"All right, who is up for food?"

Skylar's half yell, half question came out of the blue, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin.

The girl had some lungs on her.

It had been almost a week since the party. Skylar, Hayden, and I were all hanging out at the new apartment. Yep, we had finally moved in.

I was still missing a lot of items as they were back at my mom's place, but I had the essentials with me. Skylar had then moved her stuff in too, and although we had only been here for a few days, I was already in love with the place.

That wasn't all that had happened, either.

Even though Elijah and I hadn't seen each other since he had left my house, he had sent a text to check on me every day since. Every day. That didn't count the times that he had called either. I still remembered the rush of nerve-wracking happiness at the sight of his name on the caller screen, and then the gratitude that flowed through me when I had heard his voice.

Ever since that day, my emotions and feelings had been a conflicted mix between wanting to be honest with him, and being content with where he and I were at.

I glanced at my hyper best friend as she leaped up from the couch, not giving Hayden or me, a chance to respond. She disappeared into her room, only to reappear a minute later, clad in tennis shoes and a huge hoodie. She had also traded in her contacts for her round-framed glasses, only making her look more serious as she stared at us like we had both grown two heads.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Skylar gestured between Hayden and me. "Food."

I grinned.

She always got cranky when she was hungry.

I got up, swaying on my feet, as I applied pressure on my right leg gently. My hip had mostly healed, but it was still sore. I'd ended up going to the doctor on my mom's orders. It didn't matter how old I was. When she got stubborn I listened. I was glad that I had because if otherwise, I would have never known that I had strained a muscle.

I had been trying to take it easy, but staying immobile was harder than I thought.

Hayden stood up, with a small shake of his head, but a grin on his face. He walked over to her and placed a small chaste kiss on her lips, and my heart melted just like all the other trillion times it had when they were together.

"Guys not in front of me." I groaned, despite my adoration for them as a pair. Skylar just beamed at me.

I grabbed a coat and put on an extra layer of socks before I pulled on some brown ankle-length boots. The winter weather was no joke this year. It usually was always cold during this time of the season, as we lived in Oregon, but this year was worse than usual.

When we stepped outside, the crisp and frigid air wrapped around us, our breaths visibly suspended in the air. A light blanket of snow coated the ground and blanketed the tops of the cars that were in the parking lot. We rushed to Hayden's car, desperate to escape the jarring climate.

We ended up going to Cafe Star, the place where I worked. I was off tonight, however, so I was going to enjoy the delicious food as a guest today.

We all sat at our usual booth in the right-back of the Cafe. The tantalizing aroma of fried food and baked goods consuming the place. The faded leather seats, and worn cream-colored paint, that coated the walls, just further made the place feel more homely.

"Hey guys, what can I get you today?" A sweet voice asked from the head of our table. I looked up into a familiar pair of warm emerald eyes. They were soft at the corners and slightly wrinkled, but in a way that was beaufitul.

"Hi, Mrs. Reyes."

She was the owner of the Cafe and was like a second mother to me. She hadn't batted an eye when I had first applied for a job and explained that it may be difficult for me to get the hang of things. She had simply waved it off amid me explaining why, saying that as long as I worked hard, I would do great. She was always saying how she was a firm believer that it was the effort that counted.

"Hey! Are you guys getting your usuals?"

We all nodded our heads. This place wasn't just where I worked, it was also where we went whenever we were hungry. Call us boring, but this place had amazing food.

"Rowan, now that you are here, do you think you can pull an extra shift this week?" She asked, jotting down the food orders we had given her.

"Yeah, I think I can. What day do you need me to come in for?"

"Well, since Katie has her first pre-natal appointment Thursday, I was thinking of taking the day off to go with her. Do you think then would work for you?"

Katie was Mrs. Reyes's daughter. Unfortunately, Katie's trash of a boyfriend had ended things when he found out she was pregnant, so Mrs. Reyes had stepped up to the role of making sure that her daughter was well taken care of.

"Okay, yes. That sounds good to me."

I took out my phone, setting a reminder since I knew it was yet another thing that I would forget.

