It's Just Business

i's

e I kept stashed beneath the microwave, hidden away from Ar

3,

e had saved i

ess nights. Three years of Aria quietly selling her paintings when her body

t did w

even include the lifelong medication, follow-ups, or

my face. Breathing through the pressure

even have the luxury of a breakdown. Not when I had work. Not when Aria was st

opilot, pouring water into two chipped mugs and adding sugar to one of them wit

ress to breakfast," Aria teased, her voice light as she hopped on

y eyes and forced a smile as

ing hydrat

need to. She sipped her drink and

look. "Neit

ave an excuse. I'm

ned. "

amatic by diagnosis." Her grin was mischievous, but I saw

rom my mug to keep

ing my leg with her f

thi

believe me for a seco

N

ia

silence sp

s her job to keep my heart from shattering. "Well, lucky for you," she

d. "Can

his is better than cable. They think you're out here whispering Sp

y are you

use if you are secretly dating Brandon Wilson, I feel

my head. "I'd rather

ame en

before grabbing her sketchbook from the table. "Don't f

u too, and

andon show

wo

they all say before their

ri

ing, I'm

stood there-coffee going cold, notebook still o

That Day

re getting ha

. Someone at the espresso machine tried to sneak a photo. Dan had already t

being looked at like I

mid-shift. "You look l

on the brink,

t press

walked in as if the universe had decided to make my day worse on purpose. He was

Freakin

fr

p, and our

ry. Not

cul

was already par

ack, his eyes were as unread

ss the café like he belonged there. People tur

th

warned hi

n't start from min

nt, I knew somet

uit. Not a

e him don't sho

't belo

ur tiny square napkins that folded like regrets. Not with his s

ince, business mogul, was standing

e café like it was beneath him-w

ce behind the espresso machine, eyebrows basically in

rse, s

nding to check a receipt I couldn't even read. This had to be som

d slightly. I to

togethe

again, he was w

This wasn'

o," I said firmly, holding up both hands like I was sto

dn't move.

ing, I don't have time for it. You can't just show

re you owned

k you own the city at t

tly. "And what makes you

ed. "Se

dable. "This is a coffee shop, isn

has his own imported Colombian blend at home-woke up this morning

ed faintly. "Y

ob I can't afford to lose, thanks to a whole world that thinks I'm you

ere to cau

n le

N

't know what you want, and I don't care. But if my manager sees you here, he's

econd, long enoug

l unreadable. "I won't take lo

t want

almly, "you might

as watching. Everyone was. My boss hadn't come out of his office yet,

but low, "whatever this is, whatever

it ca

rowed. "You have every other place in New York to p

calm. "Because I wanted

café? Durin

ke the logic ma

ing my life, or is

once. "That

o someone's workplace with your tailored coat and your sil

re to fight

n le

ve. "I'll wa

ide! You being here

eaving unt

e give me one normal day? Just one! First the pictures, then the

y hand to my forehead, wi

yself, "I just nee

't say

ack to him, crossing my arms

"Two minutes. Somewhere qui

f I sa

en I'll come back tomor

heart pounding,

s ser

him for a

rogant, immovable

ld get harder to explain to my boss, harder to hide from the whisper

Two minutes

ed once

nd ignored the way Dan raised his eyebrows at me fr

I folded my arms tightly as we walked to a side alley near the café, away from the

ept glanci

uttered bitterly. "The rumors, the headlines, the

brick wall casually, unboth

on't we l

pped toward

didn't change.

eant

"¿Estás loco?" I his

id no

... The silence