Where Do Broken Hearts Go?

20. Intimations

"You can't spoil me like this," I say seriously, yet I earn a smile from the English kid.

As he places the passes on the bar, he denies my claim. "I'm spoiling myself. I do this alone, but it's nice to have someone with you."

As I ask, "Where's your mate that you went to Manchester with?" Marcel's delighted expression is replaced by confusion. The last thing I need is for his confusion to be replaced by woe. Noticing I haven't taken the one with my name on it, he grabs the passes from the bar.

"I don't know and I don't care." He looks down on the tickets then back to me. His eyes slowly making their way down my face, until they hit his passes again. If he pouts, I'm going to fucking lose it. "I'm asking you to accompany me."

"I'm working on a huge project right now, Marcel." I say, trying to turn him down in a gentle manner.

He gives the weakest shrug, but I know there's woe brewing as he shakes his head. "You didn't even look at the dates."

"This month is hectic for me." My hushed tone brushes the side of his face as he turns his head.

"Call in sick."

"Marcel." I kiss my teeth.

"I know you want to go. I bet you haven't called in sick since you got here." He sets the tickets on the bar, giving me another chance.

I sigh, then slide a pass my way. Suddenly, my mouth falls open. I don't even attempt to speak – knowing any sound that leaves my throat would be a squeak. Closing my mouth, I lift the ticket and read again.

"Tomorrow?" I squeak.

"Until Sunday." He takes a drink of his milkshake. 

Feeling my stare, he cautiously peeks over. Yes, I'm sending you daggers. Lifting his leg over mine, he spins around to avoid me. I want to pull your hair.

"How the hell am I going to get away from my place for the whole weekend without my friends knowing?"

"Do what you did last time." He says over his shoulder.

"Ella had a baby shower!"

"Tone." Marcel corrects me, sass wisping off his batting eyelashes. Closing his eyes, Marcel turns away again; this time to shun me. As he eats his burger, all I can think about is strangling him with his own hair.

Looking over the counter, I tap my nails as I start to devise a plan. From the corner of my eye, I see Marcel spin around, checking on my silent mouth. 

Although I have less than 24 hours to come to a decision, I leave my ruling in the balance to ask about his unexpected coffee date.

"Did they just pop up on you?" 

"Came out of noooowhere."

"Routine can be dangerous." I remind him.

"Hell yeah." Marcel nods as he grabs a napkin. "They asked, what I wanted with you?" He reveals, making my brows furrow. "They asked, was I stalking you?"

"Oh my God." I catch my head in my palms. "I'm going to kill them."

"They asked, have I ever been arrested? They asked, Am I trying to fill a void with you?" He continues, this time watching me attentively as I lift my face. Ooh. He gives me a second, seeing if I want to defend them, but I don't. "One, we didn't click right away. We grew on each other. I've known you for a few months now. I think it's safe to say we're friends?"

"Yes."

"Angel," His lively nature fades as he sighs. I brace myself, knowing these dumbasses went too far. "I don't want anything with you other than a good time. Labels don't mean shit to me; connections do." He states as I nod my head, waiting for him to continue. "Second, I'm not stalking anybody. I don't believe in coincidences. If something is meant to happen, it will. We bumped into each other twice in New York. We bumped into each other here. We were meant to come into each other's lives. For what reason? I don't know the objective." He shrugs at the unknown.