Betty’s POV
The café buzzed with life, the smell of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the hum of conversations around me. I sat at a corner table, my laptop open but my mind far from focused. Stacey was late, as usual, and the wait was doing nothing to help the restlessness twisting in my chest.
The bell above the door jingled, and I looked up instinctively, my heart sinking the moment I saw who had walked in.
Marcus.
Of course.
I turned back to my laptop quickly, silently willing him not to notice me. But before I could even pretend to disappear into my work, his voice sliced through the chatter.
“Betty.”
I sighed and looked up reluctantly, meeting his gaze. His expression was unreadable as he walked over to my table, the easy confidence in his stride as infuriating as ever.
“What do you want, Marcus?” I asked, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice.
“Relax,” he said, sliding into the seat across from me without waiting for an invitation. “I’m here for coffee, not a fight.”
I closed my laptop, giving up on the pretense of productivity. “Well, you’ve got me. What do you want?”
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze scanning my face like he was trying to read something I didn’t want him to see. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks,” I shot back, my tone dry.
“I’m serious,” he said, his voice softening. “Is everything okay?”
The genuine concern in his tone caught me off guard, but I brushed it off, shaking my head. “I’m fine.”
He smirked faintly, the familiar gesture both comforting and infuriating. “Sure you are. If you’re trying to convince me, you’re doing a terrible job.”
“Marcus,” I snapped, my patience fraying. “What do you want?”
He held up his hands in mock surrender, the smirk still playing on his lips. “Nothing. Just checking in.”
Before I could retort, the bell above the door jingled again, and Stacey walked in. Her gaze flicked between the two of us, her eyebrow arching in surprise.
“Am I interrupting?” she asked, her tone teasing but wary.
“No,” I said quickly, standing and grabbing my bag. “Let’s go.”
Marcus watched me leave, his expression unreadable as I brushed past him.