"You are an absolute lifesaver."

Her eyes crinkled at the edges a bit as she smiled at me, her face full of appreciation. After giving me a quick hug, she walked away with our orders. I took a sip of the water that she had placed down on the table before she left.

Skylar sighed dramatically, leaning into the booth. "I am loving this new apartment, so far," she said, elation on her face. "It is a complete upgrade from where I had been staying."

"Anything would be better than that place," Hayden said grimly. I nodded my head in agreement. Her old place hadn't exactly been up to par when it came to quality living standards. It wasn't that she didn't take care of it, it was that the place needed major renovations.

"Trust me, I know," she frowned, with a shiver. "It is especially nice to get away from pervy Eddie."

"Yes, that is a major plus," I agreed. Eddie Truman was the man who had stayed in the apartment next to hers. Let's just say he had a serious case of the grab hands.

Hayden's eyes narrowed. "That guy rubs me the wrong way." Skylar placed her hand on his arm, kissing the corner of his lips, and his frown slowly melted.

"Well, I am out of there now baby. I am completely safe," she said. Hayden still didn't look happy, but he wasn't as tense, when Skylar turned back to me.

"So Rowan, have you decided on when you are going to talk to Elijah yet?" She asked, taking a sip of the sweet tea that she had ordered. She leaned into Hayden, both of them watching me expectantly.

"No."

"I think you should do it soon," Hayden said. "What could you lose?"

I pressed my lips together, not responding.

Everything.

I was thankful for the distraction of my phone vibrating against my leg and I pulled it out of my pocket. I eyed the notification, a fluttering stirring in my chest.

Well, that was perfect timing.

"I am guessing that is him," Hayden said. I glanced up, the smirk playing on his lips jumping out at me.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering how the heck he knew who it was.

"Since when are you a psychic?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him playfully.

"I don't have to be psychic to know. You just have this specific look that crosses your face whenever he is involved."

My face heated, and I coughed taking a sip of my drink. I knew there was little in the way of me persuading them of otherwise, but I had a go at it.

"I do not." I tucked my phone away.

"Uh... Ro, Hayden is right. We are just counting the days now until you admit that you are into him." Sky said from beside him. I glared at her.

"You are supposed to be on my team," I said, throwing up my hands in mock anger. She laughed.

"I am on your team. I think that Elijah would be a good constant to have in your life. You guys have some major chemistry going on and have also been very happy lately. Which, I am pretty sure, is because of him," she said.

"I'm always happy," I said, hearing the doorbell to the cafe chime behind us.

"Yea, but you have been happy, happy," Hayden cut in.

"Yes, it is scary," Skylar added with a light laugh.

"Just because I am happy when he'a around doesn't mean anything. I appreciate what he did for me that night at the party." I rolled the wrapper of my straw into a little ball, scrunching it between my fingers. "Elijah and I are just friends."

"Are you sure about the 'just friends' part? " Skylar asked coyly, making quotations with her fingers.

"Yes, just friends," I deadpanned.

"So what happened, exactly, after you guys left the party?" She asked with a playful wiggle of her eyebrows. "You never told us."

"Nothing really. He just drove me home. He ended up staying over because he drove my car there and didn't have a way home." I paused knowing where her head had gone. "And before you say anything, he stayed on the couch," I added, leaving out the fact that I had fallen asleep on the couch too. Accidentally, of course.

"That is all? There is no specific reason you have practically been glowing all week?" She asked, in a tone that insinuated she knew I was leaving something out. I watched as her eyes trained behind me before she looked at me and grinned.

"Yes, that is all that happened," I said and took a sip of my water. "As I said before, he and I are friends. He was a real lifesaver so of course, I am going to be happy whenever Elijah..." I trailed off, noticing that Skylar and Hayden were no longer looking at me, but at the spot above me.

"Whenever I what?"

The voice was smooth and deep, and familiar.

I froze as Skylar's smile widened.

Goodness, gracious, was luck ever going to be on my side?

Elijah's eyes were trained on me curiously when I turned, facing him. My heart fluttered when his smile grew ever so slowly. I took a breath-taking in the navy blue shirt that fitted his muscles, showing off the swirls of ink on his arm.

