Page 13 of Bella And Her Secret Crush

“Hey, Landon,” Liam called as soon as I walked in. He and Emma had been engaged for a few months now, and I’d never seen the guy so happy. Of course, I didn’t know him well other than when he and Emma dated in college, but even then, I’d only met him a few times. He was happy then, and when he moved back to the island and he was not with Emma, he was the biggest dick in the world. Now that they’d worked out their issues and he literally changed his entire store so that it wouldn’t compete with hers, he was genuinely one of the nicest guys I knew. I’d gotten to know him a lot better since he was now at every family event. I always went with Belle since she never wanted to be the only one on her own. Her younger sister usually couldn’t make family events since she’d moved to New York.

“Morning!” I said as I approached the counter. I ordered my coffee and made small talk with Liam about the upcoming Labor Day event at Belle’s parents’ place.

Once the barista handed me my coffee, Liam and I parted ways, and I found an empty table on the side of the shop. Taking a seat, I pulled my phone out to scroll through social media.

The scroll was pointless, but relaxing. I would be super focused on work today, more so than usual, so I deserved a little mind-numbing. A few videos I sent to Belle, knowing that she’d get a laugh out of them. And one about a puppy that would definitely make her cry.

“Landon?” I lifted my head when I heard a feminine voice call my name. I saw a dark-headed woman standing to the side of my table, her brown eyes shining as she smiled at me. I squinted, knowing that I knew this person but not quite placing her name or how I knew her.

Suddenly, it came to me. “Tiffany?”

“Yeah! Hi!” She opened her arms like she wanted a hug, so I stood, wrapping her in my arms briefly. Then I took my seat, motioning for her to sit as well. She was holding an iced drink already.

“I didn’t know you lived on the island,” I said, remembering that after college, she’d moved to Tampa.

Tiffany was one of the girls that hung around in the circles that Belle and I always had. We were never good friends or anything, but she was a nice girl and was super intelligent. I’d always wondered why Belle wasn’t close to her.

“I actually just moved here last week!” She said, taking a sip of her drink. I watched her full lips close around the straw. Were her lips always that luscious? “I googled the closest coffee shop, and this is what popped up.”

“Oh, well, welcome to Amelia.” I raised my drink to her in salute before drinking. “Did you move here for a job?”

“Yeah. I work in bookkeeping for Stockend Law. Well, I start next week. I’m still getting settled and moved in.” I couldn’t help but watch her as she spoke, taking in how good-looking she was. Her eyes were nearly amber; they were so light, and she wore her makeup in a smoky wing that drew attention straight to her. Her lips were glossy and large, and oddly her mouth looked really good when she was talking.

“Oh, congrats.”

“Thanks! Have you been here ever since graduation?”

“Yeah, it’s great here.” Her eyes were appraising me, and I didn't mind one bit. Actually, I was starting to wonder… “Did you move here by yourself? Or with someone?”

“All by myself! Starting over here,” She answered, giving me a sheepish smile. She straightened and looked as though she remembered something. “Didn’t you move here with someone else from our class? What was her name…”

“Belle,” I answered, my lips turning up at the thought of my best friend.

“Yes! Isabella! She was so precious! Are you two still friends?” He leaned forward, and then suddenly flinched. “Or are you two together now?”

“We’re still great friends. But no, we’re not together. We do have a house together, though.”

“I was always jealous that you two had such a tight friendship, honestly. It’s really sweet.” Tiffany reached across the table and grabbed my arm, and I didn't mind it.

“It’s just always been like that for us.” I shrugged, hoping to steer the topic away from Belle. As much as I loved to think and talk about her, I was finding myself curious about Tiffany. I knew that Belle and I were supposed to be in a matchmaking game, but what was the harm in me finding someone on my own? Especially when Tiffany just dropped so casually in front of me.

“Are you busy this Friday?” I asked. I’d never been one to be shy about asking a girl out—well, except for one—so I didn’t hesitate.

“Nope!” She grinned expectantly, knowing what I was about to ask. I smirked at her.

“Would you like to go out? I can pick you up at six?”

“That would be fantastic, Landon.”

9

Isabella

“Sotellushowdate number two was!” Mandy said before I could even sit down. It was too early in the morning for them to be grilling me about a date, especially since I hadn’t had any coffee yet!

“Was it as bad as the last one?” Leslie leaned in, holding her coffee cup between both hands with a look of unbridled curiosity on her face. I knew they'd go wild on me if I didn’t give them some information in the next ten seconds.

I laughed, bringing my piping hot coffee to my mouth, not caring that it burnt my lip because it gave me a few extra seconds.

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