I marched out lazily dressed and the instant that Pierce caught me still in my house slippers, he shot me a stern face and twirled his fingers, indicating to me to turn around and go back in my room to go change into something more suitable for the public because apparently, when I said 'let's get coffee,' it really meant that the two of us were going to go out to a café and converse.

"But I thought we were just going to sit on the sofa—" I tried to reason with him.

"No."

"Oh come on, there's a perfectly good coffee machine in the kitchen." I groaned.

"You're lazier than an older sibling blessed with a younger sibling to enslave when it comes to shutting their door." He raised his eyebrows. The man was sitting comfortably on the couch, checking his phone.

"Well you're more irrelevant than the 1998 Pocahontas II film."

"I'm impressed with your comeback you unseasoned, rawly-cooked sushi with no rice."

"Flattered." I shot him a glare, "I have your papers, Flapjack. One more word from you and I'm flushing it down the toilet like how Nemo almost ended up."

I thought the man had given up as I reached my bedroom door, about to go in, before I caught a loud sigh from him on the couch as he muttered under his breath, "сегодня будет долгий день."

I bit my bottom lip out of his sight and silently cursed in my head. It had been so long since I had to recall this one minor detail about T6's Beta, and that was the fact that the Commander was multilingual.

I went into my room and shut the door tightly, locking it from the inside. Clearing my throat, I imitated the way I heard Pierce talk just now into google translate and waited for Siri to translate secretly.

❝ 'Today will be a long day.' ❞

"I heard that," Pierce shouted from the living room, "Hurry up and stop messing around."

"Stop Russian me," I groaned.

"... You better pray to Jesus and friends that I didn't just hear your lame pun, Risa."

"If that's how fate does me," I picked my stance as I eye-raped the door with a deep breath in, "Soviet."

I heard him sigh and drop his phone on the couch on the other side of the door.

▂▂▂▂▂

Adorned in basically the same clothing but with a hint of public manners, I exited my room as I waved the papers at Pierce to reassure him that I have it to bring with us. Pierce had his own folder that the sheets had belonged to tucked under his top coat.

I stayed close to the wall opposite of the man as I suddenly addressed an important issue at hand. "Should we really be discussing T6's business in public?" I frowned slightly, "Especially now that I know you're Beta?"

"Like anyone will suspect me by the way I drink my coffee," the man responded.

"It ain't that literal," I deadpanned, "How about you consider the issue of T6's matter being private?"

"And who's going around with Bluetooth earbuds specifically to spy on us?"

"Some people don't need bloated ear-corns to accidentally overhear other's conversation, Beta. Why take the risk of leaked information when we have a place where we can discuss this quietly, privately, and it doesn't even waste gas?"

I sound like an advertisement.

"Where it's completely and utterly isolated from humanity," the man chimed in. Pierce shifted his attention away from his phone and peered up at me. "Sunny, you're literally going to die alone. Get out of this apartment and breathe a little."

"If I wanted to kill myself I'd have climbed your ego and jumped to your IQ a long time ago," I cocked my eyebrows at him.

"Is your ass jealous of all the shit that comes out of your mouth?" He smirked.

"Oh how the last thing I want to do is hurt you," I faked a smile before forcing a chuckle, "but it's still on the list."

"Way to hide the overwhelming love you have for me," he rolled his eyes, "almost makes me want to repay you by unplugging your life support to charge my phone."

"I'd love to insult you further but I'm afraid I won't do as well as your genetics."

"That's not what I heard when your mouth was running on how curvy my ass was in your bedroom."

"You know," I shifted my weight on the other leg and crossed my arms in frustration as his comeback got to me, "Instead of slipping on hard concrete in front of my door that one night, why don't you slip into something more comfortable next time? Like a coma."

"Or, better yet," his eyes glistened with triumph. The man was not going down. "Why don't you hush a bit so that your plant can replace the oxygen you wasted and hear my response to your T6 question?"

"'I wish we could become better strangers,'" I quoted Shakespeare with a beam.

"That's not too bad of a death wish."

"Alright," I let our little session halt for the time being as I leaned against the wall and nodded at the man, "Enough. Talk to me as Beta now before I lose more brain cells."

"You just have to slip in a little something more at the end, huh." Pierce shook his head at me. I rolled my eyes as I forced my mouth shut and tried to be obedient just long enough for the two of us to converse normally.

