Page 23 of On My Side
Truly, they have something called a Gyro Breakfast Burrito.
“Probably the Gyro Breakfast Burrito,” Ren answers, and I can’t help but giggle.
He looks up with a smirk. “What?”
My cheeks flush and I duck my head, staring intently at the menu. “Nothing. It’s silly.”
In my peripheral vision, I see Ren put the menu on the table, rest his elbows on the surface, and place his chin in his hand. “Tell me. I love silly.”
Somehow, that is as sexy as Sky begging me to come for him.
I force myself to meet his eyes, which is a mistake. He’s looking at me like he’s absolutely captivated by what could come out of my mouth next, like he truly loves silliness…lovesmysilliness.
“I was looking at the menu and made a joke in my head about the Gyro Breakfast Burrito, and then you said you were getting it.”
“What was the joke?” He seems like he’s on the edge of his seat waiting to hear this silent joke I made about a breakfast item.
“I’ve never seen something like that before. A Gyro Breakfast Burrito. And it’s funny because a gyro and a burrito are somewhat similar in the way they’re both proteins wrapped in a type of bread… but they belong to widely different cultures, so I don’t understand what it’s trying to be.” I shrug my shoulders. “I guess it’s all Greek to me.”
Ren’s laugh is beautiful, and it brings me back to the first time I heard it a month ago. Familiar. It felt so familiar, like the happiness of having a friend and a family.
His laugh is full-bodied, his shoulders shaking as he buries his face in his hands. It’snotthat funny, but god, it feels good to know I’m the reason he’s laughing so hard the older couple at the booth behind us is glaring at us.
“It’s… it’s not that funny,” I say, fighting back a smile.
“Iknow. I don’t know why I find it as funny as I do, butfuck. That got me.”
“It’s probably because you work with literal children and are used to having to laugh extra hard at things that aren’t actually that funny,” I suggest.
He meets my gaze, a twinkle in his eyes. “Maybe you and I have the same sense of humor.”
“Piper rolls her eyes at your jokes, too?” I tease.
“Oh, at least once every other minute.” He laughs again and how weird would it be if I asked if I could record it to be my alarm sound? Waking up in the mornings wouldn’t be so bad if that was what I was waking up to.
I grin. “Sounds like Piper.”
Derek appears and places a steaming cup of fresh coffee in front of me before fist bumping Ren.
“How did Zariah like her first year of middle school?” Ren asks him.
“It was her first year of middle school, so it wasn’t easy,” Derek says. “But you know what a tough kid she is. She really tried tomake the best of it and joined a few clubs and is in band. She took up clarinet, if you can believe it.”
Ren’s face positively lights up, and for the first time, I understand exactly what that phrase means. It’s like he’s a light source, eyes bright and face glowing with what looks like pride and excitement. “Icanbelieve it,” he replies excitedly. “She loved the woodwind unit.”
How is this man so precious with everyone he interacts with? Derek is beaming as Ren asks more about his daughter and there’s a simultaneous twinge of envy and admiration for his ability to make people feel so important, so seen.
Ren is mid-laugh when he suddenly freezes and his eyes widen. “Derek, it’s been good to see you,” he says, sliding out of the booth. “But I have to run.”
He makes eye contact with me, and my heart sinks. “I’ll text you, okay?” he says smoothly, before shaking Derek’s hand, spinning on his heel, and striding towards the exit.
Derek and I both stare at Ren’s retreating form in silence, and I’d love to say it doesn’t bother me, but it does. I rarely go out in Port Haven, out of fear I’ll be recognized because of my past. And if I were Ren, I wouldn’t want to befriend someone with a reputation like mine, either.
No, that’s not true.
I’d never make someone feel less than, or that they don’t deserve my company because of what they might say about me.
I force myself to smile at Derek before pulling out my phone, surprised when I already have a text from Ren with more coming in.
