Cracking Her Code

Chapter 51

Nyk's POV

Sunday crept in with a rare buzz of anticipation. I tugged on a clean hoodie, ran a hand through my hair, and grabbed my phone, sending a message to Cyrene. 

Me: Leaving soon. 

Her reply came back almost instantly. 

Cyrene: Already on my way. 

I smirked down at my screen, shaking my head. Always one step ahead. Snatching my keys off the counter, I locked up and quickly made my way toward the pub.  My pace quickened the whole way, partly out of excitement, partly because I'd never been good at waiting. 

The pub was warm and buzzing with low chatter when I pushed the door open. My eyes swept the room until I spotted her, Cyrene, perched at a high-top near the windows. She caught me looking, her smile blooming as she lifted her hand in a small wave. 

I made my way over, sliding into the seat beside her. 

"You look cute," she said, eyes flicking over me in a way that made heat crawl up my neck. 

I leaned back in my chair with a grin. "You don't look so bad yourself, gorgeous."

She rolled her eyes, laughing. My regular waitress came over and we ordered a pint, and before the glasses even hit the table, we were back at it, flirting, testing each other's wit like it was a game only we knew the rules to. 

Her laugh was infectious, and every time she leaned a little closer to tell me something, I had to remind myself to breathe. 

I took a sip of my beer and said. "What are your plans for after graduation?"

She smiled, though it carried a flicker of hesitation. "Honestly? I'm not sure. The original plan was to move back home. Be closer to family. But ..." she trailed off. "Back home isn't exactly the most accepting place for someone like me. Not the worst, but not like it is here. I can just be me."

I nodded, the weight in her voice settling in me. "Yeah, I get that. Sometimes home isn't home if you have to hide half of who you are just to make it work."

Her eyes met mine, grateful but searching. "Exactly."

She took another sip before meeting my eyes again. "What about you? What's your plan once we're finally free from all this?"

"Honestly?" I shrugged, although I felt a spark of excitement, saying it out loud. "I'm staying here. This place is home now. I'll probably freelance for a bit, build up some work, but what I'd really love ..." I let the words hang for a second. "Is to run my own business. Build something that's mine, you know?"

Cyrene's smile widened, softer this time. "It's really nice to see someone so passionate about their work and career. Like, your eyes literally light up when you talk about it."

I laughed, shaking my head, though the compliment warmed me more than the beer. "Guess I'm busted, huh? Guilty of being a total nerd for what I do."

"Yeah," she teased, nudging my arm lightly, "but a really attractive nerd."

"Attractive nerd, huh?"

She smirked. "Don't act like you don't know."

I laughed, shaking my head.

"You know," Cyrene said after a moment, her fingers tracing the condensation on her glass. "I've always been kind of jealous of people who just know what they want. Like you. You've got a plan, passion, and direction. Me?" She exhaled, half-laughed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm just winging it. Seeing where things land."

"Nothing wrong with winging it," I said. "Half the best things in my life happened when I didn't have a clue what I was doing."

She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

I took another sip, then leaned in slightly, my voice teasing. "Like walking into Ember Friday night, you talking to me, and now we are here on a date."

Her smile broke through, slow and warm. "Smooth, Nyk."

"Worked though, didn't it?" I shot back, smug. 

"It's nice, though. Talking like this. I feel like I don't usually let people in this easily."

Something in my chest tightened, in that good way. "Guess I'm just that charming."

Cyrene laughed. "Charming and cute!"

Cyrene searched my eyes, looking for something. But I wasn't sure what it was. "Can I ask you something?"

"Dangerous words. Shoot."

She hesitated, fingers curling around her pint. "What about you? Relationships. What's your deal?"

I exhaled slowly, the question hitting heavier than her tone suggested. "Honestly, I'm fresh out of one. It wasn't serious, wasn't long. But it's still ... fresh, I guess."

Her eyes softened, but she didn't interrupt. So I kept going. "I'm not here to rebound, though. I'm not looking to slap a label on anything or rush into playing house. I just ..." I shrugged, letting my smile appear. "I want to have fun, spend time with you, and get to know you along the way. No expectations. No pressure. Definitely not looking to wife up right now."

For a moment, I wasn't sure how she'd take it. But then Cyrene let out a little laugh, almost like relief. "Good, because I'm not looking for anything serious either. At least, not right now."

I arched a brow. "So we are on the same page."

She clinked her glass lightly against mine. "The same page."

That grin of mine spread before I could stop it. "Guess that makes us a dangerous duo."

Her smile matched mine, a little mischievous. "Dangerous is one word for it."

Cyrene leaned in, eyes sparkling as she said, " I think I could handle your dangerous side. Honesty... I'd love to explore it."

I nearly choked on my beer. I set the pint down with a soft thunk, coughing into my sleeve while she grinned like she'd just scored a point on me. 

"Not what I was expecting you to say," I managed, wiping at my mouth. 

Her smile widened, that playful little curve that I'm growing to like. 

The smugness was creeping back in. "But ... if you want to explore, I'm not gonna stop you. Explore all you want."

"Careful," she teased. "I might just take you up on that."

Before I could come up with something equally cocky, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at it, thumb swiping the screen. A message from Jen lit up. 

Jen: Heads up. Someone's on their way to the pub with their sister. Not sure if you're still there, but they're heading that way. 

"Great," I muttered out loud before I realized it. 

Cyrene blinked at me. "What?"

I hesitated. I could've brushed it off, but something about her gaze made me rethink it. With a sigh, I set my phone back down. "Well ... my friend Jen is dating this girl named Tasha. You probably saw her Friday night, she was with Jen."

Cyrenne nodded slowly. 

"And Tasha just happens to be Ms. Winslow's sister."

Her eyebrows lifted. "As in ...?"

"Yup. As in that, Ms. Winslow. Anyway, Jen knew we were coming here today, and she just shot me a heads-up up they're on their way over. You know ... she knows how I hate being in the presence of a teacher when I'm trying to have fun."

Cyrene studied me for a second, then said gently. "I get that. Did you want to call it a day then?"

I met her eyes, the corners of my mouth tugging upward. "Nope, actually, I don't.  I'm content where I am. We stay. If she shows up and gets drunk, that could be entertaining."

That made Cyrene laugh, her head tipping back. "Sounds perfect."