Separately Together

Chapter Six: Late Nights 1/2

Once I had recovered from seeing him again, I noticed he wasn't alone. He had two burly-looking men flanking both of his sides. He stops and whispers something in their ear and they both walk off and find their table. All three of them were dressed in tuxedos.

I knew he had made it for himself in the big city, but I didn't realize he had a title that needed bodyguards. He looked like he could have just walked off the red carpet and he was eating breakfast with me; in this little town, it was sure to get the talk started. When he makes it to the table, he holds out his hand as if putting himself on display which he might as well have been because everyone at the dinner was staring at him. He no longer looked like a citizen of Ticket, he looked like someone too high class for the likes of The Pine.

"Sorry about the formal attire I have a meeting after this." He explains why he looks like a male model.

"It's fine I just feel like I should be dressed up a little more, but you know, work." I glance down at my uniform, glad I at least made my face presentable. It was hard to believe that this man slept on my couch a few weeks ago, he doesn't look like he should be anywhere near me. Way, way out of my league, he would have never taken a second glance at me if I wasn't Finnic's sister.

"I think you look pretty." He says being polite. Still making the tingles return at full strength, it was as if they had never dimmed.

"Thank you."

"What are you getting?" He asks me, holding out the menu for me to look at. After looking over it swiftly I decide to get the oatmeal and pink lemonade.

I tell him of my choices and wonder why he asked. "So, what do you have planned for the bachelorette party? I'm stumped on my end." He admits with a shake of his head. "I've known the guy for nearly my whole life, and I can't come up with one thing that he would like to do."

The server comes back, and I brace myself to order, I'm not sure why it does me so badly, it just does. I feel it getting harder and harder to breathe. It's not this big of a deal, Maddie. I try to stop myself from freaking out, but everything I tell myself does little to stop the onset of panic.

"Ready?" She asks.

"Yeah, let me get a coke, pink lemonade, and a bowl of oatmeal please." Harley orders for us. My neck jerks in his direction as the woman walks away. No one but Finnic has ever done that for me, they view it as childish and an overreaction. They have never said that, but I see the look some of Finnic's friends have given him when he orders for me. It was an act of kindness that I didn't expect to receive from anyone other than my brother.

"Thank you."

"Your hands were shaking." He clarifies. "Lips parted like you couldn't breathe." The accustomed red rises to my cheeks. He had been watching me closely. "There is no reason for you to feel that way when I'm here." The statement hit a part of my soul that I had forgotten about. The part where I felt like a burden to everyone, the feeling of never belonging anywhere. Harley made that feeling disappear as if being here with him was where I was meant to be in life.

"Um ... " I shake my head clearing out the feelings that overwhelmed me at this moment. "I planned a trip to the winery first. Then I want to rent a trolly, one that you petal ..." A loud group of guys walk by and bump into the table. I glance at them gripping my fingers together tightly, hating the habit that has started back up.

They were just waking, up when one of them recognized me, Asher. He smiled goofily at me and walked back towards me the three other men following behind him. "Oh god, no," I whisper under my breath. Asher knew I didn't like new people, why was he coming over?

"Maddie!" He cheered lowly.

"Go away, Asher." I look down at my fingers again twisting them lightly.

He glances between me and Harley, eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.