Page 32 of Ruthless Rose

Chapter 20

Once Micah walks out, I stand on unsteady feet, clutching my bag to my chest.

Kendra shuffles out of the back of the coffee shop. “Are you heading out?”

“Yeah. Thank you for not minding when we hang out here for hours on end—especially me. I know I’ve been here a lot lately.”

“It’s no problem at all, sweetie.”

It’s exactly what I’d expected her to say. Kendra has always been nice to me. She and my parents are friendly with each other as shop owners in the same town.

Lifting my bag to my shoulder, I’m about to say goodbye when she holds up her hand. “Wait. Can I ask you something?”

I walk toward the counter and set my book bag down on it. “Um. Sure.” There’s something about the look on her face that makes me a little nervous.

“Do your parents know what you’re doing?”

My eyes flick to hers and hold there. “What do you mean?”

Her brows raise as she glances to the table that I’ve come to think of as ours.

“I’m tutoring Micah.”

Kendra clears her throat. “You’ve got a mad crush on him.”

“I don’t,” I deny, shaking my head.

She rears her head back. “Could have fooled me. And I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual.”

Exasperated, I gesture toward the door. “He just went to hang out with one of the girls he’s dating.”

“One of them?”

My eyes slam shut. I shouldn’t have said that. With my teeth clenched tightly together, I acknowledge what I’ve been trying to ignore, even though I know it to be true. “He plays the field.”

Kendra takes a deep breath and crosses her arms over her chest. “I know I’m not your parent, but are you about to get caught up in that? It doesn’t seem like you at all.”

“I … I don’t know.”

“What do you like about him, Daphne?”

I squirm. “When we’re alone lately, he’s nice to me. And …” My face flushes bright pink.

She snorts a little. “It’s okay, you can say it. He’s a good-looking guy, Daphne.”

“Yeah. Okay. He’s attractive. And smart, actually.” I swallow, unsure if I should admit anything else. It could easily come back to bite me right on the butt if she says something to my parents.

“I just want you to be careful, okay? Just be aware. Don’t get in over your head, honey.”

I nod. “I hear you.” As if anything she’s said isn’t stuff I haven’t thought myself a hundred times in the last couple of days… The only thing she hadn’t outright asked was why I thought he’d be interested in someone like me in the first place—because that particular question has been running on a constant loop through my head.

I jerk my thumb over my shoulder. “I should get going. Mom and Dad will be expecting me home for dinner.”

“Okay. Tell them I said hello.”

I give a wave and hurry from the coffee shop. Out on the sidewalk, I stop and sit on a bench. What the hell am I doing? Why can’t I stop thinking about him? Because one minute, I’m fantasizing that maybe he could really like me, and the next he’s going to see Alora. I should probably seek professional help for whatever’s wrong with me.

I tuck my hand into my pocket, pulling out my phone.

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