Page 67 of Single Teddy
“Kind of. But I was suppressing it for the longest time. I guess I needed to find myself, and Mayberry Holm allowed me to accept myself, and then there was Hwan…I…I’ve never felt like that for anyone.”
A little bit of warmth crawled into my heart, and I smiled.
“Why are you asking though? Are you…interested in someone?” He raised his eyebrow, and I stopped breathing.
“Um, me? What? No! I don’t…I can’t even think about dating right now,” I said, and Parker nodded.
“Well, I’m here if you need to talk, man. You know that,” he said.
I smirked. “You really have changed, haven’t you? The Parker I knew didn’t talk about feelings, let alone offer an ear for others to talk about their feelings.”
Parker grimaced and shoved me. “I didn’t change!” He chuckled. “No. I may have. A little. But that’s what happens when you meet the one.”
I nodded and was about to say something when Hwan burst through the doors and pouted.
“I knew you were doing the deed without me. Do you think you can…postpone that and come help me out front?” he asked, and Parker rushed to his boyfriend’s—soon-to-be fiancé—aid.
And after a moment of mulling over Parker’s words, I also left the storeroom and found a pair of beautiful green eyes staring back at me.
“Wesley!” I said, then reality came crashing down, and my face dropped. “What are you doing here? Is Bear okay? Did something happen?”
Wesley’s eyes went wide, and he came around the counter to grab my hands.
“Bear is okay! He’s in PE! There’s nothing to worry about,” he said.
It took a moment for my blood pressure and heart rate to return to normal, but Wesley stayed with me until they did, helping me breathe in and out.
“I’m sorry. I just…I didn’t expect to see you here,” I said after a minute.
“It’s okay. It’s understandable. I usually don’t leave the school in the middle of the day, but I needed to talk to you, and I was desperate for some bubble tea, so I thought I’d combine the two.”
“Talk? Talk about what?”
Was he here to tell me he liked me? That he was interested in me? That he couldn’t stop thinking about me?
“About the twins,” he murmured, and I nodded, trying to swallow my disappointment.
“Ah. Yes.”
“It’s Friday tomorrow. I want to go back to tutor the kids, but I haven’t heard anything from you guys. Have you picked up anything from the bug?”
I shook my head.
“Let me make your drink, and we can talk.”
Wesley nodded and took a step back when he saw something and narrowed his eyes.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Your sweater. It’s cool.”
I looked at my sides, where my sweater was more visible under the apron, and I smiled.
“What will you have?”
“Dirty Biscuit tea with tapioca, please. Is that…do you know how to make it?”
I opened my mouth, but Hwan passed behind Wesley, carrying a tray, and smirked at me.
