I'm not giving him the chance to break my heart again.
The person in front of us finishes ordering. Ah, finally.
I step forward and order. "Veggie and cheese enchiladas with green sauce."
"And a side of guacamole," Ethan adds.
"With chips?" the cashier asks.
"No," I say.
"But with extra corn tortillas." Ethan winks at me.
Is that a friendly ah, you're so predictable the way you always order the same thing (which isn't true—sometimes I order tacos) wink?
It must be.
I can play that game too. "Four steak tacos with extra onions and chipotle salsa."
Ethan laughs.
The cashier looks at us like we're crazy. He nods to the salsa bar at the end of the counter. "Salsa and toppings are self-serve."
Ethan pulls out his wallet.
I grab his wrist. "Let me."
He shakes his head. "It's part of my per diem. It's the band's money, not mine."
"Okay." I chew on my bottom lip. It still doesn't feel right letting him pay for me, but I can tell he's going to insist.
After Ethan pays, we get salsas and waters and take our seats in a cozy booth in the corner. This place is cute. The orange walls are decorated with Day of the Dead paintings. The furniture is all tan and brown and there are cacti on every table.
This really is a cozy booth. Ethan's feet are touching mine. When he shifts his weight, his knees touch mine.
I pull my legs onto my bench seat and cross them. That doesn't do anything to ease the nerves fluttering in my stomach.
Ethan's blue eyes are fixed on me. His expression isn't platonic. He's looking at me the way he used to—like I mattered to him more than anything else.
His phone buzzes. It's loud enough I can hear it.
He pulls out his phone. "I'm turning this on silent."
"What is she saying?"
He glances at the phone then his eyes are on mine. "Piper doesn't get that the two of us are just friends."
"Right. Yeah. We're friends. Just friends. I mean, we're not really friends yet, but we're going to become better friends." I grab my water and chug. Ah, that stops the babbling. But my throat still feels dry. My stomach is still twisting in a really unpleasant way.
That look in Ethan's eyes is doing things to me.
My thoughts are interrupted by our food. I dive into my enchiladas before I can say anything else. They're hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth but they're also amazing. The tomatillo sauce is perfectly fresh and tangy.
The two of us being just friends is a good thing. It shouldn't make me feel empty and achy.
His phone flashes. He glances at the screen and shakes his head.
"I… uh…" I take another bite and chew slowly. "How has the band been?"