Page 11 of The Secret Crush Book Club (Peach Blossom #3)

Nine

B eing surrounded by books and people enjoying them was usually Zoey’s happy place.

But today, she just couldn’t seem to find her groove.

She knew why, but she was doing her damnedest to fight against it.

She and Dani weren’t even dating—never even would be close to it given their run-in the day before, so why the hell was she letting it ruin her day?

“Why the long face, friend?”

Zoey jumped slightly at being caught being anything other than her normal self.

She had hoped to get through her shift without being called out on her off behavior, but with how observant Tiffany could be, she wasn’t sure why she even bothered.

Rarely was she able to get anything past her friend, though she hadn’t ever really tried.

Controlling her facial expressions was not in Zoey’s ministry.

She had learned that at a young age and after being caught so many times with her thoughts all over her face, she rarely attempted to hide it anymore, even if it meant a conversation she wasn’t ready to have.

“I saw Dani this weekend.”

Tiffany rushed over, doing the exaggerated waddle that always had her in stitches.

Now she barely could muster up a half-hearted chuckle and she knew that lack of response would be noted as well.

Any thought of getting through the day without having to rehash her run-in with Dani was flying out the window with each step Tiffany took toward her, until Zoey knew they had crossed the threshold of no return.

“Okay,” Tiffany replied, prompting her to keep talking. “You saw Dani as in just a random pass by, or you saw Dani as in no clothes, no shoes, all service?”

The laugh that was startled out of her had Zoey nearly doubled over. “How do you come up with this stuff? Maybe you should be the one writing books and not me.”

Tiffany’s grin was smug as she leaned against the counter. “Maybe I do. You don’t have a monopoly on pen names. Now, explain to me why running into Dani over the weekend has you in here darkening the aisles with your despondent sighs instead of putting pep in your step?”

“I wasn’t sighing despondently.” When Tiffany gave her a look, she rolled her eyes. “I was brooding. There’s a difference.”

“Not when it comes to you. You aren’t the brooding type.”

Zoey wanted to push back, but she knew Tiffany was right.

Brooding wasn’t something that she normally took part in.

She wasn’t some tall, dark and handsome bad boy with a terrible backstory in a romance novel.

True, she had what some people would count as a tragic backstory, given her lack of living parents and being raised by her older brother on various army bases, but that was where the similarities ended.

Sure, she could occasionally get introspective, but overall, happiness was her default state.

Plus, therapy was still her best friend.

“Does this have anything to do with the fact that Dani was seen with some guy at Mama Rita’s Kitchen a couple days ago?

” When Zoey raised her eyebrows in surprise, Tiffany shrugged.

“The devil moves fast but the gossip in this town moves faster. Overheard Mrs. P talking about it when I stopped by the grocer this morning. So, is that why you’re in such a shit mood? ”

“What? I don’t kn—”

“Are you really going to try to lie to me right now? Seriously?” Tiffany cut in.

Zoey sighed before replying. “If you knew already then why were you trying to make me say it?”

Tiffany folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Zoey. “Because it’s called communicating and not making assumptions . Plus, now that you’ve actually admitted that’s what is making you act like someone dog-eared a page in your favorite book, we can figure out a way to change things.”

Zoey shuddered at the idea of someone harming a book like that before shaking her head and giving Tiffany a fond look.

Of course, Tiffany was already trying to figure out how to fix things.

It was one reason why she and Zoey got along so well.

“I don’t know about that, Tiff,” Zoey said.

“You can’t fix something that’s not broken.

Dani and I aren’t together, so there’s nothing to fix.

Maybe I was just giving myself false hope, reading into something that wasn’t there. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Zoey didn’t often talk about her last relationship, but given how this was shaping up, she was starting to sense a pattern. Falling for someone who was incapable of liking you back was a trope as old as time, and apparently a recurring one in Zoey’s life.

“I don’t know about that, Zoey,” Tiffany said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I don’t know Dani that well but from what I’ve heard about her, she doesn’t seem like the type to lead someone on.

Plus, that shit with Holly doesn’t even count.