He spoke up after a while of silently staring at me. "One, it's the holiday season, no one will turn a second eye at two customers chatting about a trending group when they have schedules of their own."

"Two," he continued, "Imposters sprinkle the country's population, so in the worst case scenario, who would believe that I was Beta out of everyone else that claimed they were?"

When I didn't respond, the man presented his last reasoning, which I presumed was the strongest argument so I stayed quiet to hear it. Instead I got, "And three, I want coffee downtown."

I blinked, then coughed when I processed his last words. "You're unbelievable," I sighed.

Suddenly, Pierce spoke up again, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Would you like to go out and have coffee with me?"

I looked up and peered at the man curiously.

"Well when you ask it like that," I started carefully, stroking my nonexistent beard. "No." I stared at him with uninterested eyes.

"They have a special deal where you can save sixty percent off your next order and I happen to be a returning customer." He taunted with a small yawn as he checked the time on his watch.

"Vamonos, my Russian amigo!" I war-cried, pushing off the wall before swiftly wrestling the beryl-hued peacoat off my coat hanger, leaving the apartment before my stunned host does, who, might I add, took an unnecessary amount of time burying his face into his hands with his eternal supply of sigh's.

▂▂▂▂▂

The weather was colder than I had expected so I hugged my coat close especially around my throat, either trying to keep the cold out or end it all, both were welcomed with the latter being more low-key. Pierce eyed my car in acknowledgement before heading towards his side. Just as I opened the door to the driver's seat, my phone rang.

Picking up the device, I held it loosely towards my ear and muttered, "Hello?"

"I can hear your teeth clattering, Risa."

"Cody," I exclaimed, ignoring his comment before my face went dead of emotions, "What do you want this time?"

"Funny how you assume I only call when I need something."

"Isn't that why anyone would call in this day and age?" I mocked, "Otherwise you'd have texted, which I conclude from our many years of friendship."

I could practically sense him rolling his eyes through the phone's screen. "No, this time it's a legit question."

"Alright then," I arched my eyebrows as I waited patiently, "what's up?"

"I have free time today. Do you want to go grab smoothie with me in the usual shop?"

"Oh." I glanced at Pierce and the papers in my hand before gazing off into the distance, "I uh, have homework."

"Homework? I can smell the lie, woman."

I raised my eyebrows as Pierce gave me an amusing look. He gestured for us to switch places, meaning I sit in the front seat while he sat in the driver's seat, so that we could go as I talked on the phone. I nodded reluctantly and hurried to get away from the cold. The moment I hopped in, I shut the door and tossed the man beside me the keys. We both buckled our seatbelts swiftly and before I knew it, he was on the road. My attention went back to the call.

"I can't today," I continued briskly, biting my bottom lip as I knew that Pierce and I were contradicting my every word as we went to get coffee right this moment.

"Why not?"

"It's too cold for smoothie. And I'm busy studying for the exams. You know Island is a beast when it's exam week. That stiff-boned woman can whack all your fingers off with her ruler if you answer her questions wrong in review for the exams."

"Why do I still feel like that was all a bunch of lies?"

"Well the first part was true."

"Fine. Just so you know you were my least favorite girl friend anyway."

"Oh stop being a baby," I lectured him this time as our roles reversed, "I'll have smoothie with you another day, okay? When the weather warms out. If you still plan to go, go buy something warm, Cody."

"You sound like my mother."

I chuckled. "Considering I don't have an inkling of what a mother is like, I say that's a good sign. I'm hanging up."

"Yeah yeah, see ya."

I hung up and let out a small side smile before putting my phone away. Pierce glanced at me and tilted his head curiously.

"Would've fooled me if you were single, but I see this isn't the case?" He waited for me with cocked eyebrows.

"And if he was my beau would that change your narcissism?" I copied his expression, "Nah."

"I don't know why you're playing so hard to get when you're so hard to want."

I fake gasped as I looked at the man with a smirk. "I envy people who haven't met you."

"I hope the rest of your day is as pleasant as you are." He smiled smugly through the front, inside rear mirror.

"Considering the fact that I'll be spending it with you," I laughed, "Likewise, Commander."

Pierce rolled his eyes and came to a stop at a red light. Then, he draped his arm on the steering wheel temporarily as he turned to look at me. I frowned and leaned back a bit as I watched the man study my face.

