Lost In Time

Chapter 12

Juliet's POV

I sat across from Jess, sipping the milkshake he got me. It’s been a few minutes since we have been here. We didn’t say much to each other aside from having him order us both a milkshake while we waited for the burger and fries. I looked around at the other patrons of the diner, feeling a bit awkward.

I glanced back at Jess, wondering what he was thinking and why he wanted to hang out. From the corner of my eye, I could see Marie watching us, so I turned to her.

She mouths. “say something,”

I set down my milkshake and said, “So, Jess, why did you want to hang out?” Jess shifted in his seat, not quite sure what to say.

“Well,” he paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. “I guess I wanted to talk to you about something, and I figured this was a good way for us to hang out,” he said finally.

I nodded because I didn’t know what to say and waited for him to continue. He cleared his throat, seeming to want to find the right words.

“You see, the thing is,” he says, “I don’t know if you feel the same way as I do, but from the moment I saw you, I liked you.”

I was taken aback and didn’t know what to say, so I just remained silent. Immediately after the bell in the diner rang, we both turned to look at who came through the door. It was none other than his sisters, Jessica and Preston, side by side.

We both shared a brief moment of stunned silence as we stared at them. They had a look of surprise on their faces when they saw us together, and I wondered what thoughts were going through their heads.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Jessica spoke: “I didn’t know you guys were here.” Her voice was full of confusion and curiosity, but to me, there was something else.

Maybe it is just my imagination.

My eyes immediately made their way to her hand when she grabbed Preston and pulled him over to our table. I couldn’t help but think of how intertwined their fingers were and how perfectly it fit.

Are they together?

I thought he liked me!

Or is he just playing me?

She slid in next to me while I watched as Preston sat next to Jess. My heart sank as I watched the two together, wondering if I was so blind.

I felt my stomach turn and my head spin as I realized that maybe I was wrong about him liking me and he was just looking for a good time. I tried to push the thoughts out of my mind, but I couldn’t help but question if I was just another person he wanted to have a good time with.

All in all, boys in this time aren’t much different from those in my time.

“Were the two of you on a date?” Jessica breaks the silence. My gaze darted to Preston before returning to my milkshake.

I mumble. “No, we were just hanging out as friends.”

I looked at Jess, whose smile had faded into a frown. I guess he got the answer to his question early.

“Oh,” Jessica mutters while Jess’s mouth presses into a thin line, and I could tell he was disappointed. It was clear that he had hoped for something more. The hope that he had been harboring quickly deflated as soon as the answer to his question became evident.

“Are the both of you on a date?” It was now Jess’s turn to return the question to his sister and Preston, and again my eye unconsciously made its way to him.

Preston quickly shook his head, and Jess’s sister replied, “No, this is not a date.”

You have no idea how much lighter I felt after seeing him shake his head, but that didn’t stop the doubts in my mind. Even though they both denied it, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something more going on between them.

“Here’s yours, burger and fries,” Marie says, passing Jess’s and mine plates to us. “And what can I get from both of you?”

“We will have the same,” Preston says, smiling at Marie, who returns his smile along with a nod.

I grabbed a fry and started eating right away because all I wanted to do was get home and away from this conversation.

“Soooo, what are the both of you doing after this?” Jessica asks.

“I’m not sure about Jess, but I’m going home,” I spit out as soon as Jessica finished her sentence. She nodded and turned to face her brother, who stated, “I’ll walk you home,” but Preston decided to jump into the conversation and say, “But you leave the other side of her.”

“It’s no problem,” Jess mutters and smiles at me. I smiled back in appreciation.

“I’ll take her home; after all, I have to go in the same direction as her,” Preston says. His tone left no room for objection, and Jess just nodded in agreement.

Marie came and placed the food in front of Preston and Jessica. They started eating with us right away, and everyone has been quiet throughout the meal. After we finished, we split the bill and headed outside the diner.

I told Marie that Preston would be taking me home so I wouldn’t be breaking the rules, to which she smiled.

“See you guys later,” Preston says, walking away. I watch him continue walking for a bit before bidding the sibling goodbye and catching up with him.

We walked in silence side by side, though every now and then I would glance at him. But he says or does nothing but walk with his hands in his pockets, staring ahead as if he were lost in his thoughts.

I wanted to break the silence, but the words wouldn’t come out.

A few houses before mine, I finally summoned up the courage to speak, asking him what was on his mind. He paused for a few seconds before answering, almost as if he had to drag his thoughts back from wherever they were.

“You,” he says, and the effect on my heart was immense. His simple words had a profound impact on me, and I felt an inexplicable warmth growing in my chest.

He looked up at me with a strange sort of intensity before continuing, “Why did you agree to hang out with him?”

I was taken aback by his words and could feel my heart racing, but I answered nonetheless. “I just didn’t know how to say no.”

We both just stood there looking at each other in front of my house without saying a word. Then, out of nowhere, he grinned, leaned in, and kissed me, saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow,” before turning around and walking away, leaving me speechless at his back as I wonder if he really just kissed me. I felt my face flush as I watched him disappear from sight, and I could barely process what had just happened. I was completely taken aback; my heart was racing and my mind was reeling, trying to make sense of the sudden turn of events.

I just stood there in shock, my thoughts a jumbled mess of emotions and questions as I slowly processed what had just occurred.

Could it be possible that he liked me? It felt like a fleeting hope, but I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face at the thought.

I felt a warm flush creep up my neck and cheeks as I shook my head at the absurdity of it all and headed inside.