Page 14 of Hymns of the Broken
You’re fine. It’s fine. He didn’t even look at you.
But I’m lying. And worse—I know it.
That smirk? That look? It wasn’t for the barista.
It was mine. And my pulse is still tap-dancing in my neck because of it.
I twist the cold water on, splash my face, and focus on the rhythm of the faucet. The air’s thick in here, and for a second, it feels like the room’s shrinking around me.
Then—
I feel him.
I don’t hear the door open. But the air shifts. Heavy. Intentional.
I spin around, heart in my throat, and he’s already there with his back to the door.
“You didn’t even hear me come in, did you? You were too busy trying to breathe.” He smirks while putting his hands in his pockets.
My whole body locks up. “Are you kidding me?”
He smirks, pushing off the door, slow like he’s got all the time in the world. “You ran.”
“I went to the bathroom.”
His head tilts, those dark eyes pinning me where I stand. “Without saying hi?”
“Maybe I didn’t want to.”
“But you did.” His voice drops to something darker. “You do.”
I cross my arms and take a step back. “Look, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I’m not interested.”
His smirk deepens. “No?”
“No,” I say firmly. “I have a boyfriend.”
“I know you were staring at me. Ifeltyou.”
“You’re insane. I wasn’t looking at you.” My back hits the edge of the sink. He doesn’t stop until he’s directly in front of me.
“You can lie to your little friend out there, you can even try to lie to yourself, but don’t lie to me. You ran because you felt it too, didn’t you?”
My throat tightens. “I didn’t run.”
But I did.
Bzzz. Bzzz.
Bzzz.
My phone lights up on the counter beside me.
Blake.
His name burns through the screen, and I hesitate.
Jasper glances down, then back up at me, and that smile shifts to something darker.
