Chapter 7

Chapter 1

The next morning, Nevaeh woke up to the sound of her alarm blaring from across the room.

A terrible invention.

Actually evil.

She groaned and buried her face in her pillow.

The alarm continued.

Mocking her.

Eventually she dragged herself out of bed and stumbled across the room.

Silence.

Finally.

Much better.

After getting ready, she headed to work.

The bookstore café was already busy when she arrived.

Morning rush.

Her favorite.

Not because it was chaotic.

Because it went by fast.

The hours disappeared between customers, coffee orders, and conversations.

A regular customer named Mrs. Alvarez spent ten minutes showing Nevaeh pictures of her new puppy.

Another customer asked for book recommendations.

One of her coworkers accidentally dropped an entire tray of muffins.

Twice.

By lunchtime everyone was laughing.

Including Nevaeh.

“How did you even manage that?” she asked.

“I panicked.”

“Because of muffins?”

“They were falling aggressively.”

Nevaeh laughed.

“They were what?”

“Aggressive.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“It is now.”

By the time her shift ended, she was tired but in a good mood.

The kind that came from a productive day.

She stopped by a grocery store on the way home.

Picked up a few things.

Then headed back to her apartment.

The second she walked inside she immediately regretted looking around.

There was a hoodie hanging over a chair.

A blanket tossed on the couch.

Three cups on the coffee table.

A pile of laundry waiting to be folded.

Nevaeh sighed.

“Seriously?”

Nobody answered.

Rude.

She spent the next hour cleaning.

Music playing through a speaker.

Windows open.

Sunlight pouring inside.

It wasn’t exciting.

But she liked it.

There was something satisfying about putting everything back where it belonged.

By the time she finished, the apartment felt lighter.

Cleaner.

More peaceful.

She was just putting away the last few dishes when her phone buzzed.

NOLAN:
Emergency.

Nevaeh frowned.

Immediately suspicious.

NEVAEH:
What

NOLAN:
Meet us in thirty minutes.

NEVAEH:
Noo

NOLAN:
Pleasee

NEVAEH:
No

NOLAN:
Mia already said yes

A second later another message appeared.

MIA:
I did not

NOLAN:
Too late

MIA:
I’m blocking you.

NOLAN:
You say that every week

MIA:
One day it’ll be real

Nevaeh smiled.

Idiots.

Every single one of them.

Then another text arrived.

MIA:
Come with me

NEVAEH:
Where?

MIA:
Anywhere

NEVAEH:
That’s not helpful

MIA:
Exactly

Ten minutes later Nevaeh found herself getting ready.

Mostly because Mia rarely asked.

And because despite what her friends believed—

She actually liked spending time with people.

The right people.

An hour later she was sitting outside a restaurant with Mia and Nolan.

Nolan was already talking.

Nobody knew how long he’d been talking.

Not even Nolan.

“I could absolutely survive on a reality show.”

“No,” Mia said.

“Why not?”

“You’d get voted out immediately.”

“People love me.”

Mia laughed.

“No.”

“They do.”

“No.”

“They absolutely do.”

“No.”

Nevaeh stirred her drink.

Watching the argument unfold.

“She’s right.”

Nolan gasped.

“Et tu, Brute?”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Neither do I.”

Mia nearly choked on her drink laughing.

For the next hour they talked about everything.

Work.

Movies.

Music.

The friend group.

James being an idiot.

Normal things.

Easy things.

The kind of conversations that made time disappear.

At some point Nolan started telling a story about a girl who gave him her number.

Mia immediately looked suspicious.

“Did she actually?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Show me.”

Nolan pulled out his phone.

Mia blinked.

“…Oh.”

Nolan looked smug.

“Oh.”

“I hate that.”

“Victory.”

Nevaeh laughed.

A real laugh.

One that made both of them look over.

“There she is,” Nolan said.

“What?”

“You’ve laughed more tonight than you did all week.”

Nevaeh rolled her eyes.

“Relax.”

“I’m serious.”

Mia nodded.

“You seem happier.”

The comment caught Nevaeh off guard.

“Happier?”

“Yeah.”

Nevaeh thought about it.

Work had been good.

The apartment was clean.

The weather was nice.

She was out with friends.

Maybe she was.

Maybe things felt lighter lately.

She didn’t know why.

And before she could think too hard about it—

Her phone buzzed.

A notification.

A message in the group chat.

KAI:
Emergency.

NEVAEH:
No.

JAMES:
No.

MIA:
No.

MATEO:
No.

NOLAN:
Depends.

KAI:
I need help tomorrow.

Everyone immediately started complaining.

Nevaeh smiled.

Whatever Kai wanted…

It was probably going to become her problem too.