I found myself a bit lost in his grey eyes. Soon, I began connecting that Pierce was Beta. I turned quieter, more reserved, and less argumentative. It didn't really hit me in my apartment that not only had I met a teammate, but I had also met the Commander of T6.

My last spoken word rang in my head loud and clear as guilt suddenly made its appearance when it should've been present sooner.

Respect came before quarrels. I needed to keep that in mind whenever I'm around Pierce.

Easier said than done, I scoffed silently as the two of us quieted down and looked away, considering the fact that Beta and I didn't exactly meet on good terms. Thank god Pierce didn't discover my identity, even I knew I was unbelievable as a person.

Pierce leaned in to get a good look at my face, and I saw him frowning a bit as he studied my eyes. I flinched away. My eyes were wide as Pierce raised his eyebrows at my reaction. Realizing my reaction was a bit much, I looked down and then away and out the window, shutting my eyes.

The dream triggered a caution within me when he got too close. All I saw was the Risa I didn't know, who straddled him in bed.

That will never be me, I rejected the image bitterly to myself. I kept dreaming of people I met in real life and in the worst possible situations ever... it was honestly too repulsive for my conscious self. When will it stop?

Though I have to admit, something about the most recent dream seemed too real to dismiss.

▂▂▂▂▂

We reached the bijou café after about an hour's drive more, which was an eminent coffee shop already blessed with loyal customers and their families and acquaintances. Pierce and I swiftly opened our car doors and stepped out in one motion, already fearing the longer we were compacted in that car, the closer we turned into our animal ancestors.

It was a little ways walk to the café so I secured my coat tightly and with two glances on either sides of the street, we duo paced our strides in time with the traffic.

I had a feeling people were staring at us. No, we weren't doing anything different in particular, but I could tell Pierce and I gave off some sort of foreign aura, too business-like for friends, too unlikely to be foes, so we just kind of fall into this exquisite category of exotic aliens that dressed differently and had our own language who happened to drive an hour to taste coffee.

From outside, the transparent windows advertised diversely-decorated treats and cute hand-written messages in marker that swooned in young passerby's. I could already hear the echoing of holiday music on the other side of the glass door.

A couple came out of the door holding packages of the café's treats wrapped up. Judging by their appearances, I concluded they were young adults with children waiting at home for those treats. The woman saw us and smiled sheepishly while the man beside her nodded at us and held the door open. Pierce slipped his hand above me to hold the door open as the couple moved on, and the two of us quickly replaced them inside.

The aroma given off by processed coffee beans and hot chocolate filled my sense of smell and immediately acted as a mood pacifier. I took a small breath in and tilted my head slightly to the side in satisfaction. Little children, too pure to think twice, popped their heads out from behind their seats to see us when the little bells above the door rang a short melody.

A young waitress beckoned the two of us to a cushioned seat across from each other, located inconveniently closest to the register. I let the worried thought of people hearing Pierce's and my conversation slide since the man seemed to have it all planned out, or so he claimed.

The lady called for our orders and seemed to have taken an odd liking to Pierce because she had asked him his order first and almost forgot mine. And I say 'almost' as in she forgot I sat there in front of her altogether.

Amidst the entertaining act, I let the whole thing slide while I listened quietly to the holiday music playing in the background. I watched the lady fluster up when she thought Pierce was calling to talk to her alone. He had to whistle her back and I was rushed with my order, but I was more interested in the fact that she managed to slip a tiny piece of paper in exchange for our drink menus.

When she was gone, Pierce dramatically studied the sheet and nodded to each digit that he read. I raised my eyebrows and watched him silently. The man let out a chuckle and shook his head slightly, reaching over the next table for a pen. He uncapped it easily and began to write something on the back of the scrapped sheet.

"So this is how I'll learn your number," I pursed my lips in the middle of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas playing in the background, "by watching you give it away to some chick at the café that you asked me out to."

He gazed at me with amused eyes. "See, instead of us kindly exchanging numbers like the lady there just tried, we're here exchanging government papers because someone couldn't keep their hands to themselves."

"I've been accused of worse things by better people." I commented slyly, "And believe me, I could score her number too if I wanted to, but something about her attitude repels women."

"Women like you."

