This Love | ✓

Part 47 - Jason's POV

It was one of those Mondays when the café was full of customers. Emily and I had our hands tied with orders, but nothing registered. I looked up every time the bell on the café door rang. Leena never came.

Emily put a plate in front of me.

"Order's up," she said.

She turned back to the coffee machine and plugged her earphones into her ears. It was her way of saying, 'Don't disturb me.'

I grabbed the plate and took it to one of the regulars. He had his laptop out again, and he barely looked up when I brought him his tuna sandwich. But I didn't mind; he left a pretty decent tip whenever he ate at the café.

I checked my phone again for any messages from Leena. Nothing. I visited the call log. I had called her twelve times since that morning. Switched off again. I put my phone next to the computer so I could check it every few seconds.

Where was she?

I didn't think that you could fall in love with someone that fast. But when she walked into the café that day, I just knew.

I was in love with Leena Faye. The way she laughed at all my jokes. The way she held her backpack in front of her like it was protecting her from the world. The way she made me nervous, but didn't realise it. The way she refused the alcohol before I explained why I didn't drink. The way she understood my family's loss better than anyone else. 

All I wanted to do when she told me about her mother was to erase her pain. But what could I have possibly said to make things better? She was scared and hurt, but she didn't want to admit it. I couldn't help her. I felt useless.

And she was breaking my heart.

I was so sure that she would come to see me, that she would have changed her mind. But it was 9:47 AM and she still didn't show.

I hated sitting around and waiting. I didn't want to think that Leena could have left. But she wasn't answering her phone. I didn't even know what time her flight was, and I had no idea where she was at the moment.

I looked around. Two girls were sitting at the table closest to the counter. They both had red hair, and one looked older than the other. They were probably sisters. I could hear them talking from where I was standing.

"I still can't believe we found this," the older girl said. "I mean, a limited edition classic at a second-hand bookstore?"

"I know," her sister replied. "God knows how much money the thing is worth."

Limited edition classic. Second-hand bookstore.

I was reminded of Leena immediately. She had looked so beautiful in the moonlight, wearing that big bathrobe. She had told me that her ex-stepmother had given expensive classics to the bookstore nearby.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to me.

"I'll be right back!" I said to Emily.

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn't listening. I sighed and ran out of the café.

It was okay. I would be back in a few minutes. Emily wouldn't even notice that I was gone.

The bookstore, called Athena's Used Books, was only a few blocks away from the café. When I walked in, the space behind the billing counter was empty. I could hear Zach's voice coming from one of the aisles.

"Zach?" I said.

He walked out and smiled when he saw me. His appearance surprised me once again. He was the kind of fit that would make you afraid to get on his bad side. But he wasn't as scary as he seemed.