Chapter 54
Summer's POV
Kieran was still watching me. I could feel his gaze like a physical weight.
"You don't have to keep it," he said, his voice low. "It's just a napkin."
"I want to." I folded it carefully and tucked it into my coat pocket. "It's important."
His throat worked. "...Okay."
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The noise of the shop faded into the background—just the two of us, sitting across from each other, holding each other's gaze.
Then the loudspeaker crackled. "Order 47!"
I jumped. "That's us."
---
Kieran stood up before I could. "I'll get it."
"You don't have to—"
"I know." He was already walking toward the counter, his long legs eating up the distance in a few strides.
I watched him go, my heart doing something stupid and fluttery in my chest.
Lily tugged on my sleeve. When I looked at her, she was grinning and signing something.
I shook my head helplessly. "I don't know what you're saying."
She grabbed another napkin and wrote: He likes you.
My face went nuclear.
"Lily—"
She underlined the words three times, still grinning.
"That's not—we're just—" I fumbled for words, my brain short-circuiting. "We're friends."
Lily tilted her head, giving me a look that clearly said, Sure, Jan.
Before I could defend myself further, Kieran came back with a tray loaded with donuts and two steaming cups of hot chocolate.
"They were out of coffee," he said, setting everything down. "Hope hot chocolate's okay."
"It's perfect." I smiled up at him. "Thank you."
He sat down, carefully avoiding my eyes. "Don't mention it."
Lily immediately grabbed a glazed donut and took a huge bite, getting sugar all over her face. Kieran reached over automatically with a napkin, wiping her mouth with the kind of practiced ease that made my heart ache.
I picked up my Boston Kreme, suddenly nervous. "This looks amazing."
Kieran was unwrapping his Jelly-filled, moving slowly and deliberately with his left hand. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken things.
"So," I said, desperate to fill the quiet. "Can you teach me some sign language?"
He looked up sharply. "What?"
"Sign language." I gestured vaguely at Lily. "So I can talk to her. You know, without you having to translate everything."
Kieran's expression shifted—surprise, then something softer. "You want to learn?"
"Yeah. If that's okay."
He was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. "...Okay. But it's not easy. It'll take time."
"I don't care." I smiled. "I want to learn."
Lily was practically bouncing in her seat, her eyes bright. She signed something at Kieran, her hands moving quickly.
"She's excited," Kieran translated, his mouth twitching. "She says you'll be a good student."
"I'll try my best."
---
Kieran started with the basics. "This is 'hello.'" He raised his right hand—the scarred one—and waved it slightly near his temple.
I copied him, my movements clumsy. "Like this?"
"Close. Your hand should be a little higher." He hesitated, then reached over and gently adjusted my hand. His fingers were warm against mine, even through the scars.
My breath hitched.
He pulled back quickly, his ears red. "There. That's better."
"Thanks." My voice came out breathier than I intended.
Lily signed something else, grinning mischievously.
Kieran's face went scarlet. "Lily—"
"What did she say?" I asked.
"Nothing. She's being a brat."
Lily stuck her tongue out at him, then signed something else. This time, Kieran actually laughed—a quiet, surprised sound that made my heart skip.
"She wants to teach you how to say 'I like you,'" he said finally.
My face went hot. "Oh."
Lily demonstrated, her hands moving in a specific sequence. She pointed at herself, bent her thumb and forefinger to her chin, then pointed at me with a bright, encouraging smile.
I tried to copy her, my heart racing. Point at myself first, then make the gesture, then point at—
Wait. Who was I supposed to point at?
My brain short-circuited. I pointed at Kieran, made the gesture at my chin, then pointed back at myself.
The moment I finished, I realized something felt wrong. The sequence didn't match what Lily had shown me.
Kieran's eyes widened slightly, something flickering in their gray depths.
"Did I do it wrong?" I asked, my face burning.
"No." His voice was carefully neutral. "You did it perfectly."
"So what does it mean?"
He looked at me for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in his gray eyes. "It means 'I like you.'"
My heart stopped. "Wait—I like you? Or you like me?"
"You like me," he said. His mouth twitched. "That's what you just said."
Oh God.
"I—" I covered my face with my hands. "Why didn't you tell me I got it wrong?"
"I didn't say you got it wrong." There was a hint of amusement in his voice now. "You learned it very well."
I peeked at him through my fingers. He was trying not to smile, but I could see it in the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners.
"You're making fun of me," I accused.
"No." But his mouth was definitely twitching now. "I'm just saying. You're a fast learner."
Lily was giggling silently, her shoulders shaking.
I groaned and buried my face in my arms on the table. "I hate both of you."
Kieran's laugh was quiet, but it was there. Soft and real and so, so rare.
And despite my embarrassment, I couldn't help but smile.