"What does she even see in you?" I ignored him, "Light travels faster than sound. I guess that's why some people appear bright until they speak."

"Your low-key game is hella weak."

"I'm not insulting you," I leaned my head on my intertwined fingers propped up on the table, "I'm describing you."

Our beloved waitress returned at this moment and bombarded us with drinks, napkins, the receipt, and toppings. I peeked underneath her body leaning over the table and saw Pierce tapping her and giving her back the piece of paper with a charming smile.

She accepted it readily, glanced at me, and stuck her butt out, flaunting it, before strutting away all singsong-like.

I held my mouth ajar in humorous disbelief as I glanced at Pierce after she was gone and I pointed my thumb out at her with an amused expression. He smirked and the both of us laughed quietly, shaking our heads as we settled into our seats and mixed our drinks.

The music changed beat at this time and the whole café seemed to calm down. It eased from a buoyant mood to a soothing atmosphere that I could get used to and I snuggled in my coat while sipping my coffee. Some people were tapping their feet lightly, others were humming along, kids were air-drumming their nonexistent beat, and the fairy lights on the wall made the sitting pleasant as morning shifted to late evening.

I swirled my drink and took a small whiff of the cacao scent before taking a sip. The whip cream seemed to have stuck on my lips because a moment later, I found Pierce gazing at me with arched brows before tapping his own lips.

I rolled my eyes and angled my face closer, emphasizing my creamy mustache with a smug look before wiping it off with a napkin. His intense stare made me go quiet, however.

Keep a distance, Risa, I thought bitterly to myself when Pierce gave a light shrug at my expression and smirked into his drink as he took his first sip.

Clearing my throat quietly, I found interest in the paint chipping off from the wall before I took another sip of my coffee. I had almost forgotten the reason why we came to the café in the first place until Pierce got my attention again and said, "Let's start?"

I took out the sheets and laid it out on the table, positioning it closer towards the wall so that people walking to the register couldn't read. Pierce also took out the folder and he laid it next to my sheets so that we could piece everything together. We read the sheets, and while Pierce inspected its content that I miraculously guessed, I took up the folder and perused through its content after an intense staring contest with Pierce on whether I should read the folder or not.

My eyes narrowed as I began absorbing what I saw. The folder wasn't sent to anyone else in our team, but it wasn't anything we didn't know. As far as it seemed, it was just a report on what Beta missed since the fake Beta incident. Someone must have made an effort to update the real Beta on what assignments he missed and how the team was doing.

Someone who knew us personally... and as of this moment, had a close eye on all of us.

But who, I frowned to myself, Do they know that Beta is in my reach? Do they know about me?

"You received a report on the imposter hacker because you've been denied access to T6's chatroom," I mumbled, tilting my head away in thought, "Do you know who—"

Wait. Didn't the sheets say it was from K2?

Pierce frowned and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "I'm still a bit uneasy on you talking like you're on board with everything."

"Wouldn't you like to know," I muttered under my breath quietly enough for him not to hear, "Wait, didn't Mrs. Island give you the folder?"

Pierce nodded. "She did. If you're curious, I'll just answer right now that she knows I'm not enrolled in your school. Someone got in contact with the school and told them to make sure the folder gets in my hands. Other then that, she is oblivious to me being Beta or that she's passing on government papers. She's just doing what the school says."

"And how do you know the behind the scenes stuff?"

"I'm a hacker," he cocked his eyebrows, "Everything transmitted through screens is my playground. Schools don't necessarily have the best security. If kids can bust into the files to get exam answers, imagine how easy it was for me to access info on T6?"

I nodded. "Using context clues, if anyone would try to hack T6, they wouldn't waste time with the other five. They'd target the commander first and foremost, and from there the leader position is theirs to abuse Beta's authority. That's why you were hacked."

"I'm surprised you're keeping up," Pierce smirked, "In that case, I won't hold back."

"I have my fair share of underground work," I returned his smile, "I didn't expose you just so I can crawl at your feet. I did it to work."

"'Work' you said?" he repeated it curiously, "Don't take this too much on your shoulders if you don't want to. I don't want to drag innocent civilians into our field."

"And that's the last time you'll say that," I said, "I stand firm on my last statement."

"Fine by me," he shrugged, "We'll see how well you can keep up."

I took a sip of my coffee again, stalling a bit as I hid my expression behind the round cup.

