Storm Cloud by J.S. Jasper

Author:J.S. Jasper [Jasper, J.S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-05-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

It’s a Saturday. The Saturday before Mother’s Day, so Sophie should have been more prepared. She should have put the vacancy position in the window, and she should have done next month’s order days ago, and she should have pre-wrapped some books before people turned up. The issue is, sometimes they want to check the books over before they buy them. That’s their right, of course. Although sometimes Sophie thinks they might try to read the book before they gift it.

It’s a genius move.

Lukas turned up about eight minutes ago, and Sophie hasn’t been able to say anything to him at all. She sneaks a smile at him between customers when she can. He doesn’t seem bothered. He potters around looking like he’s made to be there, reshelving some books that people decided against and helping customers that don’t really know what they’re after.

In between customers, he says a quick hi and places his bag with her behind the counter. His hand rests on her lower back when he puts his bag down.

She messes up on the ribbon she’s trying to tie.

Sophie knew she should have just thrown her hair up this morning, because now she’s trying to gift wrap these books and blowing out the side of her mouth is doing nothing for the stubborn curls tickling her cheek. But no, she saw a hairstyle on Pinterest that she thought looked pretty (it does) but it’s either wildly unpractical or she did it wrong (the latter more likely).

After the third shake of her head, she feels Lukas run his fingers lightly against her cheek and she thinks her chest might explode, but he does what she needed, tucking her hair behind her ear. He does it while maintaining conversation with another customer. He does it while seemingly unaware her heart is trying to crawl out of her ribcage.

He’s gone before she can thank him, and she doesn’t dare to look up from the task at hand because she’s sure her customer is going to be staring at her with a smile she won’t recover from, like everyone in the shop knows how unbelievably gone for him she is. The hair moves again, fortuitous in it’s ability to annoy her.

Lukas is back before she knows it, his chilly finger behind her ears as he pulls her hair back. She wonders if he can feel her entire body heating up through her shirt. She wonders if her customer can see her bursting into flames.

Lukas continues to explain the difference between two children’s books to a child no older than seven as he twists her hair behind her neck. It feels secure, like he does. It feels as though he’s twisting himself into her life like there’s never going to be a time when she doesn’t look at something and see him.

“Thanks,” she mutters, pulling at her bottom lip with her teeth when he’s done.

“You’re welcome, storm cloud.”

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