NINE
1653 Words
Chapter 9
Annabel’s POV
“Hey…” I asked softly, tilting my head to the side. “Are you okay?”
Justin’s eyes snapped back to mine, like I’d just pulled him out of a deep thought. His cheeks were tinged pink, and I could practically see the effort it took for him to meet my gaze without flinching.
He blinked quickly, then nodded, almost too fast. “Yeah. I’m good.”
A pause.
“No, I mean—I’m fine. Really.” He corrected himself, his voice a little tight.
I raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. He looked flustered—unusually so—and that wasn’t exactly a word I imagined I’d use for the effortlessly cool star player. Still, something about the slight redness in his ears, the way he kept adjusting his posture, shifting in his seat like he couldn’t get comfortable… it was adorable.
Before I could say anything else, the nurse came in, clipboard in hand and a no-nonsense look on her face. She gave me a polite nod before turning her attention to Justin.
“Alright, superstar. Time for a quick check-up,” she said, carefully unwrapping his bandage.
I stepped aside, giving them space. Justin glanced at me a few times while she examined his hand, but said nothing. Neither did I. I was still caught up in that strange moment earlier—his flushed face, the way he turned away so suddenly…
The nurse finished quickly, re-wrapping his hand and making a few notes on her chart. “The doctor will be by in the morning. If there’s any swelling or numbness, press the call button. Otherwise, get some rest.”
With a final smile, she left, pulling the door shut behind her, and the silence returned.
I glanced at Justin again. He was staring at the floor like it held all the answers to life’s biggest questions. I didn’t want to make it awkward again, so I cleared my throat.
“I’m gonna grab something to eat,” I said casually, slinging my bag over my shoulder. “Do you want anything?”
He looked up, surprised. “Nah. I’m okay.”
“You sure?” I asked, not quite convinced.
He nodded once. “Yeah, thanks, though.”
I gave him a quick smile, then stepped out of the room. But I wasn’t about to show up empty-handed. The cafeteria was mostly empty, just a few exhausted-looking staff and a couple of vending machines humming in the corner. I managed to find two decent-looking burgers and a pair of sodas.
When I returned and walked into the room, Justin looked up in surprise. I held out the burger to him, grinning. “Figured you might change your mind.”
He blinked, genuinely taken aback. “You got me one?” He blurted out in shock.
“Well, yeah. You didn’t have to say yes for me to know you’d get hungry eventually,” I teased lightly.
He stared at the burger for a second like he couldn’t believe it was real, then took it from me with both hands.
“Thanks, Annabel.” His voice was quieter, softer than before. That was the first time I'd heard him say my name.
Hearing him say my name like that did something weird to my chest. A little fluttery swoop, like my stomach flipped on purpose just to make me aware of him all over again.
We sat on the small couch across from the bed, unwrapping the food. It was oddly domestic—like we were just two friends eating after a long night. Only, I wouldn’t exactly call us friends… yet.
“So,” I began between bites, “favorite snack?”
Justin looked over at me with a crooked grin. “That’s a loaded question.”
“Come on. Everyone has one.” I teased him, not wanting the room to return to being awkward.
He chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed. “Alright. Probably sour gummy worms. I used to sneak them into away games in my duffel bag.”
I laughed. “Seriously? You, the super athlete, eat candy worms?” Not believing he was into junk, and he looked this healthy.
He smirked. “I never said I was a health freak. Just good at basketball.”
“Hmm.”
“What about you?” he asked, glancing over with more curiosity than I expected.
I leaned back, pretending to think hard. “Hot Cheetos. With cream cheese.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Wait, cream cheese?”
“Don’t knock it till you try it.”
“I feel like I just learned a secret about you,” he said, shaking his head in mock disbelief.
“You probably did.” I nodded, munching on a bite of the burger I just had.
The air between us felt lighter now, almost warm. The tension that had been hanging over us seemed to melt with every laugh. And when I glanced over at him mid-bite, I caught him already looking at me.
Not in that dismissive, indifferent way from before. But really looking. And it made me smile.
Eventually, the clock caught up with us. I glanced at my phone and winced.
“It’s late,” I said reluctantly, setting my trash aside. “I should probably head out.”
Justin’s expression shifted—just slightly—but I caught it.
“Oh,” he said quietly. “Right.”
I stood, brushing the wrinkles out of my jeans. “I’ll be back tomorrow, though. If you still want me to come.” I said to him, not wanting to throw away more chances of getting to know him and being close to him.
There was a pause.
Justin looked up at me, and for once, there wasn’t any hesitation in his eyes.
“Yeah,” he said. “I’d… like that.”
I tried to hold back my grin, but it tugged at the corners of my mouth anyway. He was finally warming up to me. The closed-off version of him was starting to fade, and underneath it was someone gentle, awkward, kind.
I nodded, feeling a little giddy inside. “Okay. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Annabel’s POV
By the time I got home, my legs ached and my brain felt like it had been on emotional overdrive. I dropped my bag by the door and kicked off my shoes.
“You’re just in time,” my bestie Lisa called from the tiny kitchen corner of our shared apartment. She was already in her pajamas, hair tied in a messy bun, dishing out a generous portion of Chinese takeout onto a plate.
“You’re a literal angel,” I said, tossing myself onto the couch with a dramatic groan.
“I know,” she said smugly, handing me a plate piled high with dumplings and sweet-and-sour chicken. “So? How did it go? Did you finally get Mr. Basketball to say more than two words to you?”
I grinned as I took the plate. “Actually… yeah. We talked. Ate burgers. He even asked if I’d come back tomorrow.”
Lisa gasped like I’d just told her I was marrying into royalty. “Stop. No way.”
“I’m serious.” I took a bite of a dumpling, savoring the warm comfort of food and quiet victory. “I think… I think my plan might work.”
Bree raised an eyebrow. “The plan where you use all your hopeless romantic book knowledge and charm the stoic jock into falling in love with you?”
“Exactly that one,” I smirked.
“Well damn,” she said, lifting her drink in a mock toast. “To the power of fictional tropes.”
I laughed, heart warm, cheeks hurting from how long I’d been smiling. That night, I fell asleep with the faintest grin still on my lips, wrapped in a blanket.
The next morning, I left early. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to pick something up first. Yesterday, Justin had casually mentioned his favorite drink—orange soda. So, I swung by the corner store, grabbed two cans—one for him, one for me—and made my way to the hospital with an extra spring.
When I walked into his room, he looked up, his expression softening when he saw me.
“Hey,” he said, his voice less guarded than before.
“Morning,” I replied with a smile, then held up the can like it was some sort of trophy. “Brought you this.”
He blinked, surprised. “You remembered?”
“Of course,” I said, shrugging like it was no big deal, even though it kind of was. “Can’t let a guy suffer through hospital water forever.” I grinned at him.
He let out a small laugh and took the can from me, fingers brushing mine briefly. “Thanks. Seriously.” The touch was fleeting, but my skin tingled anyway.
We sat and talked more easily than the day before. We talked about snacks again and music this time. He told me about a game he won with a buzzer-beater three-pointer, and I listened with wide-eyed attention, genuinely intrigued. I did not just want to impress him—I liked hearing him talk. His eyes lit up when he told stories, and he grew more animated without realizing it.
But as the minutes ticked by, a strange realization started creeping in quietly, almost like a shadow around the edges of a sunny room. Justin was… different. Different from what I expected. He wasn’t the cold, popular heartbreaker I thought I knew from the rumors. He wasn’t just the golden boy everyone chased. There was a quietness to him.
It wasn’t bad. Just unexpected. And I... I kinda liked this version of him more.
- Writer