Any other person, if he had met any other person besides me, I knew they wouldn't have kept their mouths shut. I mentally thanked fate and the universe that I happened to be that one person he did meet, just for the sake of keeping T6's business within our circle.

"I have a question." I started.

"Go ahead."

"Be honest and tell me the events leading up to our meeting," I breathed in and stared straight in his eyes, "That night you showed up, I know what you told me was a fabricated account, maybe a white lie, so it's still missing a crucial component that would make it the truth. A well-abled man like you couldn't have lost a fight that shallow, and that's not even including the fact that Beta is notorious for hand-to-hand combat."

Pierce gave me a silent stare. He let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through his hair in thought. "I was chased." He finally answered.

"That seems more plausible," I commented.

"You don't seem too fazed," he angled his head to look at me.

"Like I said, I'm the daughter of a policeman," I sighed, "I've been familiar with these situations since I was a child."

The man gazed at me with an expression I couldn't interpret, before he finally explained the situation. "After being hacked, I lost contact with K2." Realizing that he hadn't really touched on the topic of K2, Pierce slowed down and added, "K2's just our old government official. The last mission, however, I wasn't able to receive any folders nor meet up with him and I instantly knew something was wrong. Then, long story short, men came and ambushed my place."

I listened with an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. Someone had found Beta's location?

"Where were you before?"

"The team's scattered across the world," Pierce replied, "But I'm the one that travels for assignments handed to us by a joint organization founded internationally and supported financially in every country. At the moment, I was in Saudi Arabia finishing up the assignment on P. Strike. It's been one of the few easier assignments the team has handled so to my knowledge, it's been released to the public already, right?"

They tracked him. So our locations were still undisclosed.

"Right," I answered, "And have you found the answer to why they had a hold on where you were?"

"Our group chat can't be tracked, nor can the members' contact info be leaked. L01 is held accountable for that. But I do risk myself presenting myself in public for these assignments. It has to be a foe group observing my movements for a while now."

"How can we be sure you're not tracked here too?" I narrowed my eyes in thought. A second thought gave me the answer to my own question. "You destroyed something on you, didn't you? A tracking device installed somewhere."

"I bought new shoes beforehand."

"And the device was in the bottom sole of the left shoe." I said.

"That was a fast conclusion," Pierce commented, impressed.

"I heard of a similar case like this from my father," I nodded, "Left shoe because the majority of people are right-handed. They'd unconsciously check the right side first, so it's placed on the left to lower the risks of someone finding it."

"But," Pierce raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to yet again, finish his sentence.

"But, you're left handed," I pieced all the clues together, "I saw the way you held the pen earlier when you scribbled on the slip of paper. So you found it."

"Bravo, Detective Conan," he grinned for the first time in front of me. I was taken aback at his sudden engaging response and feeling slightly embarrassed, took a sip of my coffee.

Pierce continued talking while I placed my cup back on the table. "The only problem I'm facing is that I don't remember what exactly I could have done to anger those people. I know I did something since the men and women I faced weren't amateur assailants."

At those words, I froze and my ears perked up. I gazed at the man with a low frown as I leaned in and said, "Did you just say you don't... remember?"

"Yeah, everything last year and the past is a blur. I can't remember specific events."

The dream resurfaced and I shut my eyes as I recalled a specific scene.

// "They are coming," I heard myself warn the others, "Risa was running away from being caught. You need to get out."

"What do you mean?" Asao grimaced as he absorbed what I just said, "come back, please."

"Don't be blind to the men in charge," I pleaded, feeling myself run out of time, "they're using us." //

I didn't realize that Pierce was calling me until I heard my full name being called and my eyes fluttered open, nodding at him.

The name Asao. The talk with Pooh. I remember now.

But... what happened after that?

Damn it.

"Hey, Pierce." I spoke up carefully.

The man looked at me and nodded for me to proceed.

"Do you... have you ever thought about... maybe—" I was struggling. I knew it. I let myself take a breath before starting up again. "Has the team ever... met in real life before?" I sighed in relief and took a sip of my drink again while I waited for the man to reply.

"Yes."

"Yes??" I almost choked on my drink at his fast and straightforward reply.

