With her hands buried deep into her coat pockets, Kris shuffles down the sidewalk and follows it as it winds to the right at the upcoming intersection. She stares down at her slip-on sneakers, paying close attention to the faded print that once resembled a checkerboard design as she uses it as a distraction of some sort. She knows that she's getting close now and, with each step, she feels her nerves tingling.

It's not so much nervousness as it is just a reaction she normally gets when she's extremely upset with someone and hasn't had the opportunity to talk to them. Or when she does speak with them and, instead of hashing it out like mature adults, things end up dramatically worse. The process is a simple one and it normally starts with her attempting to shrug it off, followed by her getting pissed off, and ending with her doing one of two things. Cry or move on.

And lately, after everything that has happened with her brother, she has done enough crying.

Without looking, she stops on an uneven slab of concrete and knows that she has arrived at her destination. She tilts her head up to look at the glowing sign of the coffee shop and, without sparing another minute to allow her mind to wander to places it shouldn't be, she reaches for the handle and pulls the door open.

Not many people are inside, especially considering how early it is, and the majority of them is the ill-managed staff as they text away from behind the bar. And that's when she spots him sitting at the table closest to the door.

The two lock eyes and Jesse immediately scoots out his chair, anxiously jumping to his feet. "Hey. I'm glad you came."

"Got your text." Kris says, skipping the pleasantries. "By 'morning' I had no idea you meant five in the morning."

His face reads nothing but guilt, and something tells her that it has more to it than him just regretting his poor time management. "Sorry. It's just... urgent."

"Okay." She spits out, trying her best to show that she's annoyed. Sighing, she pulls out the chair across from him and sits down. "What's so urgent?"

He looks around uneasily, as if not sure where to start. "Do you want a coffee or something?"

It's clear that he's stalling.

"No." Kris answers almost instantly. "What I want is for you to tell me what the hell is going on, Jesse. I don't know what type of girls you're used to hanging out with, but you can't just out of nowhere decide to make out with me and lead me on just to suddenly up and vanish."

Not expecting the conversation to turn that direction, Jesse's eyes widen. He nervously plays with his fingers, finding this even more difficult now given her current state.

Realizing how obsessive she must be coming off, she leans back in her chair as she gazes down at her sneakers. Her voice lowers to a calm tone, although inside she is screaming. "If this is you wanting to end things, then fine. It's cool. Not like we ever officially started something anyways."

"Goddamnit, Kris."

She glares up at him.

"I really like you, okay? More than like, I—" He stops himself as he takes in a deep breath. That'll be a topic for another day. "Look, I'm sorry I gave you that impression but that's not it. Not at all. Um, there's something I've been keeping from you for a while now. Ever since the night I first met you actually. And I know this may sound incredibly stupid but, now that things—that we—are getting more serious, I just don't want to have any skeletons in the closet."

More serious? She feels a slight urge to smile as the thought of what words would have slipped out of his mouth had he finished his second sentence, but she resists and manages to hold onto her stern tone. "What is it?"

Pausing, he thinks of a way to say it. Not like he hasn't been rehearsing in his head for the past thirty minutes. Although he really can think of countless ways to word it, each one ends with a high probability that her reaction is going to be the same. She'll feel betrayed regardless.

"Kris, I—"

Her phone rings, the generic tune reminiscent of an office ringtone interrupting him.

She reaches into her bag, shuffling through the mess inside until she sees the screen lit up at the bottom. "Sorry, it's my mom."

"No, of course." He nods. "Answer."

"Hello? Mom, slow down." Her eyes widen as she pauses, taking a brief moment to register what her mother is saying. "What?"

Jesse slightly leans across the table, curious as to what could be happening.

"Who? Tell me who." She insists, still not getting the response she wants. "Alright. On my way."

She grabs her bag, quickly slinging it over her shoulder as she slides out of her seat. "I have to go."

If he wasn't nervous before, now the hair on his arms is rising. "Okay. Is something wrong?"

She doesn't respond as she pushes the chair back under the table and spins around to face the door.

"Kris?!"

"They know who killed my brother." She looks at him and, instantly, he can tell that she's holding back tears. Raising her eyebrows, she nervously readjusts the strap of her satchel. "I have to go."

"Where? Let me drive you." He asks, persistent to help as he also rises to his feet.

"No." She shakes her head before turning back to the door, breaking eye contact with him. "Bye, Jesse."

As he slowly sinks back into his chair, Jesse watches Kris open the door and step outside. Through the open blinds on the windows, he can see her hurriedly walking down the sidewalk as she wipes at her sore eyes. He gazes down at the table, unsure of how he can help, until he comes to the realization that he can't. He'll only make things worse.

"Bye..." He mumbles under his breath.

♫ sʜᴏᴠᴇʟs & ᴅɪʀᴛ / ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀᴜᴍʙᴇʟʟᴀs ♫