I had so caught up in admiring him, that I hadn't realized he had noticed until my eyes went back to his face. I flushed, blood rushing to my dave when he raised an eyebrow. I swear he had to stop doing that or I would become a swooning mess on the floor.

But that was a second-hand matter, as I was currently sure that I was going to die from embarrassment. If so I needed someone to put a clown face on my grave because the number of mortifying situations I walked into was unnatural.

"Hi. I didn't know you were here," I breathed out.

"Just walked in. Thought I'd say hello."

"Oh." I bobbed my head up and down, unsure of how to act all of a sudden. He had away from turning my brain into mush, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it yet. "Well, hello."

"Hello." He grinned. "I feel like I should let you finish what you were saying before. It sounded intriguing."

Earth please open up and swallow me whole.

"She was just telling us about how you were so kind as to stay with her after the party," Skylar said before I could speak. I shot her an exasperated look. She just winked at me. "She is very thankful," she added as if I couldn't talk for myself.

I wished that someone would bury me in a hole right then and there. I kicked her under the table, and she shot one right back, causing me to wince.

Elijah looked back at me. "Is that so?" He asked lowly, leaning down towards me. I clenched my hands together as I took in the heated intensity that consumed his eyes.

"Well, of course," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Well I am thankful for it too, and every moment after."

Every moment after. His eyes flashed, taking on a darkened hue when I nodded slowly, not able to look away.

Why was the heat in here up so high?

"So what bring's you in here, man?"

Saved by the bell.

Hayden's words were like a white flag, saving me from embarrassing myself some more, and causing Elijah's eyes to shift away from mine. I let out the breath that hadn't known I was holding in.

"I am here with Cole, actually. He was just behind me, but he ran into someone out in the parking lot." Elijah placed his hand on the edge of the booth, near the back of my head. My eyes strayed from him when a boy who looked younger than us walked, up refilling our drinks.

I glanced back at Elijah as he did, sucking in a breath when he leaned down toward me. The light but delicious scent of his cologne washed over me.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Just like all the times he had called, the question always hit me right in my heart.

I inhaled. "Yes." Although I wasn't sure if I was going to be if he kept looking at me like that. "Why do you ask?"

His eyes scanned mine. "Just making sure."

"You guys are welcome to join us," Skylar suggested eagerly. My eyes widened. Elijah straightened, looking at her.

"I'm sure Cole wouldn't mind if we stayed for a bit. Is that okay with you Rowan?" He looked at me, waiting for my response. I had no idea why he was asking me, but it made me happy that he cared about my opinion.

"Of course," I said and blinked.

I scooted over to the left, and he slid in next to me, a mint-infused and spicy aroma gently surrounding me. I just sat there, as he chatted with Hayden and Skylar, my body too focused on his proximity to allow me to properly join in on the conversation. Now and then he would look over at me with a smile on his face. Each time he did, my insides turned all fuzzy.

I looked up when a familiar figure walked over to our table. I got a good look at him, now that I wasn't seeing him through the dim lights that were at the party.

He was brown-haired and blue-eyed. The type of guy that would have girls tripping over their feet, to talk to. He was almost as attractive as Elijah was. Almost. He was also...

I froze, a realization hitting me when I had least expected it and knocking out all the air in my lungs.

"Hey," he greeted, his eyes landing on everyone. Cole sat down and looked at me. "You doing okay, Rowan?"

How was this happening? First Elijah and now Cole.

I took a deep breath, glancing at Elijah who was watching me curiously. My eyes skimmed around the table and I noticed that Hayden and Cole had the same expressions, as they all looked at me.

I knew who he was. I knew his name before anyone had said anything. Which meant... I remembered another person.

I cleared my throat. "Oh yeah, I am okay now. Thank you for asking."

Despite my efforts, my voice shook. It wasn't that prominent, but I knew that Elijah picked up on it because his eyes narrowed. I took a sip of my water.

