A/N: Hope you enjoy! <3

Ollie's POV

Aside from sheepishly asking Haruto for a refill, I had avoided looking in his direction after he had used that silly word. Cute. I should've been used to his flirts, but for some reason, it felt different from his usual barista banter. Still, I refused to look at him, instead glueing my eyes to the screen and focusing on finishing this assignment.

It had been three hours since Haruto's lunch, and most of the patrons had left already. There was an elderly couple near the window and a couple of college students, but the cafe was normally dead at this time of night.

That was when my phone pinged, forgetting the ringer was on, I picked it up to silence it, only to see that I had a message from Messenger. Mason. Benjamin's fiance.

I had been this close. This close to forgetting about that stupid Facebook post. This close to forgetting how much of a pain it was thinking about those happy idiots.

But of course, nothing ever goes my way. Why did Mason have to try and contact me too? It made no sense. The notification from Messenger was like a slap to the face. I didn't want to open it, but curiosity killed the cat, as they say. I clicked on it, forgetting that he could see if I read it.

Hey, can we talk?

He started typing. Are you still near college town? I'm going to be in that area on Friday if we could talk in person? That would be better.

My phone clattered on the table after reading it. No, why would he be in town? His college was hours away from here. But if Mason really was visiting this area, did that mean Benjamin was coming too?

Oh no. I did not want to see them, did not want to see those silly rings on their fingers, or those boastful smiles.

My heart was racing at the thought of them even seeing me in person. I'd lie and say I was over them and their drama, but just the idea of them approaching me sent in an anxious spiral. My hands were shaking, whether from the message or the coffee, I wasn't sure anymore.

I flipped my phone over if he said anything else before staring at the laptop screen. Everything was blurring as my eyes went cross-eyed, zoning out as the weight of Mason's words were haunting me.

He would be here on Friday, somewhere in the vicinity. There was a chance that if I just ignored him, then maybe he'd forget about it. But I knew Mason. Maybe not that well anymore, but Mason was always a go-getter. Someone who always sets his mind after something, no matter the odds. From his grades, sports, even with his friends, Mason had always been one to seek truth, success, and recognition. And if he wanted to talk to me, he'd do everything in his power to do so.

I'd have to hide again, avoid any chance of being seen by him. Hole myself up at my apartment if I have to. And as much as I'd like to see Haruto on Friday, if Mason remembered my love for small, locally-owned coffee shops, he'd be able to narrow it down and find me.

My heart rate was increasing quickly the more I dreaded the idea of it. I couldn't do this. Closing my laptop, I stood up, quickly packing my things, wanting to calm down in the comforts of my own home. As much as this place was a second home, it was too public for my liking at the moment. I just wanted to get out of here and away from people. It didn't matter that my place was cold and lonely; being alone in a pile of blankets sounded nice right about now.

It felt like that anxiety attack the school nurse had told me I was having during junior year of high school. I couldn't bear the thought of going through another full-blown attack like that again. Although she told me, it affects people differently depending on the scale, removing yourself from that situation often helps, and I think I needed that. The anxiety was building, clawing into me as even the slightest of small talk between the couple or college students amplified, reminded me of the gossips and rumors I faced.

Out of the corner of my eye, Haruto turned towards me as I headed towards the door. I made a beeline to the exit, my stuff thrown haphazardly in my bag. Usually, I'd stay till closing. I didn't even know when the bus came at this time.

"Ollie!" His voice called out, but it only made my feet move faster, heading towards the bus stop further away, hoping he'd go back to work and leave me alone in my misery. I couldn't give him that 'Wonho smile' or cute face he seemed to like.

My eyes were warm as I held back tears, suddenly feeling more and more overwhelmed. The thought of being on a bus with strangers was as scary as the thought of running into Mason, even if he wasn't here yet. That, and looking back, storming out of the cafe probably left a wrong impression on Haruto. His coworkers and even the regular patrons I knew. What did they think of me now?

Oh God, I probably looked like a fool.

