Chapter 8 - Old friend
1672 Words
Leo felt a pinch in his heart when he saw Lily embracing another man. He tried to compose himself before Lily could notice… but the man—Caleb—glanced over at Leo and caught the displeasure in his expression.
Lily and Caleb pulled away from the hug.
“I can’t believe it. It’s been a while!” Lily said cheerfully.
“What brought you here?” she asked.
“I just moved next door,” Caleb replied. “Had no idea you lived here too. Feels like fate running into you like this.”
“For sure. It’s been like… seven years, right?” Lily guessed.
“Eight, actually,” Caleb corrected with a slight smile. “But who’s counting?”
Caleb glanced over toward the dining area. “Hope I’m not disturbing you and your boyfriend?”
Leo’s ears perked up. A smirk tugged at his lips as he kept still in his seat, quietly eavesdropping on their conversation even though he knew he shouldn’t. But he couldn’t help it.
He blushed faintly at Caleb’s assumption, and leaned just slightly closer, eager to hear how Lily would respond.
“Oh, no! He’s just my… cousin. And it’s okay—we were just about to eat breakfast,” Lily said quickly, a little too panicked.
Leo raised an eyebrow—amused, but also slightly disappointed by her answer.
“Oh… that’s a relief,” Caleb replied softly.
Lily’s eyes widened, and so did Leo’s.
“I meant—it’s a relief I’m not disturbing you,” Caleb quickly clarified, cheeks turning pink.
Leo squinted at him, clearly unimpressed. He didn’t say anything, but his stare said enough. When Lily turned around to glance at him, Leo immediately whistled a random tune, pretending like he wasn’t listening.
“How about you join us?” Lily offered, gesturing toward the table.
“Oh no, I couldn’t,” Caleb said, shaking his head shyly.
“You sure? It’s chicken soup. I still remember how much you used to love eating that at our house back then,” Lily added with a nostalgic smile.
“You remembered,” Caleb replied happily.
“Of course I do, silly. We’ve been friends since we were practically babies,” Lily said, her tone softening with a hint of disappointment. “I just can’t believe you left like that.”
Caleb’s smile dimmed, guilt flickering across his face. He scratched the back of his head.
“I’m so sorry, Li. I actually wanted to—”
“Hey…” Lily interrupted gently. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, Cab. Can I still call you that?” she asked with a nostalgic smile.
(Cab is pronounced Keyb)
“Of course! And… can I still call you Yan?” Caleb asked, a small hopeful grin returning.
Lily nodded, her smile widening.
Cab? Yan? Leo thought, his expression twitching slightly. He didn’t like how they had their own personal nicknames—ones that rolled too easily off their tongues.
Curious and mildly irritated, Leo finally stood up and walked over to them, interrupting the moment.
“Yan, if you’re free today, maybe we could catch up at a nearby café?” Caleb asked, eyes focused on Lily.
“Su—” Lily was about to answer when Leo cut in.
“Sorry, but Lily already has plans—with her cousin,” Leo said, sliding an arm over Lily’s shoulder.
Lily froze in surprise, blushing slightly at the unexpected contact. She glanced up at Leo, puzzled and a little annoyed.
“Right, Lily?” Leo said, gazing down at her with a smug expression.
Lily gave him a defeated look and let out a quiet sigh.
“Yes… we do,” she muttered, then turned back to Caleb with apologetic eyes.
“Sorry, Cab. Maybe tomorrow?”
Caleb narrowed his eyes at Leo briefly, suspicious of the man’s behavior—but he masked it with a polite smile.
“That’s okay, Yan. I actually have a basketball game tomorrow. If you want, maybe we can hang out after? Or… you could come and watch,” he said with a hopeful tone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded poster.
“Here you go,” he said, handing it to Lily.
She took it and unfolded the paper, reading over the details.
“We need to win two more sectionals to qualify for regionals. Would be great to have someone cheering for us,” Caleb added.
“Sure! Is it okay if I bring a friend?” Lily asked, already thinking about Sage.
Leo immediately jumped in. “Are you seriously gonna bring your loud—I mean lively friend along?” he said with a teasing smirk.
Lily gave him a look of mock disbelief.
“Yeah, why not? She’d make a perfect cheerleader,” she said, poking him in the chest with her index finger.
