Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 5

Clutching the keys and yanking them out of her hands, I protest even though I know she must be right. "I do not look like a zombie."

She raises her hands up as if to say if you say so but doesn't say a thing. On the way there, I almost feel like using Mr. Bean's method and propping matches up to keep my eyelids from closing. I almost look for matches, actually. But Ellie's off-key singing to the radio is a much better – yet not any less unpleasant – alternative. It feels like her voice travels all the way from my eardrums to my eyes, the off-key notes vibrating their way to my eyelids that stay rigidly up as if they were hair struck by lightning. I can't even blink.

Once we get there, I turn the engine off before I am even completely parked.

"Where did you even get your license?" Ellie mutters with a roll of her eyes before exiting her small X-Trail.

I ignore her and lock the car. We enter the small café and this time, Will and Yann are here before us. When Will sees us, he waves us down and we walk straight towards him. Ellie says hi and sits down next to Yann who gives her the corner seat, leaving me to sit next to Will.

He pinches my nose as a good morning and I pinch his back. Then I turn to Yann with a wide smile on my face, "Good morning, Yann."

At his name, he looks up and one of his eyebrows shoots up as if to say what are you up to? I can't blame him, I would do the same too.

He surprises me by actually replying. "Morning, Graham."

When my smile turns wider, his eyebrow goes higher. Okay, maybe we can actually be civilized towards one another and do this.

We order our breakfast, and as we wait for the waffles and coffee to come, we all launch into conversation about the upcoming 4th of July fair. Well, we minus Yann, of course. When I realize he is staying out of the conversation, I guess he's not really interested in the fair and let Ellie and Will talk about it instead.

"I think we got off the wrong foot," I tell him.

I think he doesn't hear me – if he's ignoring me, I'd rather not know – so I kick him under the table softly to catch his attention. As soon as the front of my sneaker hits his shin, his face turns and his eyes fall upon me.

I've never really noticed his eyes until today. They are an electric blue, the color giving warmth and softness to his gaze. His staring at me would almost feel like a caress if it weren't for the bored look he's sporting right now.

Mentally clearing my throat and coming back to reality, I restate. "I was saying I think –"

"I heard you the first time, Graham," he says. He leans in over the table and I find myself leaning in too, to hear what he has to say. "And no, we didn't get off the wrong foot." And he leans back.

What's that supposed to mean? "I know that I trespassed and all but you never gave me a chance to apologize." I say.

The boredom doesn't leave his face as he says, "Is that you apologizing right now?"

I nod. "Yes. I do apologize."

Those four words do not seem to trigger anything inside him and he simply nods at me as he starts to look outside the window.

I am surprised to say the least. "I expected a apology not accepted kind of answer."

His head turns back to me. "Why would I bother with that? That means you'd try to apologize until I accept your apology and I don't want your ass around me."

There, I think, I was wondering where the jackass was lurking. Not too far, as I can see.

"And who says I would try to apologize any more?"