As I made the turn towards the stop, the sound of approaching footsteps only propelled me faster. "Ollie!"

Why was he following me, dammit? Haruto's voice was gaining on me as I neared the bus stop. Was it worth going to the next one near the homeless camps? And shouldn't he be back at work, not following me?

Haruto's footsteps were loud, stomps almost, as he closed the gap and grasped my arm. "Ollie, wait up. Geez, you're fast."

"Let go. You should be at work." I pried my arm away, glaring at him, hoping he didn't see the stray tear that had escaped and rolled down my cheek. He was still wearing his work apron.

He frowned, a flash of concern across his face. "You alright? You left so abruptly; you didn't even take a refill to go. Everything okay?"

I bit my lip, avoiding eye contact. "I'm fine. I just...forgot I had something to do at home."

"You sure? You don't look so good. Did something happen?"

"No," I said defensively. "I'm fine, Haruto. Please, you're still on the clock."

He shook his head. "The girls were worried about you too, Ollie. Seriously, you can tell me if you'd like. You can trust me."

Anybody could see that I wasn't fine, my breathing still erratic, and I was sure my body was shaking in nerves at the moment. My phone buzzed again, and it only made it worse. My lips quivered, curious but fearful at who had messaged. Was it Mason again? Maybe even Benjamin?

Haruto glanced at my hand clenched tightly around my phone. "Is this about what you were talking about the other day? Your...high school stuff?"

I flinched as I bit the bottom of my lip a little too harshly. With a nod, I turned away from him, hoping he'd just drop it and walk back to the cafe so I could wallow in my tears and painful memories in the comforts of my own home.

"Oh, Ollie," he said softly before grabbing my wrist. I looked at it warily as his other hand firmly rested on my shoulder. Before I could even ask him what he was doing, he pulled me in a hug. The hand on my shoulder moved toward my upper back, rubbing soothing circles as my mind went haywire.

"Haruto-"

"Shh, it's okay." He patted my back, and despite how awkward logic and reason told me this was, I couldn't help but want to be greedy and stay like this. It felt so nice to be held like this; I don't even remember the last time anyone gave me a hug, not even the girls. When had I last received a hug as warm as this? My parents had never hugged me, even when they were together.

"Thanks," I mumbled in his chest, my hands gripping the front of his apron.

His hand ruffled my hair, and it took everything in me to not just melt in his arms. Geez, did he even know what he was doing to me at this point? I took an extra greedy few seconds before gently pushing him away, realizing people were probably staring now, but my anxiety over being seen had subsided for the most part.

I sniffled before looking up at his kind eyes. "You should probably head back."

"Are you going to stay till closing or head home?"

My lips pursed before clutching my shoulder bag tightly. "I'll...I'll stay."

As we made our way back to the cafe, Mason's message popped back into mind. What had I been so worried about, it's not like he could hurt me anymore. Well, he could, but I didn't owe him or Benjamin a thing. Whatever their reasoning for Mason and possibly Benjamin's desire to keep in touch wasn't an obligation I had to be involved with.

"You alright?" Haruto asked as I stopped walking. "Did...did you want to talk about it?"

I pouted. On the one hand, I did want to rant about it, but on the other hand, Haruto didn't deserve to listen to my pathetic rants. "It's okay."

He hummed before rubbing the back of his neck. "If you say so. But I know letting it out really helps, you know? You can tell me anything. It's only fair after all; I just dumped my playlists on you earlier."

I laughed at that before continuing our trek to the cafe, thoroughly surprised at how far we had walked.

"It's just some ex-friends," I said cautiously as we turned the corner near the cafe. "They've been messaging me, and I don't know what they want."

Haruto grasped my arm, turning me to him. There was a strange look in his eye, one that went beyond concern. I couldn't think of the word or how to describe it, but it sent goosebumps up my arm. "Well, if it's bad intentions, I'm here for you, Ollie. You can trust me."

The corner of my lip turned. "Thanks, Haruto. That means a lot."