Lyric's phone buzzed while she lay on her bed.
Dax: Are you asleep? Not even embarrassing hour yet.
Lyric: What's embarrassing hour?
Dax: The time people start being honest.
Lyric: Then you're early.
Dax: I'm always early for you.
Lyric: Stop saying things like that.
Dax: Like what?
Lyric: Like you're in a movie.
Dax: Can I at least be the love interest?
Lyric: Absolutely not.
Dax: Painful.
She flipped onto her stomach.
Lyric: So what do you want?
Dax: Just talk.
Lyric: Suspicious.
Dax: Why does everything I do feel criminal to you?
Lyric: Because you talk like someone who knows exactly what he's doing.
Dax: Maybe I do.
Lyric frowned.
Lyric: You're annoying.
Dax: You haven't stopped replying.
She paused intentionally, then he sent another.
Dax: See? You came back.
Lyric: I was washing my face.
Dax: Let me see.
She laughed.
Lyric: Go to bed, Dax.
Dax: With who?
She froze, then deleted her reply.
Lyric: You're mad.
Dax: You don't like mad?
Lyric: I like normal.
Dax: I don't do normal very well.
Lyric: I can tell.
Another pause.
Dax: Can I tell you something?
Lyric: Depends.
Dax: I like when you pretend you're immune to me.
Lyric: I don't pretend.
Dax: You do.
Lyric: You're not serious.
Dax: What if I am?
Lyric's fingers hovered.
Lyric: Then that's your problem.
Dax: Cold.
Lyric: Real.
Dax: You know I'd sleep with you if you gave me one good reason.
Her breath caught. She forced herself to laugh.
Lyric: You're impossible.
Dax: You didn't say no.
Lyric: You always ruin things.
Dax: You like that I do.
Lyric: Bold of you.
Dax: Accurate though.
She dropped the phone, stared at the ceiling, then picked it back up.
Lyric: You flirt like this with everybody.
Dax: Not like this.
Lyric: Liar.
Dax: Okay. I lie sometimes.
Lyric: At least you're honest about it.
Dax: Only with you.
She stayed quiet.
Dax: See? You're thinking now.
Lyric: I'm really not.
Dax: You are. And it's cute.
Lyric: Stop.
Dax: You say that every night.
Lyric: Because you don't listen.
Dax: Because you don't mean it.
She turned onto her side, staring at the screen.
Lyric: You sound very sure of yourself.
Dax: I am when it comes to you.
She didn't laugh this time.
Lyric: You're dangerous.
Dax: Only if you stay.
She set the phone down. Quiet filled the room. Her chest felt… busy.
She told herself it was nothing. Just Dax being Dax.
***
Lyric was chopping tomatoes when she heard a knock.
"Coming," she called, wiping her hands on a towel.
Dax stepped in with a small bag of sandwiches.
"Thought you might be starving," he said, dropping it on the counter.
"I'm fine," she said, trying not to smile.
"You didn't have to—"
"I didn't have to? Come on, I know a hungry girl when I see one."
Lyric rolled her eyes and went back to chopping.
"You make everything weird."
"Everything is weird because you're fun to confuse," he said, leaning against the counter. His elbow brushed hers. She froze for a second before shaking it off.
"Confuse me?" she asked.
"Yes. Step one: smile at me when you're pretending not to care."
Lyric laughed.
"That's ridiculous."
"No, it's art. Step two: say something clever to cover up that you're thinking about it."
"I'm not thinking about it."
"Sure," he murmured, smirking. "But you are."
She snorted and went to rinse the cutting board. He watched, not hiding that his eyes lingered.
"So, cooking again?" he asked. "Should I fetch a chair, or are we doing this standing show today?"
"Standing," she said. "You'll survive."
"Ah, toughness is the theme. Respectable," he said, grabbing a sandwich.
Lyric caught his hand.
"Hey. Hands off, thief."
He laughed.
"Admit it—my presence improves the flavor."
"I admit nothing," she said, rolling her eyes but smiling.
Before he could reply, the door opened and Lyric's female best friend, Mara, peeked in.
"Hey! I come bearing gossip and snacks."
Lyric groaned.
"Mara! I'm trying to survive kitchen duty here."
Mara grinned at Dax.
"Oh, hello there. Lyric has mentioned you. You must be the infamous Dax."
Dax raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Infamous? That's harsh. I'm charming, not infamous."
Lyric shoved him lightly.
"See? Told you."
Mara laughed and leaned against the counter.
"Also, Lyric, you've been smiling at him a lot. Just saying."
Lyric coughed and waved her off.
"You're imagining things."
Dax grinned, enjoying the chaos.
"Don't encourage her, Mara."
"Oh, I'm encouraging nothing. Just stating facts," Mara said, glancing at Lyric like she had all the time in the world to tease her.
Lyric's cheeks warmed.
"Stop it," she said, laughing nervously.
Mara smirked.
"Not until you admit you're enjoying this attention."
Lyric shook her head.
"Maybe I am. But I'm not admitting it."
Dax leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough to tease.
"You see? She's already enjoying it. Even if she won't say."
Lyric frowned playfully at him.
"You're ridiculous."
Dax shrugged.
"And you like that."
Lyric rolled her eyes and went back to chopping. Mara leaned in slightly, whispering conspiratorially.
"Be careful. That one… he's trouble."
Lyric smiled tightly.
"I can handle trouble."
From the corner of her eye, she noticed a guy who seemed familiar, standing near the entrance. He was a friend of Dax's, nodding casually. Lyric offered a polite smile, and he waved back before leaving. She went back to cooking, shaking her head.
"You're really confident," she said, glancing at Dax.
"Confident in my ability to get you to laugh," he said. "Other things, I leave to chance."
Lyric chuckled.
"You're ridiculous."
"And you're easy to mess with," he added, leaning just slightly closer. She shifted but didn't say anything.
Finally, Dax grabbed a sandwich and waved it like a trophy.
"See? I bring food, I make jokes, I amuse the chef. I think I deserve credit."
"You already have enough credit," Lyric said, smirking.
He grinned, standing straight.
"For now. But don't get too comfortable."
She watched him leave, pretending nothing lingered. But once the door clicked shut, her fingers itched to text him, just to see if he'd reply.
She set the knife down and exhaled. Her chest felt busy, buzzing. Just Dax being Dax, she reminded herself. Yet somehow, she already was thinking about him.