Page 128 of Treacherous
Jayden is already there, his sleeves rolled up while he fills the sink with soapy water.
I stand beside him, grabbing a cloth to dry the plates after he washes them. We fall into rhythm quickly, the clatter of plates and cutlery filling the silence. My heart rate rises every second that the awkward silence continues. Eventually, Jayden clears his throat.
Here we go.
“Willow, I’m sorry for last night.”
I falter, nearly dropping the plate onto the floor. “I–”
“–Wait. Sorry,” Jayden interrupts, shaking his head. “Just let me say something before you reply.”
I watch him steady himself, his hands remaining submerged under the water. “Last night, I took it too far, and I’m sorry. Whenever I see someone over-consuming alcohol, it reminds me of Al–” He pauses before saying her name. “I took my fears out on you and I felt terrible that I caused you to have a panic att–”
“–I did not have a panic attack.”
Jayden passes me a plate, his eyes boring into mine. “You did. I know the signs. They’re practically engrained in my mind, but you don’t have to tell me anything. I know I’m the last person you’d want to talk to about it.”
He swallows the lump in his throat. “But if you ever need a listener, I’ve been told I’m pretty good at it.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. “Thinking pretty highly of yourself there,”
Jayden’s lips begin to curve but he stops before it becomes a smile.
“Thank you for apologising. I understand why you were frustrated–”
“–That doesn’t excuse it.”
I place the final plate away and turn back to him. “I know, but I'm sorry too. I realised when I woke up this morning, I went a little overboard.”
Jayden nods, acknowledging my answer.
A yawn escapes me. “I better get to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jayden nods. “Goodnight, Red.”
I glare at him. “I still hate that nickname,”
He smirks. “Sure, you do,”
I walk away from him, sticking my middle finger up at him. Jayden’s laugh follows me into my room, and it’s only then that I realise I forgot to ask him about the pancakes.
A small smile pulls on my lips. Maybe some things should remain unknown.
Chapter 11
Willow Rogers
Fall has hit Lakewood University–the brown leaves fall from trees, only to be crunched beneath my boots.
The breeze cools my skin as I follow the path that connects the three major buildings of campus. There are two smaller ones on the outside, while the central building is the main place students attend classes.
The first of the smaller ones is where I spend most of my time, as it is the only building with laboratories. It works in my favour as Strong Beans is perfectly positioned between my classes and the library–my next stop.
I am craving a pick-me-up. Labs are my least favourite part of the degree, mostly due to my hectic schedule as sometimes I’m doing the pre-labs at the very last minute. So, I barely havetime to prepare which makes it even harder to understand the content.
Either way, I want to squeeze in a study session this afternoon before hockey training.
A gust of wind slams into me, forcing me to rush into Strong Beans. Despite, my love for cold weather, I’m not interested in getting sick. I order my coffee, before moving to the side.
