Page 41 of Yours, Finally

"What?!" Lina exclaimed again. She still held her fork in her free hand, and her knuckles were white with the strength with which she fisted her hand. "No— Asshole! I'm on my way."

People at nearby tables stared at us after Lina's expression, but we ignored them all. She ended the call, dropped the fork on the table, and got up.

"I'm so sorry. I need to leave." She gazed at us, but it didn't look like she could see us.

We all imitated her and stood as well.

"What happened?" Gabe asked.

"Lucía's wedding is off, and Rodrigo is total trash."

Gabe's jaw went slack. "I'll drive you."

"We'll take care of the bill." I offered a frustrated look. "I'm sorry for whatever's going on…"

"Have the dessert, please— and thank you," Lina added, worried and distracted, before Gabe led her out the door.

For the next several seconds, Jake and I stood side by side, awkwardly staring at the door closing behind Gabe and Lina. It took me a moment to gather my thoughts and sit again. Jake took his place next to me, and we stayed in silence for several beats.

"I hope Lucía is okay." I reached for the little bit of white wine I had left and finished it. "I remember when she got engaged last year."

"You don't really know her, do you? I have only heard of her through Lina."

Jake drew a pattern on the table cloth, and looked at that rather than me.

Right. We were acting all awkward with each other again, after the gym encounter last week. When he had caged me against the wall, looked down at me, and made me feel like he would break and kiss me again. Burn the world to kiss me again.

"Do you want dessert?" I pulled Lina's cheesecake to me, nervous all of a sudden. "This isn't the kind of place to ask for a doggy bag."

I took a big bite of chocolate deliciousness, but I didn't really take note of its decadent taste. He rubbed his eyebrows with stiff fingers.

"I can wait until you're done to ask for the bill," he said.

Tension twisted his mouth. I took another bite of dessert, but it tasted like chalk on my tongue.

"Okay, look." I pushed the cheesecake away. "We know where we stand. We're in limbo. We're either going to move past this or not. But neither of us want this to result in being out of each other's life. Correct?"

He dropped his face to his hands and rubbed. "Correct."

"For years I've wondered if you're the most self-controlled person I know… but you're not the only one who knows how to do that. I've learned to do it myself. Maybe we just… keep at it."

He cast cautious eyes my way. "You've… controlled yourself?"

I pulled the cheesecake close to me again. "Believe it or not, considering all that's been going on the past few weeks."

I took another bite, and this time chocolate tasted indulgent again.

Jake's eyes had remained steady on me as he studied me. "I don't feel self-controlled around you."

I gulped and placed the fork on the table. I really needed to stop trying to finish that thing.

I gave Jake an exasperated look. "Well, comments like those don't help."

"I'm sorry." He didn't look apologetic at all. In fact, he looked frustrated and amused and resigned. "I'll stop. I have to stop. We do. And we have to find a way to be comfortable with each other. Whatever happens."

I nodded. "We have the party prep, karaoke, the gala, the party… and every single group or family meet up."

"We used to have fun together. I don't want the time we share to be always charged and awkward like this."