Crossed Wires

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the air as Jess sat across from Kevin at their usual café. The morning rush had died down, leaving only a few scattered students buried in their textbooks or staring at laptop screens. Jess wrapped her hands around her mug, letting the warmth seep into her fingers as she studied Kevin. He looked uneasy, tapping his fingers against the table, his usual cocky smirk nowhere to be seen.

She took a sip of her coffee before finally breaking the silence. "So, are you going to tell me what that was about last night?"

Kevin sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "You mean Ryan?"

"Yeah, Kevin. I mean Ryan." Jess raised an eyebrow. "You were kind of a jerk to him. And you've never had a problem with my dating life before."

Kevin scoffed. "That’s because your dating life didn’t include him before."

Jess frowned. "What’s wrong with him?"

"Nothing. He’s… fine, I guess. I just—" He exhaled sharply, leaning forward. "I don’t trust him."

Jess folded her arms. "That’s not it, though, is it?"

Kevin hesitated. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to brush it off with a joke or a sarcastic comment, but then his shoulders slumped. "No. It’s not."

Jess’s heart skipped a beat. "Kevin… what is it?"

He met her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, he looked vulnerable. "I think I like you, Jess. More than I should."

Jess froze. The words hung between them, heavy and unexpected.

She opened her mouth, then closed it. This was Kevin. Her best friend. The person who had stuck by her since the day everything changed. The one who had laughed with her, teased her, made her feel like she wasn’t alone in this insane new life.

"But you’re dating Hannah," she said finally, her voice quieter than she intended.

Kevin let out a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah. I know. And I do like her. But I can't stop thinking about you."

Jess looked down at her coffee, stirring it absentmindedly. She didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Kevin was her safe place, the one person she didn’t have to worry about this with.

"I don't want to screw things up between us," Kevin admitted. "But I also don’t know how to ignore this."

Before Jess could respond, the café door swung open, and Leanna walked in. She spotted them and made her way over, dropping a thick book onto the table as she sat down.

Jess blinked at the title. Deciphering Mathematical Codes: Principles and Practices.

"What’s with the book?" she asked, grateful for the sudden shift in conversation.

Leanna hesitated only briefly before brushing it off. "Just some research for a project."

Jess narrowed her eyes. "Right. Research."

Leanna quickly changed the subject. "So, what are you two talking about?"

Kevin leaned back, suddenly regaining his usual cocky attitude. "Just how much of a jerk I am."

Leanna snorted. "Well, at least you’re self-aware."

Jess pushed her coffee away, suddenly feeling suffocated by everything—the conversation with Kevin, Leanna’s mysterious research, the entire weight of her new life pressing down on her.

"I need to go," she said, standing up abruptly.

Leanna frowned. "Where?"

"Track. I just… need to run."

Kevin and Leanna exchanged a look, but neither stopped her.

Jess left the café, stepping out into the crisp morning air. She wasn’t sure what she was running from, but for now, all she wanted to do was move. And maybe, just maybe, outrun her own thoughts.