Page 16 of Truth Or Dare
I swallow hard, tearing my gaze away from the waitress and back to Chris, who is now looking at me with curiosity.
“Huh,” Jess says, a smirk playing on her lips.
I turn back to her, trying to ignore the knowing look in her eyes. “We’d like to order,” I say, gesturing towards the menu.
“Sure,” she replies as she flips open her notebook. “What would you like to order?”
I point to the burger on the menu, waiting for Chris to choose his order. It feels like she’s been here for an eternity and a flash all at the same time. And by the time she finally leaves, Chris glances at me, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
“You know her?” he asks, his tone laced with intrigue.
I shrug, a sigh escaping my lips. “Sort of. I met her at a party.”
“Oh,” he chuckles, but it lacks the usual warmth. “The thing you don’t call dating, right?”
“I didn’t sleep with her,” I blurt out, my words rushing out before I can stop them. Why did I say that? Clearly, I’ve hit my head somewhere because what the fuck am I doing right now.
He arches a brow, his expression unreadable. “Okay?”
“Just…wanted to clear that up,” I mumble, feeling my cheeks heat up.
Chris smiles, shaking his head. “You don’t need to tell me, Gabi. That’s your business.”
“I know. I just…I tell you everything,” I admit, though it’s not entirely true.Not everything.I glance up, catching his smile.
“I know. You never shut up,” he teases, his chuckle easing some of the tension between us.
“Hey,” I protest with a smirk.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I really missed you, Gabi.”
I sigh, feeling my heart clench at his words. “I really missed you too, Chris.”
“Coming in hot.” I twist my head to see Jess placing the food down in front of us, flashing me a smile before she leaves.
“Fuck, I’m starving,” Chris says, digging into his BLT.
“Me too. I just came from dance class,” I tell him before taking a big ass bite out of my burger.
“I figured,” he replies between bites, washing it down with a sip of his drink. “Nice hat, by the way,” he adds, smirking as he gestures to my cap—his cap—that I stole from him, and wore for years.
His smirk makes me narrow my eyes at him. “I’m not giving it back.”
He shrugs casually. “We’ll see about that.”
“Never, Hudson,” I repeat my words from years ago before taking another bite. I love this hat. I love wearing something that’s his. “Where are you going after this?” I ask him. “Have you figured out where you’re staying yet?”
“In the last ten minutes?” He shakes his head. “No, not yet. Didn’t really think much through besides coming here,” he admits with a nervous laugh.
“You could go back home?” I suggest, though the thought of him being so far away from me brings an ache to my chest. I’ve just got him back. I don’t want him to leave me just yet.
Chris shakes his head again, his eyes meeting mine. “No,” he says firmly, swallowing down his food. “No, that’s not an option. Besides, I came here to see you.”
His eyes soften when they land on me, and I can’t help but smile, loving the familiarity of his words. He used to say that a lot back in high school. I remember the nights he’d sneak into my bedroom, out of breath as if he had been running. I’d ask him what’s wrong, and he’d always say the same thing.I just came here to see you. Those were the nights we’d stay up playing video games, listening to music, and sneaking downstairs for snacks until we passed out in each other’s arms.
I miss that.
I miss how effortless everything felt between us back then.
