Page 9 of Until Nalia

“Please,” we all say in unison, making her laugh.

“Alright, I’ll be right back with three coffees and to take your orders.”

After she walks away, I place my menu down on the table. I don’t need it, I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, and I always get the pancakes because they are the best pancakes I have ever eaten in my life. And since I don’t come here often, they are a treat every time.

“Is that you or me?” Harmony asks when a phone beeps on the bench seat between us, where both our bags are.

I dig my cell out and press my lips together when I see a message from Logan. It’s the third message he’s sent me since I saw him three days ago. When the first one came through, I didn’t recognize the number, and all the text said was: Are you available for dinner Saturday. I messaged back and asked who it was, thinking maybe one of my siblings or cousins got a new number, so I was surprised when he told me it was him. I’ve ignored his messages since then, but that hasn’t stopped him from sending me a text with the same question every day.

“Who is that?” Harmony asks, and I turn my head, finding her eyes on my phone.

“Just a guy,” I click off the screen and put my phone away.

“What guy?” she asks, so I tell them about my car and what happened with Logan between our waitress dropping off our coffees and taking our orders.

“Wow, he sounds like a real dick,” Willow says.

“Yeah, I agree he sounds like a total asshole,” Harmony mumbles, and I look between the two of them as they try not to smile.

“You guys are jerks.”

“Oh, please, it’s hilarious that this guy has obviously gotten under your skin.” Willow mumbles unwrapping her silverwear.

“He did not get under my skin.”

“He’s definitely under your skin,” Harmony agrees, and I sigh.

“You don’t think it was a little sweet that he didn’t make you pay?” Willow asks, and I focus on her.

“I don’t like owing people anything.”

“I get that, but he wasn’t telling you that you owe him something.”

“He was doing it because he owed Bax, but now I feel like I owe him.”

“So, bake him some cookies,” Willow suggests with a smirk, then adds. “You should make him those oatmeal butterscotch chip ones you made last Christmas.”

“Yes, those were delicious,” Harmony agrees.

“I’m not baking him cookies.” Actually I’m still annoyed that he suggested I bake for him.

“You could always just go out with him.” Harmony shrugs.

“I’m still dating Cole.”

“Are you?” Willow asks her chin going back with surprise. “I thought that you two broke up when you moved home.”

“We didn’t break up, we just agreed to keep things fluid.”

“What does that mean?” She frowns, and I honestly don’t have an exact definition for her since I didn’t fully understand what Cole meant when he made the suggestion after I told him I was moving back to Tennessee. I just know that we are still together.

“I think it means that they can see other people,” Harmony tells her, and I frown.

“I don’t think it means that.”

“I’ve been out of the dating game a while, but I’m pretty sure it does,” she tells me.

“We still text every day and talk on the phone a few times a week. The only difference now is that we don’t see each other in person like we did when I was back in Colorado. I think it means that we are now in a long-distance relationship and just taking things one day at a time.”