Pierce handed me a napkin and gave me a soft chuckle before he went serious again to explain. "I know just like how you know about T6. Context clues. There is no way we could have started working together and kept at it for this long without seeing each other at least once. I know I don't trust people easily, so why would I oversee a team as risky as T6 in the first place?"

My thoughts exactly. Pooh had mentioned in our conversation last night that he had a dream that we knew each other for four years. What exactly happened... last year?

"T6 was created four years ago," I decided to tell Pierce, "There must have been something on why no one remembers."

"How do you know no one remembers?" Pierce frowned suspiciously, "So far, I've only talked about myself. I don't know about the rest."

I tensed up and I felt myself gripping the hot cup of coffee tightly. "You have to trust me," I said sincerely, "I dig through many things and it's hard to remember where I learned this and that and who I learned it from. But, let's go with what I say if it fits your situation... if it doesn't, we can move on."

Pierce narrowed his eyes and looked at me intently. "Don't tell me..." he suddenly started.

My eyes flickered and I felt my heart beating rapidly. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm not," I told him firmly, making him stare at me in surprise that I read his thoughts, "We confirmed this in my room, remember?

"No, we confirmed I was Beta. We never confirmed who you were."

"You can't confirm something that doesn't exist in the first place," I gave him a light sigh, "I'm not as special as you make me out to be."

"It was just a thought," he trailed off, "you could be M&M or Venus."

"Do I seem like an M&M?" I tried to turn the situation around in my favor, "She's the converser of the team. She writes T6's reports and presents them to officials. I couldn't even form a sentence earlier."

He smirked and I could tell he was letting the suspicion reside for the time being, but not until he lazily tested the last option. "And Venus?"

"Well, you tell me what Venus is like?" I cocked my head at him.

Bad idea, I suddenly thought to myself, now I'm going to hear all the traits about me that I've ruined in real life.

"Venus?" Pierce repeated, letting the word slide out elegantly on his tongue, "Well, she's my right-hand Error. I don't know if I'd be able to handle the rest if she didn't act on my behalf at times."

Startled, I brought my cup up to my lips and paused as I asked, "So you and her get along well?"

"I get along well with all of them—"

I wrinkled my nose and rolled my eyes behind the cup as I took a sip. Sure he does. Not like the man struggles like a mental Buffalo every time we held meetings.

"But her, definitely." Pierce ended.

Definitely. He said definitely.

I slammed the cup down on the table a bit too loud than I intended and that startled the both of us. Pierce let out a chuckle and I recoiled a bit in embarrassment as we settled back in.

"There!" I exclaimed, grinning as I found my way out, "See? You said you and her get along well. And now take her out and put Risa in the picture. Don't you see the problem there?"

I waited for him eagerly to accept my proposal so that we could move on. But like the unexpected man he was, Pierce looked at me with a strange glint in his eyes. He just stared at me. I don't know what he was thinking.

"Well, the bed scene was pretty peaceful for what it was worth."

"Wording, Beta," I frowned.

"That's the first time you called me Beta casually," Pierce slipped in, raising his eyebrows. When I pursed my lips shut, the man continued with, "Just call me Pierce like you've always done." He took another long sip of his drink before he mumbled, "since you're not Venus."

I looked away and brought my cup to my lips again.

The mini bells above the café door rang from behind me, which indicated more people were filing in. The music changed into a mid-tempo, reggae genre, astray from the holiday music for a while.

Pierce and I had picked up again on the matter of who the fake Beta could be, but not until I found Pierce glancing at someone behind me with curious eyes.

"Is he..." the man started in a different tone, getting my attention, "someone you know?"

"What?" I whispered back, worried that maybe someone like the two musketeers and the drumstick had decided to visit the café today, "How many people are you looking at?"

"Just one," he answered back casually, "Tall. Male. Has a smoothie in his hand."

"Cody?" I uttered, quickly looking behind my seat's headboard.

And that's when my eyes widened when I saw the betrayed look on my best guy friend's face as his eyes shifted from Pierce, to me, and then to the warm coffee cups and extravagant subsidiaries set on the table that we shared alone.

"You said.." The man began, frowning in disbelief.

My hands dropped away from my cup as I tried to get the boy to not misunderstand. Our eyes locked and he looked so lost and hurt on who the guy with me was that I stumbled on my words.

"Cody, this... this isn't a... we're just—"

"So it's a no for smoothie... but a yes for coffee?"

▂▂▂▂▂