Page 66 of A Barista's Guide to Love & Larceny
“Why wereyou?”
Dani didn’t like the way he was looking at her, his eyes narrowed, curious. He couldn’t know—none of them could. Especially not Silva. She didn’t know what the professor would do if she found out Dani was involved with the CEO’s son.
“McKenna,” she said in the end, taking a sip of soda. “She drags me to parties sometimes. She got herself invited; I don’t know how. She’s pretty good at that.”
“Mmm.” That seemed to satisfy him. “Yeah, so, Kass. We’re in a lot of the same classes together and he really thinks he’s the shit. Perfect grades, perfect family, perfect life. Whatever.”
Dani couldn’t begin to wrap her mind around this assessment of the boy she’d spent time with over the last couple of weeks. “Okay, then,” she said, putting her glass down. “What’s your deal?”
“What do you mean, my ‘deal’?”
“You know. Yourin. Why you’re doing this thing with Silva. You kind of seem like you come from money, too. And, um, you’re—”
“Also an asshole?” Though he said it like a joke, Dani could see the rising conflict in his face; she’d touched on a rich vein, but he didn’t want to let her see the ore she’d mined.
“I was going to say, not doing this out of the goodness of your heart, but… yeah.”
Wyatt looked up at her then, his eyes troubled. “I know what you must think of me,” he said. “It’s the same thing everyone thinks, and I get it. Up until a year ago, it would’ve been true.”
She’d tapped it now; an envious emerald green flooded her mind in a rush. She knew she didn’t have to prompt him anymore, so she went back to her ginger ale instead, savoring the bubbles that burst like misfired jinxes on her tongue.
“My family’s business went under last year,” he went on. “Totally bankrupt. We lost our house, our savings, everything. I’m only at the Leap because my grandparents left enough money to pay for allmy schooling, and we’re legally obligated to use it only for that. Real fucking helpful.”
“Um. I don’t mean to sound insensitive, but—isn’t it?”
Going by the smoldering expression on his face, that hadn’t been the correct response. “My grandparents don’t give a shit about me,” he said. “They’re only paying for the Leap to piss off my parents.”
“Not a happy family,” Dani said. “Got it.”
“Long story short,” Wyatt said, his bitterness growing weary, “I need the money to bail my parents out. I’m the only resource they’ve got left.” The emerald gave way to a delicate blue—this was way, way more vulnerability than Wyatt usually allowed himself.
Empathy and understanding stirred in her chest. Wyatt didn’t really hate Kass. He just resented him for still having the things he was losing. “I can relate to that,” she said. “It sucks having to take on responsibility for stuff your parents caused.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, exactly. What about you? Why’d you join this roller coaster?”
“Oliver,” Dani said. “I mean, mainly Oliver.” She hesitated. She didn’t love talking about the tenuousness of her presence at the Leap, but it was only fair for her to open up the way Wyatt had, especially since he’d done so partially because of her ability. “And, well, I need the money, too. I’m here on scholarship, and I might lose it. The payout from all this could keep me here if I do.”
“Damn,” Wyatt said. “I’m sorry. Makes you want to just say fuck it and join a cult, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll drink to that,” Dani said, and he laughed at the sight of her throwing back her soda. A honeycombed warmth spread throughout her with such a swiftness that she was certain it was magical. “Is this a healing potion?”
“Nope,” Wyatt said. “It’s just a ginger ale. I told you sugar’s the best remedy there is for void sickness.”
“How long does that usually last?”
“Oh, you should feel fine after a couple of those and a good night’s sleep.”
Just then, a hand slipped between the curtains and pulled one half back. Dani’s diaphragm squeezed, but it was only the bartender, bringing the hookah Wyatt had ordered.
“Anything else I can get you?” he said as he set it down.
“Another ginger ale for the lady,” Wyatt said.
“What did those police officers want?” Dani asked, feigning nonchalance.
The bartender leaned into their alcove a bit, seemingly eager to gossip. “They wanted to know if we’d noticed anything unusual tonight,” he said. “Apparently a business down the road got hit—unsuccessful robbery. The guys who did it are still at large, and the cops are doing a sweep of the area.”
Wyatt snorted. “Because they’d still be hanging out nearby, hoping to get caught?”
