Entangled In You

I judge people based on their coffee order

Lilah POV

Issac was already gone when I woke up this morning. He had a strict schedule and was likely at the gym before work.

I’d taken the last few days off, but today, I was back to the real world, pretending like I wasn’t stuck in the past.

My hair was a frizzy mess because I was so frustrated after what happened last night that I didn’t bother doing my normal after shower routine.

As I stare at the lavender purple strands, I grow even more angry. Not only did he ruin my evening, leaving me sexually frustrated, but he’d also caused me to neglect myself, and now I look like a damn heathen.

Quickly running some hair oil through my ends, I braided the mess to the side, pulling out my flat iron to style the front pieces into something more approachable.

Grabbing my coat, I rushed out the front door, frowning when I saw the first snow falling from the sky. It was the end of November, and this year had so far been mild, but the sky decided that today would be the day it painted our little town white.

Fuck you too, weather.

The sun hadn’t quite risen above the buildings, and I rushed through the frigid air to get to Lilliths.

My half sister had opened a bakery in town and insisted that I work for her. I always loved baking, but working in a bakery had its downsides. Like my aversion to sweet things after being Lily’s guinea pig for the last two years.

“You’re late!” she shouted, invisible, as she bent down behind the counter.

“We don’t open for another fifteen minutes,” I groaned, grabbing a napkin and wiping the snow from my skin.

Lily stood up, her hands covered in oven mitts, and placed them on her hips as she glared at me. We were almost ten years apart, her being the older sister, but you’d never know it. I was an old soul, my grandmother used to say.

Funny how great that felt to hear when I was a child, but the reality of it was that I’d had to grow up far too fast.

“Blame Issac,” I muttered, hanging my coat and heading to the sink to wash my hands. “He left me hanging last night, and I’m in desperate need of an orgasm.”

She held her mitted hands up, “I retract my statement. Do you need the day off to take care of yourself?” Lily waggled her brows, and I choked out a cough, “Pervert.”

For not growing up together, we were as close as family comes.

We’d been through hell together. She tried to take me in after the accident, but she was battling a drug addiction and failed the drug test prior to the court hearing. After getting clean, she reached out and we picked up where we left off.

“The cases are almost finished, but I need to go ice some cupcakes. Do you think you could finish?” Lily had already walked to the back. She asked me as a courtesy, but I knew I was stocking those cases.

“Oh, and start on the coffee!” she shouted.

I ran the coffee pots before stocking the cases, finishing with one minute to spare. The moment I unlocked the door, the morning rush flooded in.

I felt like I’d run a marathon by nine, and Lily finally appeared, carrying a tower of brown boxes to the refrigerator.

“Nice of you to finally join me,” I muttered, grabbing the top few boxes and helping her shove them in for our most recent catering order.

“It’s payback for cheating on me,” Lily narrowed her eyes, “Don’t think I didn’t see you leaving Café Seven yesterday with a coffee AND donut.”

“If you didn’t hear me earlier, yesterday was a shitty day.”

“Never shitty enough to be eating donuts from Café Seven ya traitorous b***h,” she snapped, opening her arms as if she were showing off the hundreds of options in our showcase.

“Liv invited me there to ask me to go on a cruise with her.”

Just saying the word out loud made panic trickle into my chest. My heart apparently agreed, because it was beating like I was running a hundred miles an hour.

“A cruise, as in, a ship. A boat on the ocean? What the hell is wrong with her?” Lily’s nostrils flared, “And of all days, yesterday.”

“I said yes.”

“You what?!” Lily walked up to me, placing her hand against my forehead, “Do I need to call a doctor? Don’t get me wrong, I’m really f*****g proud of you, but,” she released a breath, grasping my hands into hers, “Are you sure?”

“I’ve got to cut the cord eventually.”

“Your jokes are in poor taste,” she muttered. “Why on God’s green Earth does she think that’s a good idea? You haven’t been in the water in years.”

“It’ll be fine. Issac will be there, and she said the boat is big enough to where I don’t even have to see the water if I don’t want to.”

Lily frowned, voicing every concern I'd wanted to say out loud, but haven’t out of fear that I would talk myself out of it, “You’re the toughest b***h I know. I have no doubt that you’ll get through it. But if you have to back out, do it for yourself.”

The next wave of customers trickled in, and I busied myself, trying to push my fears out of my mind.

I had my back turned, humming as I decorated the most recent latte order with extra extra whipped cream and an insane amount of caramel and fudge drizzle, when I heard someone clear their throat behind me.

“Be right with you,” I chirped, sprinkling cookie bits onto the sugary beast in front of me.

“What would you say about the person who ordered that monstrosity?” a muffled voice spoke behind me.

I spun around, narrowing my eyes at… a motorcycle helmet. My confused face reflected at me from the visor, and I arched a brow. Inside the helmet, someone chuckled, pointing a gloved hand at me, “Your shirt.”

I’d designed the shirts that we sell here in the shop and the one I happened to be wearing says “I judge people based on their coffee order.”

Before answering, I handed the coffee to an older woman who looked far too prim and proper for the drink she’d ordered. She glanced wearily at the man still standing to her right before trotting off to her table.

He flipped up the visor on his helmet, and holy fuckity f**k; Those. Eyes. Dark long lashes framed the brightest gunmetal blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

“I’d say she’s too high-strung. Probably hates her life. She has a chihuahua that is named something ridiculous like Bubbles or Princess, but in reality, it’s a little asshole who pisses in people’s shoes when they’re not looking, and the only time she ever allows herself a treat is with that cup of liquid death.”

A deep, booming laugh erupted from inside the helmet, and his eyes crinkled with laughter, “Interesting perspective. I’ll take what she has and whatever your favorite donut is.”

My jaw nearly dropped, but I gritted my teeth, holding it together.

“Doubling the sugar I see,” I couldn’t fight my smile, walking over to the case and pulling out our specialty Apple Fritter with a vanilla maple glaze. The thing was massive, and probably had enough calories to complete your daily intake, but Lily had mastered the flavor to perfection. “You're sure about the drink?”

“Positive,” the man chirped, plucking his black leather glove from his right hand and fishing out his wallet. He laid a twenty on the counter as I slid another sugary beverage towards him. “Keep the change,” he winked, and I imagined a smile hiding beneath the cover of his helmet. He turned around with his drink and donut, disappearing through the door and into the snow.

“What the hell is he doing riding a motorcycle on a day like today?” Lily placed her chin on my shoulder as he disappeared around the corner, “And did you see those f**k me eyes? I should have gotten his number.”

A few moments later, a sleek, black sports bike roared past the front of the shop, and I wondered how confident you have to be in yourself to ride a death trap in the snow.