Hell, I refuse to even call that a relationship because of what went down. ”

Tiffany wasn’t wrong. It had taken Zoey a few months and a couple rounds of therapy before she realized that what she and Holly had wasn’t exactly a relationship, healthy or otherwise.

What had started as a friendship had morphed into some unspoken, unacknowledged thing that never should have happened when Zoey really paused to think about it.

A drunken kiss between two lonely people that should have been laughed off the next day.

Instead, the two of them fell into a sort of limbo that was more one-sided sexual relief than anything.

The whole debacle culminated in Zoey hoping for something that had never been there, and Holly using that to her advantage before ultimately dropping Zoey like a bad habit and getting back together with her ex.

Never had falling for a straight girl ever caused so much damage.

“And besides, you don’t even know if Dani is straight. Maybe she was just hanging out with that guy as friends. Remember how we always talk about don’t assume someone’s sexuality until you get confirmation?”

Zoey rolled her eyes but nodded. “Yes, yes I know. Comphet is the thing.”

“That, and Dani has not one but two lesbian sisters,” Tiffany continued. “I doubt she would pull a move that would have them chewing her ass out. She doesn’t seem the type.”

She couldn’t deny that. Dani had never even appeared to realize Zoey had an interest in her.

She had been open and friendly like everyone else had been upon moving to town.

She doubted Dani would pull a one-eighty and switch up on her in that way.

“Other than occasionally having a conversation about books or the esports club, Dani hasn’t shown any interest in me. ”

“Yet. She hasn’t shown any interest in you yet,” Tiffany added.

“Well, regardless of whether it’s ‘yet’ or ‘ever,’ I can’t keep going around in circles in my mind about her.

I have research to finish and a deadline to hit.

” When a patron started walking toward their desk, Zoey figured it was the perfect time to change the subject.

“Besides, it’s my lunch break and I’m starving.

I didn’t really eat much for breakfast, so I think I’m going to head to Thomas’s diner and treat myself. ”

Tiffany cocked an eyebrow but nodded. “I think that’s an excellent idea. Mind bringing me back something? I think I’m probably going to end up working through my lunch. There’s a grant that I need to finish the application for so I can send it out next week, and I am struggling.”

Zoey walked around the desk, smiling and waving at the patron before she replied, “Of course. Want me to bring back your usual?”

“You know it. And say hi to Thomas for me if you see him,” Tiffany said before turning to greet the man who just walked in. Zoey nodded before making her way to the doors.

Despite her down mood, she couldn’t help but smile when she exited the library.

It was a perfect spring day with a gentle breeze that carried only a hint of crispness.

The sun was out, rays beaming down and warming her skin.

It was impossible to stay in a crap mood when the day was as perfect as it was.

The walk to Thomas’s diner helped Zoey clear her head, and she really thought about Tiffany’s words.

Perhaps Zoey’s past was clouding her judgment when it came to Dani.

It wasn’t fair to compare Dani to her ex.

She knew that. But it was still difficult when she wasn’t the most outgoing to begin with.

Flirting and expressing interest had always been difficult for her.

She knew she needed to be more assertive when it came to these types of things, but Zoey didn’t even know the first step to take on how to change her ways.

Maybe she should have grabbed a book on dating to read over lunch.

When she stepped into Thomas’s diner, the familiar greeting from the servers helped push her concerns from her mind.

It was lunchtime so the diner was crowded.

Although they normally only got thirty minutes for lunch, because things were a bit slow that day, she knew that Tiffany would be okay with Zoey taking a little bit longer, especially if she came back with lunch for her.

Zoey waved when Thomas was the one who walked over to her. “Hey, Zoey. Just you today?”

“Yep, it’s just me, though I do plan on bringing Tiffany back some lunch. If it’s too crowded, I can always get mine to go.”

Thomas rubbed the back of his neck before turning to look around the dining room. “It is a little crowded, but maybe we could fit you in if you don’t mind sharing a table with someone.”

“I don’t mind sharing.”

Zoey froze when she heard that familiar voice. She turned just in time to see Dani walk over.

Dani continued. “It’s just me today so you’re more than welcome to share a table.”