Page 44 of The Fate Of Us

“Oh,”Asher sighs knowingly, like me not being famous makes sense.“Yeah, I thought youlooked a bit too… normal.”

My instinct is to not speak, leave the insult hanging in the air long enough for Asherto realise that was probably a mean thing to say, or sit there quietly because I and confrontation are as good a duo as baking soda and vinegar. But Addy’s fiery stare gives me a dose of that confidence I’ve gotten all too used to when she’s around, making my head inch forward, narrowing my eyes at the douche himself.

“As opposed to what, looking like a Justin Bieber testosterone experiment gonewrong—”

“Well, look who it is, my favourite customers! Can I get you some drinks?”

The perfectly timed waitress asks us. The signature checkered pants, luminous yellowapron, and glowing smile are enough for me to recognise that it’s Celia.

“Hey, Celia!”Addy beams.“Can we get three refillables, please?”

Celia cocks her head.“Yeahhh, I noticed you had a new addition to this littletradition.”She dips her head to find Asher.“Pleased to meet you, honey; I’m Celia.”

“Asher,”he grunts, with barely a smile.

When she realises that’s as much conversation as she’ll get out of the knock-off Kendoll, she drags her gaze back to Addy.“No problem, honey, I’ll bring you your glasses in a gif!”she sings, before eyeing Asher once more and leaving the three of us in awkward silence. Nothing but side glances and the tapping of my leg to fill the void.

Soon enough, Celia is back at our table with three empty glasses, large enough that Idoubt we’ll even refill them.

“Thank you!”Addy chirps from her seat, before shuffling towards Asher, both ofthem gliding out.“I’ll go fill these up; what would you like, Asher?”

He twists to face her with a smirk.“If they have it, I’ll take a Diet Coke, no ice.Thanks.”He sends a wink her way, sending a wave of nausea over me before he claims his seat again.

He hangs onto the sight of Addy walking off, his overly blue eyes memorising everyinch of her teal skater skirt and white tee before rolling his gaze back onto me.“How come she didn’t ask what you wanted?”

“Because she doesn’t have to. We’ve been coming here every Friday for the pastyear.”

His face stays in that marble statue pose, only making my chest feel tighter the longerI stare at it. “Aww,”he drawls, a mock pout poking out his mouth.“That must suck.”

“Spending time with her doesn’t suck—”

“I didn’t mean that.”

I shrug.“Well, do enlighten me then.”

He knocks his head over in the direction of where Addy left.“Putting in so manyyears like that only to still be friends.”

“But wearefriends.”I fired back.

“And it’s very clear that you don’t think of her as just a friend, dude.”

His words were like an arrow, drawn directly at my chest and striking true with eachaim. I felt my cheeks sink, my eyes go wide… the tiniest deer caught in the brightest headlights.

I’d be lying if I said my feelings towards Addy hadn’t crossed the borderline betweenfriends and more than friends. After my thirteenth birthday, seeing her in that dress… I don’t think I’ve looked at her the same way since.

There’s an added charm when she laughs, an extra beat of my heart when she smilesat me. I get this weird sensation in my knees when I see her at school, walking down the hallway and not realising everyone’s staring at her. I find myself thinking about whatshe'sthinking about when she stares at me and wondering if she wants to see what we could be if we weren’t just friends.

She’s the only person who can make my anxiety float away… also the personwho makes me overthink what we are and whether or not I should tell her how I feel.

Maybe it is stupidly clear how much I don’t want to be just friends anymore.

“Yeah, the way you’re staring at her like an idiot is only proving me right, man.”Asher’s voice filters into my head, a brief shiver from the air-conditioning rippling through me.

I’m suddenly starting to feel her absence more than ever, and she’s only a few feetaway. I drop my head, suck in a breath and picture her, which always seems to help me when I get panicky like this, before springing my head up to reach Asher’s blue stare.“You wouldn’t—”

“Tell her? No, no, you’re secrets safe with me.”He says with a smile that I’m findinghard to trust.

“Okay… thanks, I guess.”

---