Chapter 51
Summer's POV
At exactly 5:00 PM, Kieran walked out of the coffee shop.
He looked exhausted. His backpack hung off one shoulder, and there was this tightness around his eyes that told me he'd been holding himself together for too long. His right hand was shoved deep in his hoodie pocket, and even from across the street, I could see the way his shoulders curved inward, like he was trying to make himself smaller.
He crossed the street without looking up, his head down against the wind.
Then he pushed open the door to Dunkin' Donuts.
And froze.
His eyes went straight to Lily. Then they slid over to me.
For a second, neither of us moved.
Lily waved at him, bouncing in her seat. She pointed at the Rapunzel doll, then at me, like she was saying, Look what Summer got me!
Kieran's gaze dropped to the Happy Meal box. The fries. The doll.
Then back to me.
I couldn't read his expression. It was somewhere between confusion and something else—something I couldn't name.
"Hi," I said, my voice coming out way too high.
He didn't say anything for a long moment. Then: "What are you doing here?"
It wasn't accusatory. Just... tired. Like he didn't have the energy to be surprised anymore.
"I was getting coffee," I said, which was technically true. "And I saw Lily through the window, so I thought I'd keep her company."
Lily grabbed her notebook and scribbled something, then shoved it at him.
Summer said she'll wait with me! She's really fun!
Kieran's jaw tightened. He looked at me again, and this time I saw it—the exhaustion, the wariness, the faint flicker of something that might have been gratitude.
"You didn't have to do that," he said quietly.
"I know," I said. "I wanted to."
"She's not your responsibility."
"I know that too."
We stared at each other. Something shifted in his expression—softened, maybe. Or maybe I was imagining it.
Lily tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the empty seat next to me.
Kieran hesitated.
Then, slowly, he slid into the booth.
---
We sat there in awkward silence for about ten seconds.
Lily broke it by pushing the fries toward Kieran and writing on her napkin: You should eat some. You look tired.
"Thanks for the honesty, Lils," Kieran muttered, but there was no bite to it.
He glanced at the fries, then at me.
"Go ahead," I said. "I already ate."
That was a lie. I'd barely touched my donut. But he didn't need to know that.
"Did you buy these?" he asked.
"The fries? No, that was—" I gestured vaguely at the Happy Meal box. "McDonald's. For Lily."
"You bought her McDonald's."
"She was hungry."
Kieran was quiet for a moment. Then he said, very softly, "How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing."
"Summer—"
"It was like five dollars. Seriously, it's fine."
He looked like he wanted to argue, but Lily was already writing another note and shoving it at me: Summer is really nice. And she got me Rapunzel! She said Rapunzel is brave because she left her tower even though she was scared.
I smiled at her, but my heart was pounding so hard I thought Kieran might hear it.
"You told her that?" he asked, his voice unreadable.
"Yeah. It's—I mean, it's just a movie, but—"
"It's not just a movie," he said. "Not to her."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing.
Lily kept writing. You should eat more, Kieran. Summer said she'd buy you food too.
"I didn't say that," I said quickly.
Lily looked confused. She pointed at the fries, then at Kieran, then back at me.
Oh God.
Kieran was staring at me now, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Did you?"
"I mean—I would," I stammered. "If you wanted. But I didn't actually—she's putting words in my mouth—"
The corner of his lips twitched. Almost like a smile.
He picked up a fry.
I shut up.
Lily giggled silently and went back to playing with her doll, making Rapunzel climb up the ketchup packets like they were a tower.
---
I don't know what possessed me.
Maybe it was the way he looked—too thin, too tired, like he'd been running on fumes for weeks. Maybe it was Lily's note, still sitting on the table between us. Maybe it was the fact that I'd spent the last days obsessively checking my phone, hoping he'd text me back, knowing he wouldn't.
Or maybe it was simpler than that. Maybe I just wanted an excuse to be closer to him.
Whatever it was, I reached for a fry.
Dipped it in ketchup.
And held it out to him.
Kieran went very, very still.
"What are you doing?" His voice was low, almost hoarse.
I could feel my face turning red. "Lily said you're hungry," I whispered. "So—here."
He didn't move. His eyes searched my face, looking for something—a joke, maybe. A trick. Something that would make this make sense.
I was about to pull my hand back, about to laugh it off and pretend I was kidding, when he leaned forward.
And took the fry.
With his mouth.
His lips brushed my fingertips. Soft. Warm. Barely there, but enough—enough to send a jolt of electricity straight through my entire body.
I felt the faint scrape of his teeth. The brief, impossible heat of his tongue against my skin.
Time stopped.
He pulled back slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. There was something different in them now—something dark and intense that made my stomach flip.
He chewed. Swallowed.
My hand was still frozen in mid-air, trembling slightly.
"Summer?"
I blinked. Lily was staring at me, her head tilted like a curious bird.
I yanked my hand back and pressed it against my chest, right over my heart. It was beating so hard it almost hurt.
Kieran's ears were bright red. A flush was creeping up his neck, disappearing under the collar of his hoodie.
"Um," I said eloquently.
He cleared his throat. "Thanks. For the fry."
"Yeah. No problem. Anytime." Anytime? What was wrong with me?
Lily pushed the fries toward me and wrote: Feed him more! He liked it!
"I'm good," Kieran said quickly, his voice rough.
"Yeah," I said. "Me too. Totally good. Very full. Couldn't eat another bite."
We both looked away at the same time.
Lily, completely oblivious to the fact that she'd just caused a minor cardiac event, went back to making Rapunzel have a tea party with the salt shaker.