Chapter 55 Chapter 55

Chapter 55 Chapter 55
COLEEN

I hated Mondays. Well... not all the time but most of the time. It was the start of the week and I'm never fully recovered from the weekend by the time Monday rolls around.

Mondays were supposed to be miserable. Mine wasn’t… terrible.

Classes, notes, the kind of steady routine I’d grown used to, it was all strangely comforting. Mark and I even managed to grab a quick lunch between his music theory lab and my psych lecture.

“You look less stressed than usual,” Mark said around a mouthful of fries. "The Coleen I know would not be looking this relaxed on a Monday."

“I’m hiding it well,” I said, smirking as I reached for one of his fries. He slapped my hand away.

“Rude. Get your own.”

“I paid for your coffee this morning,” I reminded him, glaring. “I deserve at least one fry as interest.”

He rolled his eyes, pushing the carton toward me. “Fine. So, what’s new with you and Lover Boy?”

“Don’t call him that,” I muttered, but my ears heated anyway. “And nothing’s ‘new.’ We’re just… hanging out.”

Mark arched a brow. “Hanging out? That sounded suspiciously defensive.”

“Focus on your food,” I shot back, earning a laugh.

Truth was, things with Hayden had been… steady. He’d somehow figured out how to juggle hockey, classes, friends, and me, without it feeling overwhelming. I didn’t know whether to be impressed or suspicious.

I'm still getting used to the whole someone making time for me thing that he's got going on. As much as it felt good, there's still a little part of me that's kinda wary.

By evening, I was curled up on the couch with a textbook open and zero motivation to actually read it. Mark was in his room plunking out chords on his keyboard. The apartment smelled faintly of popcorn and laundry detergent.

A knock broke my concentration. I frowned, padding over to the door. When I opened it, Hayden stood there, hair still damp from practice, holding two cups of coffee like some kind of caffeinated hero.

“Delivery for one overworked student,” he said, offering a cup with a grin.

I blinked. “What are you doing here?”

“Hi to you too,” he said, stepping inside when I moved aside. “Is that how you greet people who bring you life-saving caffeine?”

“You’re lucky I like coffee,” I said, taking the cup. “Seriously though, don’t you have, like, a million things to do?”

He shrugged, dropping onto the couch like he lived here. “Yeah. But I wanted to see you.”

I tried not to let my heart trip over itself. “Smooth.”

“Worked, didn’t it?” he said, sipping his own drink. “What are you studying?”

“Developmental psych,” I said, sinking into the armchair across from him. “Which would be easier if my brain wasn’t fried.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Want me to quiz you? I’m great at sounding clueless.”

“I believe that,” I teased, flipping a page. “But no, I’ll survive.”

“Suit yourself.” He glanced around the apartment. “Where’s Mark? I was gonna bribe him too.”

“In his room, probably composing the next great American pop song,” I said.

“Should I be jealous?”

“Only if you’re threatened by a keyboard,” I deadpanned.

For a while, the conversation stayed light, banter about practice schedules, Mark’s questionable taste in late-night snacks, how my professor looked exactly like a sitcom character. But eventually, Hayden’s gaze softened.

“You seem… off,” he said. “What’s going on?”

I hesitated, tracing the lid of my coffee cup. “I don’t know. Everything’s just… good. Maybe too good?”

He tilted his head. “Too good is a problem now?”

“It’s not that.” I took a breath. “It’s just… things feel like they’re changing so fast. A few months ago, I barely even talked to you. Now you’re… here. Bringing coffee. Making time. And I...” I broke off, frustrated. “I’m not used to this.”

Hayden set his cup down, his expression serious now. “Coleen, I’m not trying to overwhelm you.”

“I know,” I said quickly. “It’s not about you doing anything wrong. It’s me. I’m just… scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of getting used to this,” I admitted, my voice quieter. “Of letting someone in and having it all… disappear.”

He was quiet for a long moment, then shifted closer, his voice low and steady. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can’t promise that,” I whispered.

“No,” he agreed. “But I can promise I’m not rushing you. We’re doing this at your pace. If you need slow, I can do slow.”

Something in my chest loosened, even as my throat tightened. I hated how much that meant to me. “Why are you like this?” I asked, forcing a shaky laugh. “All patient and reasonable. You’re ruining my excuses.”

“Bad habit,” he said lightly, though his eyes didn’t waver. “Guess you’ll have to deal with it.”

I stared at him, conflicted and grateful all at once. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” he said simply. “I like spending time with you. That’s it. No hidden agenda.”

I shook my head, trying to smile. “You’re annoyingly good at this whole… not-freaking-me-out thing.”

“High praise,” he said, leaning back with a grin. “So does this mean I can keep showing up with coffee? Or should I schedule it three weeks in advance so it’s not ‘too fast’?”

I laughed despite myself. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” he said, standing to leave, “you’re not kicking me out.”

“Only because you brought caffeine,” I shot back.

“Noted.” He moved toward the door, then paused, glancing over his shoulder. “Seriously though, Coleen. I meant what I said. No rushing. We’ll figure it out together.”

My heart thudded harder than I wanted to admit. “Thanks, Hayden.”

“Anytime,” he said softly, before slipping out into the hallway.

\---

When the door clicked shut, I stood there for a long moment, coffee warm in my hands, mind buzzing louder than any lecture could.

I was scared. But I was also… happy. And that terrified me even more.