By Any Beans Necessary (The Coffee Loft Series) by Jenna Brandt

Author:Jenna Brandt [Brandt, Jenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JB Books
Published: 2024-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Jeff's fingers danced nervously over the screen of his phone, the contact name 'Michelle Kenney' highlighted and tempting. His thumb hovered over the call button, a physical manifestation of his internal tug-of-war. The academy's crest emblazoned on the wall opposite seemed to mock him from across the classroom, reminding him where his priorities should lie.

"Come on, Jeff. Focus," he muttered to himself, tossing the phone onto the desk as if it were scalding his hand.

He snatched up a crumpled textbook by its spine, forcing his eyes to trace the lines of text about advanced canine training techniques. Unfortunately, the words blurred together, each sentence an echo of Michelle's laughter or the soft cadence of her voice when she'd talk about her dreams for the Coffee Loft.

"Great, now I'm turning into a sap," he scoffed, raking a hand through his brown hair.

"Knock, knock." The door creaked open, and there stood Hunter with his ever-present smirk. "You studying, or are you brooding? Because that face you're making is definitely not the face of a future valedictorian."

"Ha-ha." Jeff's attempt at a smile felt more like a grimace. "Just got a lot on my mind, man."

"Anything you wanna talk about?" Hunter leaned against the doorframe, an eyebrow raised in concern.

"Nothing that's gonna fix itself by talking," Jeff replied, his gaze sliding away to avoid the probing look from his friend.

"All right, if you say so." Hunter shrugged, but his eyes lingered with unspoken questions.

Jeff's hand betrayed him again, reaching out for the silent siren that was his phone. He scrolled through old messages from Michelle, each word a sweet stab to his chest. It would be so easy to type out a message, to try to mend the rift between them with a string of pixels and a prayer.

"Stop it, Jeff," he ordered himself, locking the phone with a decisive click. He imagined Michelle's hazel eyes, usually so bright and full of mirth, clouded with disappointment from their last conversation. "Too much damage," he whispered, conviction waning.

"Seriously? Everything all right?" Hunter's voice cut through his reverie, sharper now, laced with genuine worry. "You know I'm here for you no matter what. Even if you messed up."

"Let me guess, Avery must have heard from Michelle about our latest fight."

"She said...it was a bit of a doozy, and I should probably check-in on you."

"I'm perfect," Jeff lied smoothly, snapping the textbook shut. "Couldn't be better."

Hunter nodded, though clearly unconvinced, then finally retreated, closing the door with a soft click that sounded oddly final.

Alone again, Jeff let out a heavy sigh, the sound filling the emptiness of the room. His heart still hammered with the urge to reach out, to repair, to rewind. Yet the fear of causing further harm held him back, a self-imposed isolation that was both punishment and protection.

"Graduation first. Then...we'll see," he murmured to no one, trying to believe his own words. The thought of Michelle, however, just a text away and yet worlds apart, lingered stubbornly, a bittersweet note in the collage of his thoughts.

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