Elijah's eyes stayed on mine for a while, until Hayden and Cole started talking about soccer, and he joined in on the conversation. But not before his hand brushed against mine, causing tingles to run up my arm.

For the rest of the night, I fidgeted in my seat, my mind working a mile a minute, as I tried to figure out why I remembered Cole so quickly. It didn't help that I was also way too aware of the heat that Elijah's body emitted, only adding to my lack of ability to stay still.

****

"It's later than I thought, " Skylar said, looking at the time.

Our plates, which were now empty, littered the table. We had finished eating a while ago and had just been talking for the past hour. We had already paid for our bill and just hadn't moved to get up. I checked the time myself, seeing that it was almost ten.

We had been in the cafe for almost two hours. I was suddenly thankful for the fact that the new apartment was barely ten minutes away from here. Even though it could still be considered early, I was kind of tired, and couldn't wait to crash as soon as I got home.

"Are you ready to go?" Hayden asked Skylar in a hushed tone.

She nodded her head, gazing at him like he had planted the stars in the sky himself. Hayden turned when Cole asked him a question and Skylar looked at me.

"Rowan, is it okay if I go on home with Hayden?" She gave me a not-so-subtle wink, and I cringed inwardly. I didn't need any hints at what she meant. I tried to shake the image of my two best friends getting frisky from my mind.

"Yea, that is okay with me. Do you have the spare key, in case I am not home when you get back tomorrow?"

She looked down, shuffling through her purse for a bit before she pulled out and waved her set of keys in the air with a triumphant smile.

"Well guys, it was nice catching up with you," Hayden said, as he stood up and did some sort of handshake thing with Cole and Elijah. "By Rowan. Take it easy on the leg." He and Skyler were then out the door in a heartbeat.

I glanced at Elijah, after they were out of sight, to find his gaze already trained intently on me.

"You doing alright over there? You were super quiet tonight."

I wasn't going to tell him that he was the reason for my quiet demeanor, amongst other things, and tried to figure out something to say. I glanced at Cole who was staring down at his phone with a smirk before I looked back up at Elijah.

"Yes, I am okay. I am just a little-" I paused mid-sentence, as a thought crashed down on me.

I stood up abruptly, and Elijah stood up from beside me. I paused, briefly. My hip may have been feeling better but it hadn't healed all the way. Grimacing, I walked around him and out the door of the Cafe, trying to catch up with Skylar and Hayden.

When I made it to the doors, I pulled them open, and rushed outside, regretting it instantly. I sucked in a sharp breath as cold air surrounded me. In all my rush, I had left my coat inside.

I looked towards the spot that Hayden had been parked, realizing I was too late. I glared at my phone, shivering violently, as I pulled it out, and clicked on Skylar's contact. My hands were shaky from the cold as I stabbed at my phone with my fingers before pressing send.

How the heck am I supposed to get home?

I wasn't sure how I had forgotten that we had all come to the Cafe in the same car. A minute later my phone started ringing.

"I completely forgot!" Skylar exclaimed from the other end of the line when I answered.

"Right. You completely forgot but knew exactly what I was going to say." I heard her giggle, and narrowed my eyes. Sky, it's not funny."

"I know," she said. "Maybe you can get Elijah to take you home."

I said nothing, picking up on the tooth-shatteringly sweet tone in her voice.

Then it hit me.

"Skylar Mac, you planned for this to happen, didn't you?" Her light and innocent hum in response was all the confirmation I needed. "And don't think you are in the clear either Hayden," I added, knowing that he could probably hear me.

"I am neither confirming nor denying your accusations, but Hayden and I are already too far away to turn back around, so go ask him," she said a second later. "Besides, we all know that you would much rather be with him than us right now."

"That's not true-," I started to say.

"Rowan, I am your best friend. I see you. I have known you long enough to know that you are scared that your amnesia will get in the way of a proper relationship, but even I can't deny that you guys are further along in a relationship than most people who are openly dating probably are."

I said nothing, breathing slowly as the cold wind wrapped around me.

"Even if you won't admit it, you know that passing up what you could have with him would only hurt you more."

I bit my lip, her words hitting me deeply.