Page 38 of Without a Doubt

That used to scare me about her, but now I'm embracing it. When Eva left, the waves receded and allowed me to breathe. She's consuming so much of me already. I wanted her to hang out with the guys and me, but a break was nice too. I asked, figuring she'd fall asleep on me and would stay the night again. I asked because I wanted to see her with my friends. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is.

I shake my head just thinking about her. My mind is so tempted to call her perfect, so tempted to fall into Eva, but I hold back. However, I can't stop what I'm about to do. The bell attached to the door rings as I walk into Sub Grub. Eva glances away from her current customer and grins widely. I fall in line and watch her interact. Her cheeks are flushed as if she's been running around back and forth. I swallow hard, remembering the last time she looked flushed.

There's a smile on my face as I watch her with the elderly man. She laughs as he shamelessly flirts with her. She gives him a sweet smile, not shutting him down, but not truly encouraging him either. When she finishes and he walks out the door, she comes over to me with a smile.

“Do you flirt with all your customers?” I ask.

She laughs and points toward the register. “Check the tip jar. I have excellent customer service skills.” Sure enough, the tip jar is nearly full of bills.

“Looks like you do.”

“You want the usual?” she asks and I nod. Eva begins preparing my dinner. I've never eaten so many subs in my life as I have since I started seeing her. “I love when you show up like this.” Eva quickly lifts her eyes to mine before focusing on what she's doing. “It's a surprise I didn't even know was coming, the best kind.”

I grin because that's exactly why I come. “I love giving surprises as much as you like receiving them. Today's is better than usual because I'm staying until you close.” She opens her mouth, probably to argue, so I add, “You can still work; I won't get in your way, Eva.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know I can still work, but you'll be bored.”

“You could never bore me,” I tell her as she rings me up. “You know, I thought I would have gotten a free sub by now.”

Eva laughs. “If I hadn't already eaten the free sub I get, then I'd let you have one for free. Maybe next time.”

I pay her before fixing a drink and taking a seat at a table. Eva disappears into the back. Moments later, she comes through the swinging door and sits down with me.

“How can you work if you're sitting with me?”

“I'm taking my break.” She shrugs. “Plus, it was slow earlier, and I got a lot of stuff done already.” Eva opens my bag of chips and eats one.

“Now you're eating my food?” I tease, stealing the bag from her.

“One less chip won't hurt you. How was your day?”

“Long.” I'm tired from classes and going to work. I still have to do homework when I get home, too. “Yours? Did you finish your homework before work?” When I was texting her earlier, she said she was going to try to have it finished.

Eva shakes her head.

I watch her for

a moment. Something feels off about her. Her blue eyes are bouncing around the room, but she doesn't seem to be focusing on anything. Something about her demeanor reminds me of the way she acted when she was having a bad day.

“Everything okay?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she sighs.

“Doesn't sound like it.”

“My mom's birthday is coming up. It's a big one, and she wants me to come home for it.”

“What's so bad about that?”

“Nothing.” Eva flicks her gaze away before settling on me. “Will you go with me?”

Ah, so that's what it is. She isn't having a bad day. She's nervous. I should have realized since she was acting the same way this weekend.

My heart suddenly stutters.

She wants me to meet her family? This is huge. I want to go though. I want to meet her family.

“Tell me when and I'll make sure to ask for the weekend off.”

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