dart nervously to Skylar again before she nods once, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her waist. “Okay.” She starts putting my usual order into the register until the total comes up, then glances at the girl beside me. “Want me to add yours to his, Sky, or separately?”

I don’t ignore the distance in her voice, and neither does Skylar, who gives her a casual shrug and pulls out a credit card. “It’s on me” is all she says, winking at me.

“You don’t have to—”

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