Unfortunately.

The group chat remained suspiciously quiet for about thirty seconds.

Which usually meant everyone was waiting for somebody else to ask.

Unfortunately, that somebody ended up being Mateo.

MATEO:
What emergency?

KAI:
Thank you for asking

MIA:
Nobody else wanted to

KAI:
That’s hurtful

JAMES:
Answer the question

KAI:
I need help moving furniture

The chat exploded.

NOLAN:
HAHAHAHA

MIA:
Absolutely not

JAMES:
I’d rather fight a bear

KAI:
You people are horrible

NEVAEH:
When?

KAI:
Tomorrow

NEVAEH:
How much furniture?

KAI:
Not much

MATEO:
That’s a lie

KAI:
A little

MIA:
That’s also a lie

KAI:
Fine, a lot

NEVAEH:
Good luck

KAI:
NEVAEH.

NEVAEH:
KAI.

KAI:
Pleaseeeeeeeeee

Nevaeh laughed.

Across the table, Mia looked up.

“What?”

“Kai needs help.”

Mia immediately shook her head.

“No.”

“You don’t even know what it is.”

“I don’t care.”

Fair.

The next morning Nevaeh woke up to three missed calls.

All from Kai.

A terrible sign.

She stared at her phone.

Then called him back.

“What.”

“Thank God.”

“It’s eight in the morning.”

“Exactly.”

“Why are you awake?”

“I have furniture.”

Nevaeh closed her eyes.

Of course.

“You said tomorrow.”

“It is tomorrow.”

“No, I mean later tomorrow.”

“Details.”

“Kai.”

“Please.”

Nevaeh sat up.

“Who do you already have helping?”

A pause.

“…”

“Kai.”

“I have James.”

“Oh, you’re doomed.”

“That’s what Mateo said.”

Nevaeh laughed.

“Kai.”

“Please.”

Another pause.

Then—

“Fine.”

“YES.”

“But if I throw my back out, you’re paying my medical bills.”

“You don’t even have back problems.”

“I might develop them.”

An hour later, Nevaeh pulled up outside Kai’s house.

Mateo was already there.

James was attempting to carry something far too heavy.

And failing.

Spectacularly.

“Careful!”

“I’m being careful!”

The box immediately slipped.

Mateo sighed.

“There it is.”

“There what is?”

“The reason warning labels exist.”

James looked offended.

Nevaeh laughed as she walked up.

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

“Help.”

The last one came from James.

Naturally.

Nevaeh looked around.

“Where’s Nolan?”

“Late.”

“Shocking.”

“And Mia?”

Mateo snorted.

“Smart enough not to come.”

Fair.

Very fair.

Nevaeh grabbed one side of a box.

“Where does this go?”

“Garage.”

“Of course.”

For the next twenty minutes they moved furniture.

And complained.

Mostly complained.

Then—

A familiar car pulled into the driveway.

Nevaeh didn’t think much of it at first.

Until Mateo groaned.

“Oh no.”

James looked up.

“Oh.”

Kai suddenly smiled.

Way too much.

Dangerously much.

Nevaeh narrowed her eyes.

“What?”

Nobody answered.

The car door opened.

And out stepped Daniela.

Nevaeh stopped walking.

“…Why is she here?”

Kai looked entirely too innocent.

“I asked for help.”

“You have us.”

“I wanted more help.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Kai.”

“Kai.”

“That’s your name.”

Mateo immediately started laughing.

Daniela walked over carrying sunglasses and the expression of somebody who’d been tricked.

Again.

The second her eyes landed on Nevaeh, she froze.

Just slightly.

Not enough for anyone else to notice.

Enough for her to notice.

Great.

Fantastic.

Exactly what she needed.

Another day around Nevaeh.

And judging by Kai’s grin…

This wasn’t an accident.

Not even a little.

Daniela knew she should stop looking.

She really did.

The problem was that every time she successfully looked away—

Something happened.

Nevaeh would laugh.

Or smile.

Or say something sarcastic.

And suddenly Daniela’s attention would drift right back.

It was getting ridiculous.

Absolutely ridiculous.

The furniture-moving disaster continued.

James almost dropped a bookshelf.

Twice.

Mateo threatened to leave.

Three times.

Kai was somehow sweating through a shirt despite barely lifting anything.

And Nolan finally arrived forty minutes late carrying an iced coffee.

“No way.”

Mateo pointed.

“No way.”

“What?”

“We’re moving furniture.”

“Yeah.”

“And you brought a coffee.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Nolan took a sip.

“For emotional support.”

James nodded.

“Fair.”

Meanwhile, Nevaeh was sitting on a stack of boxes while everyone took a break.

Her phone rested in her hands.

