1.1 | constellations of you and me ✓

02 | virgo

He's painfully handsome, and it's starting to make sense why he's the campus obsession.

There are two boys to his right—Adrian Chalmetón and Wren Baktari. Both soccer players, the former being the captain. They're looking at her slyly (like all boys do) and subtly elbowing each other underneath the table, grinning without shame. God, is the entire soccer team this attractive?

She wants to hide underneath the table.

Eloise swallows, and Jonah's eyes trace the movement of her throat. "I'm sorry," Eloise says honestly. "I've just been so busy, and exam week was killing me, and just—I'm sorry," she repeats hollowly.

"S'okay," the Korean boy declares with a cheeky smile (again, he smiles so often that she's starting to think it's permanently glued to his face). "You can make it up to me, beautiful."

Her heartbeat skips. "I, uh, I'm working." She probably looks hideous, too. "For another two hours."

Did she even brush her hair this morning?

He seems unbothered and instead picks up a dark chocolate cookie, examining its packaging without any actual interest. "That's fine," Jonah murmurs smoothly. "I can wait. Two hours isn't anything compared to two months, after all."

Eloise is positive she's blushing. God, she doesn't act like this ever, but something about the person in front of her makes her knees go weak.

"You're going to have to wait," she blurts out. "It's not really worth your time."

He takes out a ten-dollar bill and hands it over, careful to not touch her. "Don't be ridiculous, baboya. Everything about you is worth my time."

Baboya. He called her baboya.

Adrian taps Jonah on the shoulder. "Hey, man, hurry the fuck up; the line's getting long." He turns to her. "Hey, Eloise." Both boys offer a sheepish grin and wave.

Jonah turns around and stares blatantly at his friends. "I was getting to that part, assholes, so shut up."

It's like Eloise isn't even there. There's something charming about watching these three boys. It's messy and confusing and too fast-paced for her to follow, but it's friendship. A beautiful, chaotic tangle.

The angel with the dangerous eyes and killer mouth leans toward her. "So, what do you say? Let's go out after your shift is over, yeah?"

Live a little, her mother used to say.

She takes a deep breath. "Consider this as my apology," Eloise suggests fairly. "For not calling you back. And as a thank you for the food you gave me before." She hesitates, lips pursed. "I get off at nine, if you can wait until then."

Jonah's eyebrows draw together at her response, something like confusion and disappointment flashing across his features, but he quickly recovers and straightens. "It's a deal, Park."

The three boys order the same thing—extra-tall black coffees with no cream or sugar—and settle down in the back left corner of the shop. With their long limbs and bulky bags full of soccer gear, they look strangely out of place. It's a sight that makes her heart go soft. Not only are they presumably ditching their own victory party back on campus, but Jonah's waiting.

For her.

Thirty minutes pass, and she says a quick goodbye to Adrian and Wren before helping another customer. When she looks back at Jonah, his dark head is bent over a book and headphones are placed snugly over his ears. Both feet tap silently along to whatever music he's listening to, completely zoned out of reality.