"I’m good, babe," she replied coolly. "Just another delayed flight. You look like you had a sleepless night."
"It’s the upcoming exams." His shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "I’ve been staying up late studying, you know."
"Right, I’m sorry for taking up your precious ti," she said, smirking faintly. Perhaps studying Marja’s body could also be considered studying.
"But how did you know this place, babe?" he asked, his tone cautious.
She gave him her brightest smile. "Oh? Weren’t you the one who told about this café?"
He drew his brow together, his voice turning anxious. "Did I?"
"Of course you did! Check your ssages, babe. You texted just yesterday."
Niklas stared at her, his face confused. Then he pulled out his phone, swiping. It didn’t take long for his brows to go from furrowing to shooting upward.
"Kaija, this... this is..." he stamred, leaning toward her with a sorry face. "Yes, yesterday I wanted to invite you to this place. I probably mistyped, or maybe my mind was on sothing else. Or maybe it was just autocorrect."
She couldn’t help but find his clumsy effort to cover up his cri amusing, her smile widening. "Did you? Well, why don’t you check your email, babe? There’s sothing else I’d like you to see."
She swiped through the photos and hit send from her phone. There was no way she’d give Niklas her phone to see them. He might’ve slamd her poor phone on the table or thrown it away.
Ding.
The ssage had arrived.
Niklas lowered his gaze to the screen again, more hesitant now, and opened his mail box. The mont he did, his eyes widened at once.
He looked at her, then at his phone with the most terrified expression she’d ever seen of him, his fingers frantically swiping up and down the screen.
"Kaija... this... How did you...?" he stuttered.
"The photos look great, don’t you think? Maybe the two of you should consider hiring as the photographer for your wedding album."
"You fucking stalked us?!"
Her face lit up brightly. "How else was I supposed to find out you were cheating on with my dear best friend, babe? I only wanted to see how good the two of you look together with my own eyes."
Then the smile turned into a smirk. "So, how long has it been now? One year? Two years? Or all four?"
He slamd the table, his voice rising. "Since I found out you’re the kind of bitch who would kneel and bend for money, Kaija."
She gave him a bored look. She’d already heard enough of his insults by then.
Still, his volu was so high that all eyes in the café imdiately landed their way. Murmurs started filling the room.
"And it’s more than just that," Niklas went on, "I an, have you ever looked at yourself? Compared to Marja? Marja’s a supermodel.
"She’s successful. She’s working with prestigious brands. She’s on magazine covers. She’s rich, she’s hot, and she has class. She does her makeup, wears her best clothes whenever she goes out with .
"Unlike you, who’s always stuck in the sa jeans and sweaters!"
"I see," she sneered. "Well, I’m terribly sorry I’ve disappointed you that much, baby. You must have felt so ashad being with . We’re done, Niklas, you and I. Have fun with Marja."
She rose from her seat and grabbed her bag, ready to leave. Suddenly, Niklas lunged forward and seized her wrist in a painful grip.
"Stop right there!" he shouted. "Are you just gonna let go like that? Tossing away like trash? You don’t even have the decency to show a single sign you’re sorry that it was you who sabotaged what we have? You don’t even want to fix this?"
Kaija scowled with a tired sigh. She tried to pull her hand free, but his grip was too strong. She’d already given up on him so easily, offering to break up, letting him be with his dream girl whom he’d just praised so highly. What else did he even want?
"Let go of ," she muttered.
Her indifferent defiance only seed to anger him further. "I’m not done talking to you!" he yelled.
She looked around for a waiter to ask for help, but before she could, a male voice ca from behind her.
"Let go of her."
Niklas’s furious gaze shifted past her toward the source of the voice. She turned slightly toward where he was looking. The eyes that t hers were green like polished erald, and they belonged to a face so familiar to her.
Juho?
His na almost slipped from her mouth, but she was too stunned. She hadn’t noticed he was in the café.
There were more than a thousand flight attendants in the airline, but Juho here was from the sa batch as hers. He was twenty-five this year, only three years older than her. They’d co to the sa interview, trained in the sa class, sat through the sa final exam. Yet ever since training started, she’d never talked to him. Never flown with him once.
"This is a public place, buddy. It’s not nice to scream at a lady or treat her like that," Juho said, his tone flat.
Niklas shot back angrily, "It’s none of your fucking business!"
Still, Niklas’s hand loosened around her wrist until he finally let go. It seed her now ex-boyfriend still had so sha left in him. Reluctantly, he grabbed his backpack and headed for the door.
Once Niklas was gone, Kaija let out a sharp exhale, thankful that she no longer had to deal with whatever grudge Niklas was still holding toward her.
Then she turned to Juho, her cheeks blushing faintly, her voice small. "Thank you so much, Juho. Sorry you had to witness sothing so... disturbing."
Juho gestured toward her wrist, his tone soft with concern. "You okay?"
"Oh, I’m okay. I should go." She hurriedly turned toward the door.
"Wait! Miss!" soone suddenly called after her.
Kaija turned around. It was a waiter. He awkwardly pointed at the table she’d just sat with Niklas. "Uh... your friend from earlier, he didn’t pay yet."
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