A second later it buzzed.

Then again.

Then again.

And suddenly she laughed.

Not just smiled.

Actually laughed.

Daniela looked over immediately.

Without thinking.

Again.

Nevaeh typed something.

Her phone buzzed.

Another laugh.

Another smile.

Another message.

Daniela narrowed her eyes.

Who was she texting?

Not that she cared.

Obviously.

She didn’t care at all.

“Ow.”

James dropped onto the grass beside Daniela.

“My spine is gone.”

“You don’t need a spine.”

“That’s mean.”

Daniela barely heard him.

Because across the driveway—

Nevaeh was still smiling at her phone.

Daniela frowned.

Weird.

Very weird.

She’d seen Nevaeh smile before.

Of course she had.

But usually it happened because of something somebody said.

A joke.

A conversation.

A moment.

This was different.

This looked…

Personal.

Another notification appeared.

Nevaeh immediately looked down.

Smiled.

Typed back.

Daniela hated how curious she suddenly felt.

Hated it.

“What are you looking at?”

Daniela nearly jumped.

Mateo sat down beside her.

Wonderful.

Another observant person.

“Nothing.”

Mateo followed her gaze.

“Oh.”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“There is no ‘oh.'”

Mateo smiled.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

“The mystery texter.”

Daniela blinked.

“The what?”

“The mystery texter.”

Daniela tried very hard to sound casual.

And failed.

“What mystery texter?”

Mateo laughed.

“Oh, you’ve noticed too.”

“I haven’t noticed anything.”

“Sure.”

Daniela crossed her arms.

Mateo continued.

“She’s been texting somebody all morning.”

Something uncomfortable twisted in Daniela’s stomach.

A feeling she immediately disliked.

Intensely.

“Oh.”

Mateo looked over.

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

The feeling got worse.

Which made absolutely no sense.

Because Nevaeh could text whoever she wanted.

Why wouldn’t she?

She had friends.

A life.

People.

Completely normal.

Yet somehow Daniela found herself staring at the screen every time it lit up.

Trying to catch a glimpse of the name.

Failing every single time.

Across the driveway, Nevaeh laughed again.

This time even Amanni would’ve been suspicious.

If she’d been there.

Daniela immediately looked away.

Nope.

Not doing this.

Not becoming weird.

Too late.

Unfortunately.

Much too late.

A few minutes later everyone got back to work.

Daniela grabbed one side of a table.

Mateo grabbed the other.

And as they carried it toward the garage—

Nevaeh’s phone buzzed again.

Daniela saw her smile.

Again.

And suddenly—

“Who’s texting her?”

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Silence.

Mateo stopped walking.

The table nearly tipped over.

Daniela froze.

Oh no.

Oh no no no.

Mateo slowly turned his head.

A grin spread across his face.

A terrifying grin.

The kind that meant she’d made a mistake.

A huge mistake.

“What?”

Daniela immediately regretted being born.

“What?”

Mateo looked delighted.

“You asked.”

“No I didn’t.”

“You literally just did.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

The grin widened.

Dangerously.

“Daniela.”

“What?”

“Why do you want to know?”

Daniela opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Because she genuinely had no answer.

Why did she want to know?

She didn’t.

Right?

She just—

She just—

Actually, she had nothing.

Nothing at all.

Which was somehow worse.

“I don’t.”

Mateo laughed.

“Okay.”

“I don’t.”

“Whatever you say.”

Daniela wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

Immediately.

Across the driveway, completely unaware she was causing problems, Nevaeh looked down at her phone again.

A message from Mia.

MIA:
Nolan just tried flirting with a cashier

NEVAEH:
Was it successful?

MIA:
She gave him a coupon and he thinks she’s in love with him

NEVAEH:
😭😭😭

MIA:
Send help.

Nevaeh burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Daniela watched from across the yard.

And somehow that made the mystery even worse.

Because now she knew one thing.

The person texting Nevaeh wasn’t making her smile once.

They were making her smile all morning.

And for reasons Daniela absolutely could not explain—

That bothered her far more than it should have.

A lot more.

Which was unfortunate.

Because she was starting to suspect this wasn’t curiosity anymore.

And that possibility was much scarier than any mystery texter.

By the time the last piece of furniture had been moved, everyone was exhausted.

Even Nolan.

Which was saying something.

The garage was finally organized.

The living room looked normal again.

And Kai was acting like he’d personally carried every single box.

“You guys are heroes.”

“We carried your couch.”

“You carried greatness.”

“We carried Ikea.”

Kai looked offended.

“Same thing.”

Mateo walked away.

“He’s beyond saving.”

James nodded.

“Unfortunately.”

Everyone slowly migrated inside.

