Page 60 of Perfectly Us
I can’t blame him for being a little shocked. Initiating touch is rare for me. So is being so open with how I feel. The old me would’ve had trouble looking him in the eye, let alone moving aside his hair.
The waitress comes over, fills our coffee cups, then takes Alex’s food order. He gets the biggest breakfast platter on the menu that has eggs, pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and a bowl of fruit.
“The fruit’s for you,” he says, beaming.
“Thanks.” I drop my gaze to my coffee. “Something happened this morning.”
He’s suddenly serious. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Better than okay, actually.” I shift in my seat, that restless feeling returning. “I sort of told my dad about us.”
Alex’s green eyes widen. “Oh my god. What did you say? What didhesay? Was he mad? Do you regret it?”
His string of questions makes me smile. It never fails. Each time I see him in the morning, he’s so bubbly. Does he ever run out of energy?
“I told him you make me happy, and he put two and two together. No, he wasn’t mad.”
“Do I really?” he asks. “Make you happy?”
I nod.
His smile grows bigger. “You make me happy too.”
I don’t see why. I’m socially awkward, not exactly funny, and inexperienced in basically everything having to do with relationships. But the way Alex is looking at me? With his eyes crinkled at the edges and a soft smile on his face? Maybe I don’t have to understand it.
He sees something in me I don’t.
You’d think that once his food arrives, conversation would slow. But nope. Alex is the type to talk ninety-to-nothing and still find time to stuff his face. I sip my coffee and eat a few grapes from the fruit bowl as he tells me about the teenagers he had to kick out of the theater last night.
“I hated being a buzzkill, but the movie’s R-rated, and they were, like, thirteen. If it was just for blood and language or whatever, I might’ve turned a blind eye, but there’s torture and a ton of sex. Not something a kid should see.”
“Saint Alex to the rescue.”
He crinkles his nose. “I’m no saint. Maybe a superhero though. I could totally be one of those.”
“I have no doubts.” In a way, he’s already saved me. But that’s cheesy, and I’d die before I ever said it out loud.
After Alex is finished eating, we leave the diner and walk down the sidewalk. With it being a Thursday, the downtown area isn’t too busy, so I’m able to enjoy myself instead of focusing on crowds of people around me. The sun is warm, but the day isn’t too hot. It’s kind of perfect, honestly.
A light breeze goes through my hair, and I breathe in the sweet aroma coming from the bakery across the street.
“You’re smiling.”
I look over at Alex. “Huh?”
He pokes the corner of my mouth. “You’re smiling.”
I half-heartedly swat his hand away. “Whatever.”
But he’s right. Iamsmiling. It’s hard not to. Taking time to bask in the sun’s warmth, to inhale the smell of sweets in the air, and to enjoy the moment I’m in without stressing about anything… they’re all things I’ve neglected to do in the past.
“Oh. Let’s go in here.” Alex grabs my arm and drags me into a bookstore.
The hardwood floor creaks as we walk inside, and the bell above the door is a bit obnoxious. Shelves overflowing with books line the walls, and there’s a staircase leading down to another level. The smell of coffee fills the air, coming from an open archway to the right where a few people sit at small round tables, some reading and others on their laptops.
“I’ve never been in here before,” I say as I follow Alex farther into the store.
“Me either. It’s new for both of us.”
