Page 32 of Beautifully Broken

Emily

The bell above the café door jingled as I stepped inside, the scent of espresso and cinnamon washing over me like comfort. The air was cool, a relief from the already-rising summer heat outside.

Jordan was easy to spot near the window, her dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, skin glowing in that unfair, effortless way. She wore hoops big enough to double as bracelets and a smug expression that told me I’d walked right into a trap.

She didn’t speak as I sat down across from her, just sipped her iced latte and tilted her head like she was studying a particularly juicy plot twist.

I took a long drink of my vanilla cold brew, trying to seem casual. My hands said otherwise—fidgety and unsure.

“You’re being weird,” I finally said.

Jordan smiled, slow and sweet. “Me? Never.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’ve been dying to say something since I walked in.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “Just waiting for you to say it first.”

I groaned and leaned back in my chair. “Fine. Let’s get it over with.”

She leaned forward, eyes bright. “You kissed Caleb.”

“He kissed me,” I said quickly.

“You kissed him back.”

“Jordan.”

“Emily.”

I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t a thing.”

“Pretty sure most of the class saw it.”

“You’re exaggerating..”

“No, I’m really not,” she said, stirring her straw.

My face heated. I tapped my straw against the lid of my cup, avoiding her eyes.

Jordan leaned in again. “So? Are we pretending it meant nothing?”

I didn’t answer right away. My mind kept looping back to the way Caleb had held me. How his hands felt against my back, how his mouth brushed my temple like it was instinct. And then that kiss. Soft at first. Then not.

“It wasn’t planned,” I said quietly. “We were dancing, and… it just kind of happened.”

Jordan’s brows lifted. “And?”

I sighed. “And it was… really good.”

She grinned. “Kissable after all.”

I gave her a flat look. “He’s always been kissable. That’s not the point.”

Jordan froze. “Wait. Back up. What do you mean always?”

I winced. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You so did.”

I buried my face in my hands. “This is a nightmare.”

Jordan laughed. “It’s not. It’s interesting. Honestly, I’ve been wondering how long it would take one of you to figure it out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out.”

Her look said she didn’t believe me.

I sighed again, softer this time. “It’s just..

. confusing. Caleb’s been my constant. I’ve seen him at his best and his absolute worst. We talk every day.

I know the sound he makes when he’s frustrated, and how he takes his coffee when he’s too tired to think.

But I’ve never thought of him like that. Not really.”

“Until you did,” she said gently.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “Until I did.”

The thoughts were there now. Tangled, complicated, and impossible to ignore. And I wasn’t sure if that terrified me more than it thrilled me.