Mostly because the afternoon heat was becoming unbearable.

The kitchen quickly filled with people searching for drinks.

And Nevaeh was one of them.

She opened Kai’s fridge.

Stared.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

“Hoping something changed?” Nolan asked.

“Maybe.”

“It didn’t.”

“Disappointing.”

Nolan laughed and leaned against the counter.

For once, the kitchen was relatively quiet.

Just the two of them.

Everyone else had spread throughout the house.

Nevaeh grabbed a bottle of water.

Then immediately pulled at the collar of her hoodie.

It was way too warm.

Between the sun, moving furniture, and Kai refusing to turn on the air conditioning—

She was dying.

“Why is it so hot in here?”

“Because Kai thinks electricity is a personal attack.”

“Fair.”

Nevaeh took another sip of water.

Then, without thinking much about it, pulled her hoodie over her head.

Underneath was a simple tank top.

Nothing dramatic.

Just a lot cooler than the hoodie.

“Finally.”

She tossed the hoodie over a chair.

Nolan blinked.

Then blinked again.

Nevaeh immediately noticed.

And instead of getting embarrassed—

She grinned.

A mischievous grin.

The kind that usually meant trouble.

“What?”

Nolan pointed.

“You’ve been hiding.”

Nevaeh laughed.

“Hiding what?”

“That.”

She looked down.

Then back at him.

“Oh my God.”

“I’m serious.”

“No you’re not.”

“I am.”

“You absolutely are not.”

Nolan placed a hand over his heart.

“You’ve been wearing oversized shirts for years.”

“Okay?”

“And now suddenly you’re not.”

Nevaeh rolled her eyes.

“Relax.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Nobody asked.”

Nolan looked personally offended.

“I have eyes.”

“Unfortunately.”

He laughed.

Nevaeh laughed.

And for a moment, the conversation stayed light.

Easy.

Comfortable.

What neither of them noticed—

Was Daniela standing in the hallway.

Not close enough to join.

Close enough to see.

And hear.

Daniela had originally come looking for water.

That was it.

Just water.

A normal task.

Then she’d rounded the corner.

And seen Nevaeh.

Smiling.

Laughing.

Looking more relaxed than she’d looked all day.

And somehow she’d forgotten why she’d come there.

Nolan said something else.

Nevaeh shook her head.

Grinning again.

Daniela felt something twist unpleasantly in her stomach.

The same feeling she’d gotten when Nevaeh was texting somebody.

Only worse.

Much worse.

Because now she was watching it happen.

Watching Nolan make her laugh.

Watching Nevaeh actually engage instead of giving one-word answers.

Watching the easy chemistry between them.

And suddenly—

She didn’t like Nolan very much.

Which was ridiculous.

Nolan was her friend.

A good friend.

An annoying friend.

But still a friend.

So why was she standing here feeling irritated?

Why did she keep focusing on the way he was looking at Nevaeh?

Why did she care?

Daniela folded her arms.

Immediately unfolding them again.

Because somehow that made her feel even more ridiculous.

Nolan laughed.

Nevaeh laughed back.

And Daniela decided she hated this kitchen.

And this hallway.

And probably this entire house.

At that exact moment, Nolan glanced toward the hallway.

“Oh.”

Nevaeh turned.

And immediately spotted Daniela.

For a second, nobody spoke.

Daniela suddenly felt caught.

Which was absurd.

She wasn’t doing anything.

Just standing there.

Existing.

Normal.

Totally normal.

Nevaeh raised an eyebrow.

The familiar challenge in her expression.

The one Daniela knew so well.

“What?”

Daniela blinked.

“What?”

“You’ve been standing there for like thirty seconds.”

Had she?

Oh.

That was embarrassing.

“No I haven’t.”

“You have.”

Daniela opened her mouth.

Closed it.

Opened it again.

Before she could think of a response, Nolan jumped in.

“She was staring.”

Traitor.

Absolute traitor.

Nevaeh’s grin widened.

Dangerously.

Daniela immediately pointed at him.

“Don’t.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Don’t.”

Nevaeh looked between them.

Amusement dancing in her eyes.

And somehow that made everything worse.

Because Daniela had spent the last week accidentally thinking about Nevaeh.

Then spent all day watching her.

And now Nevaeh looked entirely too pleased about catching her standing there.

“Did you need something?” Nevaeh asked.

Daniela completely forgot about the water she’d come for.

“…No.”

Nolan burst out laughing.

Nevaeh laughed too.

And Daniela realized, with growing horror, that she’d walked into this kitchen wanting a drink—

And was leaving without one.

Because apparently Nevaeh had become so distracting that she’d forgotten her original mission.

Which felt less like a problem.

And more like a disaster waiting to happen.