I turned around to see Sam standing directly behind me. Oh, dear God.
“Oh, yeah,” I absently remarked. “You live in Cherry’s building. I must have forgotten.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right. You’ve been in love with me for two years, Callum Tate. You knew I lived here.”
I was taken aback by her truthfulness. In fact, I had remembered that she lived in that building. I just thought she’d be at Charlie’s and didn’t think more beyond that.
“So, you knew,” I said, staring directly ahead.
The person in front of me moved up and I followed suit as did Sam.
“Of course I knew. Everyone knew, including Charlie.” That stung a little bit to hear.
“Why aren’t you at Charlie’s?” I asked, evading.
“He and I...Well, we’ve decided to see other people.”
I laughed loudly but stopped and clear my throat. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I feel it’s for the best. I like to keep my options open.”
“Is that what they call being dumped now? Keeping your options open?”
“Charlie didn’t dump me, Callum,” she scoffed. “I dumped him. He was too old for me anyway. I’ve got a taste for something younger now.”
I almost choked on my own spit when I heard that. “Okay.”
“Next,” I heard. Saved.
“Hi, I need three bagels, toasted. Uh, cream cheese. You know,” I said to more to myself, “she likes strawberries. Let me have some strawberry jam as well. Let’s do two coffees and a tea.”
“Is that it?”
“Yup,” I said.
I paid my total and picked up a few things of cream and sugar at the side stand. I started to walk off but forgot that Harper wouldn’t eat the strawberries without a little bit of sugar and threw an extra few packets in my bag. I walked outside and remembered that Harper liked lemon with her tea and debated whether or not it was worth having to brave seeing Sam again. It was worth it. I walked back in and grabbed a plastic ramekin full of lemons. I tried to get away before Sam was done but got no such luck. She only just caught my arm when I tried to burrow my way out the large glass door again.
“I think I’ll walk with you, maybe visit Cherry.”
“You’re going to see Cherry in a few hours. Why bother?”
“Callum, what is wrong with you?” She asked, keeping step with me.
“Nothing. I’m just not sure what’s wrong with you, to be perfectly honest.”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. I’m perfect.”
“And oh so humble,” I snorted.
“It was a joke, bonehead. Seriously, I think I want to explore your feelings for me. Aren’t you even the littlest bit curious as to how that might go?”
I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at her point blank. It took a few seconds for my mouth to catch up to my thoughts.
“No,” I said succinctly.
“What?” She asked, her chin dropped to her chest.
“No, I can honestly say I am not in the least bit curious.” I noticed and stared at the stop light ahead of me. The light turned green just as the truth of that hit me. “Huh. That’s funny.”