Page 39 of Between Here and There

After I’m convinced I can at least act okay, I continue walking.

The familiar smell of coffee and bacon hits me as I push open the door to the Corner Bistro, and I can’t help but smirk when I see my friends scattered at the table. Haley is in full recovery mode, wearing oversized sunglasses indoors while demolishing a mountain of fries like it’s the cure for all her sins. Kate, the early riser, is already bright-eyed and chirpy, her coffee cup halfway empty. And Bon? Well, Bon is fast asleep. Again. She’s nestled into Ryan’s shoulder, her head propped up only by his hand as he calmly holds her in place while reading a book. How he manages to make that look normal, I’ll never know. Overall, we look like the four horsemen of hangovers.

I squeeze in beside Haley, and she looks up at me with a pained nod.

“Fry?” she says hoarsely, extending her bowl of fries to me. I take a handful and shove it in my mouth.

Bon grunts all of a sudden, and she props herself up. “Help,” she says. “It’s our wedding in three days and I think I’ll be sick for weeks on end.”

“She’s just being dramatic as usual,” Ryan says. “As are all of you. It’s a hangover, not a disease.”

“I love you,” Bon says as she pats his cheek. “And you’re right, it’s not a disease… It’s the freaking plague.” She glares at him as he chuckles.

We’re too busy complaining and talking over each other that I don’t notice Joshua showing up.

“Good morning, Tantrum,” he says as he places a plate of pancakes in front of me. “Eat up.” He takes a seat beside me, and I scoot closer to Haley. He follows.

I stare at him, unsure of how I’ll act around him. Do I acknowledge the events of last night?

“Hey,” I manage, after what feels like an eternity of awkward silence. He tips his baseball cap, giving me that all-too-familiar nod, his smirk just barely visible. He’s in his usual attire—black shirt, black pants, and the cap, of course. Joshua always wears black, as if the scorching heat of Manila isn’t enough punishment already.

“That’s it? ‘Hey?’” He raises an eyebrow, pouring me a cup of coffee like this is all perfectly normal. “You called me for a rescue mission at midnight, tried to dance on not one, but three tables, and—” He pauses, grinning, “—you vomited on my shoes.” I choke on my breath. I vomited? That wasn’t part of the memory bank from last night.

“And all I get is ‘hey?’” he continues, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“If you’re gonna be smug about it, yeah,” I roll my eyes.

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry, baby.” He winks, clearly not sorry at all. “Talk to me after the pancakes. Maybe you’ll be kinder.”

I nudge him playfully, grateful for the distraction as I dig into the pancakes. Sweet, syrupy goodness—exactly what I need to soak up whatever remnants of bad decisions are still lingering in my system. I notice Joshua watching me as I eat, but surprisingly, it doesn’t bother me as much as it should.

After I take the final bite, I say, “Okay, I’m done.” I turn to Josh and continue, “Thank you for last night. You were very helpful. I’m sorry for vomiting on your shoes.” I sip my coffee, hoping that sounds casual enough to cover the absolute mess I was in.

“You’re welcome,” he replies, his voice dropping as he leans in closer. Too close. “Are you sober now?”

His warm breath against my ear sends an unexpected jolt through me. I almost spit out my coffee but manage to keep it together, barely.

“Yeah, why?” I ask, feigning innocence, even though my heart is thumping a little too fast. I glance at him, and of course, that was a mistake. Our faces are inches apart. My mind glitches, and I whip my head back around, nearly knocking over my cup in the process. Joshua chuckles softly.

“Nothing. Just checking if you remembered something... important.” He leans back, crossing his arms casually, but I can feel his eyes on me, tracing every awkward move I make. “You can keep the hoodie, by the way.”

“Thanks,” I say. I can’t do this. Every word out of Joshua’s mouth is making me blush. Any second now, the girls sitting beside me—who, miraculously, haven’t interrupted with their usual snarky comments—are going to notice that I’m acting way too flustered for someone who’s supposedlyalreadyJoshua’s girlfriend.

I need to regain control before they start asking questions, before he starts teasing me again, before I completely lose it and start blushing over pancakes.

“Listen, thanks for breakfast, but I should get going,” I say quickly, standing up before anyone can stop me. The need for fresh air is suddenly overwhelming. “I’ve got things to do.”

I don’t wait for a reply, storming out of the café as if my legs have a mind of their own. My heart is still racing, my thoughts a mess, but I barely have time to breathe before I seehim.

Standing there, on the other side of the street, is the last person I ever wanted to run into again. Oh no. I can feel the pancakes come back up, and I have to pause to keep it together. It’s just Rob. He’s an ex-boyfriend. I can face him. I can do it.

No, I don’t think I can do it. Not alone, anyway.

In a state of panic, I turn my back to return to the store. But as soon as I open the door, Joshua steps out, nearly bumping into me.

“Hey, you okay? Did I do something—” I cut him off, shaking my head frantically.

“No, it’s nothing. But I do have a problem now,” I blurt out, my voice trembling slightly. Joshua raises an eyebrow, clearly confused.

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