Page 51 of Love Marks
Wesley looks at me, his eyes darkening.
“No,” he says as Pete opens the door and gestures for me to slide in. As I duck my head, I swear I hear Wesley’s soft voice mutter. “Not yet.”
* * *
When we get to the diner, Wesley is greeted by half the kitchen staff and given his “favorite corner booth.”
He’s the opposite of everything I expected. Casual clothes, local diner. I hate to think that perhaps I judged him as harshly as he judged me, but it seems we are both proving each other wrong today.
I pick up the menu to study it. The waitress comes by and we both order coffees. She brings them over and we order our food. Now it’s just Wesley and me.
“So, I guess you come here a lot?” I ask, glancing up at him. How can someone look so good drinking diner coffee?
He smiles lightly. “My niece, Luna, likes it here. We come by at least once a month.”
“That’s sweet,” I say. “How old is she?”
“Almost six. She’s a firecracker, that’s for sure. My brother definitely has his hands full with her.” He smiles absently again, then reaches for his pocket, glancing at his phone. “Speak of the devil. Excuse me.”
He picks up his phone and slides out of the booth, walking towards the exit. I study the checkered print of the table with a slow blink. Closing my eyes, I take a few measured breaths.
Don’t freak out. Just be normal.
Wesley returns to the table, sliding back across from me with a scowl on his face. He looks more like himself.
“Bad news. My niece—”
“Luna.” I interrupt with a small smile.
“Yeah, Luna.” The corner of his mouth tugs slightly upwards and I almost leap for joy. “There’s a lice case in her class so they’re sending everyone home. Ben needs me to pick her up because he’s in court.”
“Is he a lawyer?” I interrupt again and Wesley flickers his eyes towards me. I’m annoying him. I can tell.
“Yes,” Wesley answers, his words controlled. “I know I said I’d buy you breakfast, but…”
“Oh. No, of course. It’s totally fine. I can just get the train from here.” I start reaching for my bag, ready to get out of his way.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” Wesley asks, his scowl fading into a soft interest as he looks at me.
“Not until this afternoon,” I reply. I don’t let myself think about saying goodbye to Sheila in only a few hours.
Wesley looks thoughtful for a moment before he speaks. “Would you like to come with me? I can’t promise it will be very much fun, but I’m sure Luna will keep us busy.” His eyebrows lift as his offer hangs in the air.
Spend the day with Wesley and his niece? Did I wake up in an alternate reality?
“Okay,” I say. “Sure.”
And there it is again. That smile. It breaks free from his hard face and fills my stomach with butterflies. It doesn’t last long — only a few seconds — but this time I really soak it in. I try to memorize every minute detail of how beautiful he looks. I’m not sure how long this Wesley will last, the one who gives smiles away freely, like they cost nothing at all, and I need to savor all of it while it lasts.
Chapter 24
Wesley
“Uncle Wes! Uncle Wes!” Luna comes bounding into my arms as soon as she sees me walking towards the student pick-up area. Quinn trails behind me, twisting her hands in front of her. I turn back towards her with an apologetic smile, knowing that the rest of the day will likely be overshadowed by Luna and her many demands.
“Hi, Loon.” I lean down to hug her, but don’t lift her up, and she looks up at me with her face twisted into a scowl that reminds me of my brother. “This is my friend, Quinn. She’s going to hang out with us today.”
“Hi.” Quinn steps forward and waves at Luna. “Nice to meet you, Luna.”