“Well, I’m just worried for you,” Leo replied, patting her head gently. “Hang around Sage too much, and you might start becoming just like her—charming guys left and right without meaning to.”
Caleb watched them closely, hiding his discomfort. Their playful banter didn’t seem like something cousins would share. There was something else between them—something deeper, something unspoken that he couldn’t quite ignore.
Lily blinked at Leo, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
“Did you seriously just say that?” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “Sage may be a little... bold, but she’s loyal and kind. Don’t make her sound like some man-hunting flirt.”
Leo raised his hands in defense, grinning. “Hey, I said ‘charming,’ not ‘man-hunting.’ You’re the one making it sound worse.”
Lily shook her head, a half-smile tugging at her lips despite herself.
Meanwhile, Caleb shifted his weight awkwardly beside them, clearly feeling like the third wheel.
“Anyway…” Caleb said, interrupting their exchange with a polite smile, “I should finish unpacking.”
“Oh! Of course—sorry about that,” Lily replied, pulling away slightly from Leo as she turned her attention back to Caleb.
He took out his phone and held it out. “Let’s exchange numbers? Just so we can catch up later.”
“Sure,” Lily said, taking her phone out too and typing in her contact.
“Thanks, Yan. See you around,” Caleb added, giving her a warm look and a gentle smile before turning toward his apartment next door.
---
They were only five minutes away from the park, walking side by side on the sun-dappled sidewalk, when Lily suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Uh-oh,” she muttered, her eyes locking on a familiar figure in the distance. “What are we gonna do? Sage is just right there.”
Leo looked ahead and spotted her too—Sage, walking confidently in their direction, earbuds in, sunglasses on, totally unaware of them.
Without a word, Leo glanced around and quickly tugged Lily by the wrist, pulling her toward a narrow alley between two buildings. She let out a soft gasp as he pressed them both into the shaded gap, his tall frame shielding her from view.
Leo pulled up the hood of his jacket, partially covering his face.
“Shhh,” he whispered lowly, his breath warm against the top of her head.
His body was mere inches from hers, and with the tight space, their arms, hips, and legs brushed slightly. His broad chest rose and fell just a little faster than usual. Lily could feel the heat radiating off of him—his hoodie might’ve hidden his face, but it couldn’t hide the slight dampness of sweat forming near his jawline.
She was acutely aware of everything—how close they were, how one wrong move would have their lips almost touching. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she pressed herself just a bit closer to the wall, trying not to make a sound.
Seconds passed.
Then more.
Sage walked by with a bounce in her step, still oblivious to the two hiding figures in the alley.
It couldn’t have been more than ten seconds, but for Leo and Lily, it felt like an eternity.
Neither dared to speak. Neither dared to move.
Then, finally—once Sage turned a corner and disappeared from view—Leo exhaled.
“Close one,” he said with a low chuckle, lowering his hood.
Lily looked up at him, her heart still racing.
“Too close,” she murmured, her voice almost a whisper.
Their eyes met in the shadowed space, breaths mingling in the narrow air between them. For a split second, the world outside faded away.
Leo cleared his throat and stepped back just an inch, enough to loosen the intensity but not the closeness.
“Well,” he said, glancing around theatrically. “If this was a crime scene, we’d definitely look suspicious.”
Lily raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a smile. “Suspicious? More like shady as hell.”
Leo smirked. “Hey, I was protecting your identity. You’re welcome, Agent Bakers.”
She let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, so now I’m a secret agent?”
“Obviously,” he said with a mock-serious tone, nodding. “Code name: Farm Girl. Weaknesses include chicken soup and avoiding nosy best friends.”
Lily giggled. “And yours is what? Broody Literature Professor with a hoodie addiction?”
Leo grinned, playfully offended. “Wow. Personal attacks now.”
She shrugged, still smiling. “Call it payback for yanking me into an alley.”
He leaned slightly closer again, smirk still tugging at his lips. “You didn’t complain.”
Lily blinked, momentarily speechless. Her heart thumped a little harder.
Then, quickly, she turned away and started walking out toward the sidewalk again. “C’mon, Mr. Hoodie. The park’s still five minutes away.”
Leo followed, chuckling under his breath. “Yes, Agent Farm Girl.”
- Writer
