Royally Kissed | ✓

13; the starry night

"Arthur!"

She snapped her attention to the woman behind the counter, who had her mouth in a grin, her eyes flickering in delight as she stared at Arthur in surprise. She was in her forties, she concluded−wearing a red apron over her denim button-down, a bandana on her head in the same color.

She fell a step back as Arthur stretched his arms out, chuckling when the woman lunged right into his arms. He fractionally lifted her up, swaying her body in mirth. She couldn't help but smile at them in amusement, wondering who she was.

"Oh, dear! Look at you," she gushed, her hands attached to him as she stumbled back to give him a once-over. She then hugged him back and muffled the words, "I've missed you. It's been what, two years?"

"Has it been that long?" he asked when they parted, a smile playing on his lips.

"Yes!" she replied. "I remember you being too scrawny, I swear I could see your shoulders carrying you around..."

"Ugh, Martha," he said in embarrassment, looking at her with a sheepish smile. "You're turning my date off. Anyway," he slung his arm around her shoulders and her cheeks faintly flamed, her fingers crossing down her stomach, "this is my girlfriend, Paige. Paige, this is Martha. She owns this place and manages Marley Cafe with his husband, Stanley."

Martha gazed at her, her smile never leaving her face. Paige widened her eyes when she suddenly cupped her face and practically bore her nose into hers. "What a lovely lady you got here, huh? Is this bucko treating you right?"

Paige simply chuckled and she found Arthur rolling his eyes, albeit smirking anyway.

After a string of small talks, Martha rounded the counter and asked Arthur what he needed.

"The usual," replied he. "A thermos of hot chocolate and a small bag of honey crackers, please."

Martha eyed her curiously. "You're going to Saturn's, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Arthur replied, as he led Paige to the bar stools but a shrill sound pierced through the air, her phone vibrating inside her shoulder bag. "Go ahead."

Paige nodded, backing away and made a good distance from the counter as she watched Arthur tipping up to the high chair. Taking out her phone, an upsetting sensation strained her throat when her eyes landed on Owen's name.

She eased her breathing before she picked up the call, her tone a cautious, "Hello? What's up?"

"Hey," his voice was quiet, almost intimate, and she couldn't help but feel ashamed for feeling kindled just a little bit. "I was wondering if we could...go out tonight?"

Paige suppressed the catch in her breath and her lashes mechanically lifted up to peer at Arthur, who then turned his head towards her. She smiled at him in a manner so wide, she didn't know if Arthur could feel the edginess radiating off her.

When he turned back to Martha, her fingers clutched around her phone in a skintight grip before clearing her throat. "Oh, um−I don't...I don't really feel good tonight. Where're your friends?"

Owen's sigh was raspy, swimming along the static of the phone. "I can go out with them anytime I want, wherever I want, it's just..." the line suddenly became silent, Paige thought that he'd already dropped the call, but then he added, "I miss you."

It was hard for her to keep her composure. It felt so forbidden to even hear his voice, let alone listen to his words she'd tried so hard to turn a blind eye to. "I'm going to bed now," she lied instead after a moment of silence, after she'd whispered to her heart not to believe him.