•⋅⊰∙∘☾✶☽∘∙⊱⋅•✾•⋅⊰∙∘☾✶☽∘∙⊱⋅•
One minute I was just doing my thing, feeling good, minding my own business and then out of nowhere, I found out that I... was holess now. How did that even happen? You might be wondering. Well, let fill you in.
Joy’s Café was always buzzing, never a quiet mont. The espresso machine hissed like it was out for revenge against silence, cups clanked non-stop against saucers, and voices layered over each other in a constant hum that sohow never turned chaotic; it was more like a rhythmic noise.
Soft music played in the background, sothing chill and acoustic, whatever...but you’d only catch it if you took a mont to pause, which honestly, no one ever did.
Especially not .
"Large caral latte for Sarah!" I’d call out, sliding the cup across the counter with ease, already turning away before she even reached for it.
"Extra foam, right?" I added, looking back over my shoulder.
"That’s why you’re my favorite!" she laughed.
"I say that to all my custors," I shot back with a grin, and she rolled her eyes like she didn’t buy it.
I moved quickly, faster than most could keep up with, weaving between the counter and the machines as if I’d morized every inch of the place. Orders piled in, drinks went out, and I kept it all flowing smoothly, barely needing to think about what my hands were doing. It was all muscle mory by now...steam, pour, stir, smile, and do it all over again.
"Oliver, two cappuccinos!" my coworker, Maya called out.
"Got it," I replied, grabbing two cups without even looking.
Everything felt normal..fortable, even.
This kind of chaos didn’t stress out. If anything, it centered . The constant noise, the rush of movent, the never-ending demand for attention..mit didn’t give a mont to overthink, no room for that creeping quiet that settles in when things go slow.
And honestly, I liked it that way.
"Hey, Oliver," a regular, Kennedy...i think his na was, leaned against the counter, watching work, "Ever ssed up an order?"
I let out a light snort, glancing up at him while frothing milk. "Never. I’m flawless and unstoppable. Amazing in every way..."
"Wow," he responded, deadpan. "The confidence."
"I’ve earned it," I shot back casually, pouring the milk into the espresso with a steady hand. "Unlike so folks who still can’t decide what they want after standing in line for ten minutes."
He raised his hands up in defeat, laughing, and I handed him his drink with a nod.
"Next!"
Another order, another smile.
It was easy to make it seem like I had it all together. Easy to laugh, joke, and keep things light. People appreciated that. They liked soone steady, soone who didn’t waver or hesitate.
And for the most part, I delivered exactly that, but now and then...just for a split second, sothing would slip.
My hand would linger a bit too long over the stack of cups before I finally grabbed one, like my brain hadn’t caught up with my body. I blinked, shook it off, and kept moving.
It was nothing, probably.
I hadn’t slept much lately. Just a few restless nights piled up until they blurred together. Honestly, I couldn’t recall the last ti I’d gotten a full eight hours of beauty sleep without waking up in the middle of the night to do random stuff or school work.
"Oliver?" Maya nudged gently. "You good?"
"Yeah," I replied quickly, already reaching for the next order. "Just thinking about how much I love my job."
She laughed. "Sure you were."
I smiled back, an automatic gesture, and kept going.
A few minutes later, I glanced at my phone sitting by the register, the screen lighting up briefly before going dark again. No notification this ti; it was just a habit. I checked it anyway when no one was looking, unlocking it for a split second before slipping it back down.
Nothing important.
Still, I let out a slow breath and grabbed the next cup.
"dium iced mocha!" I called out, sliding it across the counter.
My phone buzzed.
I ignored it, then it buzzed again, and I frowned a bit, shifting my weight as I grabbed a towel to wipe down the counter.
When it buzzed for the third ti, I let out a quiet sigh and looked at the screen.
Joey.
Of course it was Joey. That idiot...
I nearly declined the call without thinking. He always had the worst timing, and if I knew anything from past experiences, his calls were either pointless or downright ridiculous.
Sotis both.
But still, he was Joey.
I swiped to answer, tucking the phone between my shoulder and ear as I reached for another cup.
"What do you want?" I asked, not unkindly, just a bit distracted. "I’m working."
"Hey, my handso, cute, amazing, cool, kindhearted, fascinating, aweso best friend..." Joey’s voice ca through way too bright, way too cheerful. "So, uh...funny story."
I paused, just for a split second.
Yeah. No. Didn’t like the sound of that.
"...Joey," I said slowly, pouring coffee into the cup in front of , "what did you do this ti?"
"Okay, first of all," he started, clearly stalling, "I feel like you always assu the worst of , which is kind of hurtful—"
"Joey."
"Right...okay. Getting to the point."
I handed a drink to a custor waiting nearby, flashing them a quick smile that felt just as easy as ever.
"Here you go. Careful, it’s hot."
"Thanks, Oliver!"
I nodded, then turned slightly, lowering my voice enough so I wasn’t shouting into the phone.
"Talk."
There was a pause on the other end.
"So..." Joey said, dragging the word out like he was testing it. "You know how sotis things just happen that are, like... totally out of your control?"
I grabbed another cup, setting it down a little harder than I ant to.
"Joey."
"And you know how, in those monts, it’s important to stay calm and not overreact or murder your best friend?"
"Joey."
"Okay, so...hypothetically, if I told you that our apartnt is... kind of... temporarily unavailable—"
My hand froze, the espresso machine hissed loudly beside , steam rising in a sharp burst, but for a mont, it felt like the sound had faded, like everything around had shifted just slightly out of focus.
I stared at the cup in front of .
"...Define temporarily unavailable," I said, my voice quieter than I’d expected.
"Great question," Joey replied imdiately, too quickly. "Love that question."
I didn’t budge.
Around , the café buzzed just like usual...orders were called, chairs scraped against the floor, laughter blended into conversations, but everything felt... distant.
Like I was right in the center of it, yet not really part of it at all.
"So," Joey continued, his tone casual but sohow making my stomach knot, "there was a little...incident."
I swallowed, gripping the cup slightly tighter.
"What kind of incident?"
"Nothing crazy," he said. "Just, you know... a small fire."
A beat passed and I blinked, "...A what now?"
"Okay, when I say ’fire,’ I don’t an, like, a huge fire," Joey rushed to clarify. "It was more like... a contained situation that got slightly out of hand, but the bottom line is our dorm room kind of caught on fire—"
"What the hell??!"
"Joey... what do you an our dorm kind of caught fire?"
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𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔯𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰
hi there! thanks for clicking on this book. if you’re a reader of my other works, welco back! i truly appreciate your continued support 🥰
and if you’re new to this certified bl addict’s books, welco! i really hope you enjoy your stay... don’t forget to check out my other books; My Stepbrother My Enemy and How To Seduce Your Cold-hearted Alpha CEO!
anywho, this is a slice of life, campus romance, enemies to lovers, cody novel. and note that oliver is an unreliable narrator, so obviously I wouldn’t believe him completely when he says "I ain’t gay!" or "I can’t stand that Damien guy!"
he’s a bit of a tsundere and is blind to his own feelings😂
okay, I’ll shut up now. enjoy reading!💕
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