TOO GOOD ━ SUGG. ✓

chapter forty

"I wasn't expecting you to show up anytime soon," I said as I looked at the boy in front of me, who was tapping the table with his fingers.

"I've been worried about you, Alyssa," Caspar said softly, a sincere smile on his face. "You're like my annoying little sister."

"I'm not annoying," I tried to stay serious, but I found myself laughing at his statement. I looked down at the menu in my hand before looking back up at Caspar. "What are you ordering?"

"What do you think I should order?"

"Cheese pizza?"

He looked up at me slightly alarmed before he raised his eyebrows. "Can you read my mind?"

"No, I'm just in the mood for a good old cheese pizza," I admitted, watching as he smiled before lifting his hand to wave the waiter over. A boy around Caspar's age came over and smiled at me shyly before looking at Caspar. His smile immediately faded and I looked over at Caspar, who was watching the boy intently.

"Actually, can you give us a few minutes?" I asked the boy, who simply smiled and nodded before walking away. I watched as he left to go check on another table, before turning towards Caspar. "What's wrong with you?"

"Did you see the way he was looking at you?"

I let out a sigh before placing my hands on the table. "He was just trying to appear friendly, Caspar!"

"I know a flirty smile when I see one," he started off and just as he was about to continue.

"I get that you're just trying to look out for me and you're also trying to look out for Joe, but we're over, Caspar and nothing's changing that," I stated quickly, before getting up. "I'll be right back, I think I forgot my phone in the car."

"Can I order for you?" he asked, before looking at me intently. I nodded quickly and grabbed my keys from the table, looking down at it as I walked towards the entrance of the restaurant. As the wind hit my face I was thankful for the grey hoodie that was keeping me warm.

It wasn't just any grey hoodie, it was his grey hoodie.

I pushed the thought away and looked up, my eyes scanning over the parking lot to try and locate Zoë's car, which surprisingly, she let me use without hesitation. When I reached the car, my hands fumbled for the unlock button on the key and within a few seconds I had the car door open and half of my body inside, as I looked throughout the car for my phone. I pressed the button to open the console and my hands closed around my phone. When I lifted my hand, my phone wasn't the only thing that I had lifted up. I turned the small picture over in my hands, my eyes immediately looking at the scrawly print.

Joe and Alyssa <3 - December 2015

I turned the picture over and looked at the image, my hands shaking as I did. There we were, Joe and I, as happy as we could be. I remembered the day clearly, it was the day we first met. The day where my life changed forever. Where I met the boy that I was still hopelessly in love with.

I tore my gaze away from the picture and ducked out of the car, closing the door behind me. I was still clutching the picture in my hands tightly when I opened the door to the restaurant and bumped straight into someone.