The Perk, Wednesday Morning (Pre-Shenanigans)

[bookbeltof_love]

So, like, the squirrels had been right, though she hoped no one believed them about the whole crying thing and Nina was still pretty unimpressed with their whole room invasion thing for radio that morning.

But at least indignation had given her the last push of courage she'd needed to actually, like, text Owen.

Nina didn't really feel great about breaking up with him that way (in fact, she felt rather terrible about it) but, like, she thought that it was better for the both of them if they didn't have to have Owen fake being totally cool with it in front of her.

Or for her to fake being super cool with it too because, like, if he'd offered to change things then maybe… but, no. Enough. But maybe, in the future… and she had to stop thinking about that because, like, it was just upsetting her more.

Now, like, Nina was sort of taking Summer's advice. She'd swung by Chilly Boulder for a large sundae (raspberry cheesecake with white chocolate shavings) and then she'd brought it with her to the Perk to brood over things while she also had a hot chocolate.

Because. Sure. All that sugar for breakfast would totally make her feel better and not just give her indigestion. Really!

Ugh.

[She doesn't know it yet but this is Nina's last post on the island for a bit so TOTALLY, super open, yo!]

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[seriesofbaddecisions]

Sabine figured whatever this afternoon had in store for her would require a proper amount of caffeine, so she headed in to get a coffee, and then swung by Nina's table.

"Hey," she said, and tilted her head. "Ice cream?"

[bookbeltof_love]

"I broke up with Owen," Nina said, rather dismally. "I deserve this."

It was a terrible breakfast, she knew.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Oh. Sorry," Sabine winced. "What happened?"

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina considered that.

"Nothing, really," she said, "which was sort of the problem when I was only seeing him, like, less than once a month......."

Like, sure, Nina had a high love for romance but she'd tried really hard to keep her expectations low and she didn't think that 'seeing her bf more often than that' was unreasonable.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"Yeah, that'll do it." It was one thing if it was long distance, another thing when you both lived in the dorms. "You really have earned that."

[bookbeltof_love]

If it had been long distance, yeah, she'd have been fine with it.

He'd have gotten a million letters... but she'd have been fine with that. Nina had been crushing on soldiers and knights since she could read. She was well aware of the trials and tribulations that came when military men were posted away from their loved ones.

"I just feel, like, relieved and then I feel awful for feeling that," she confessed. "Isn't that awful????????"

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"I think it means you made the right decision," Sabine said honestly.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Yeah," she said glumly. "Even though love is, like, supposed to last forever.........."

Giving up that notion was going to be a long road, if it ever happened.

"Want to help me eat my ice cream????????" she asked. "I really shouldn't eat all of it???????"

But she would, if left to her own devices.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"I can help," Sabine said. "And it's a good sign that you stuck with something sane and not the Skywalker monstrosity."

[bookbeltof_love]

"I thought about it," Nina confessed. "Like, I almost did?????? But I don't usually eat that much sugar.........."

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"It's a good way to feel gross for the rest of your day," Sabine told her. "Probably the next, too."

[bookbeltof_love]

"Especially," she noted, "since I plan to go to the shenanigans later."

Not that she was going to make it there but, like, she planned to.

[seriesofbaddecisions]

"That should help. At the very least it'll take your mind of stuff when you're up to your knees in Jello."

Why did she keep going?

[firstofitskind]

Okay, radio this morning had been a little, well, concerning, with the squirrels accusing Nina on-air of having been crying and all.

She'd helped him out yesterday when he had his little freakout, so now it was his turn to return the favor and check in on her. He was hoping she was somewhere in town since she couldn't exactly visit the dorms, and so was checking in on the places he thought she might be. JGoB hadn't panned out, nor Chilly Boulder, so here he was at the Perk.

"Aha," he greeted. "I was going to offer to buy you a turnover or something, but I see you've got breakfast covered."

He was also impressed with the fact that absolutely no one at Chilly Boulder had so much as hinted that he'd just missed Nina there. Privacy was important, okay? Even in small towns where everyone knew each other's business. Maybe especially then.

[bookbeltof_love]

It really was and she was grateful they'd kept her whereabouts a secret. Even if he'd found her eventually!

"A turnover would've been smarter," she conceded, since now she was committed to way, way too much ice cream. Ah, life choices. "But why were you going to...???????????"

For yesterday?

[firstofitskind]

In part, yes!

"Because one good turn deserves another," he deadpanned.

[bookbeltof_love]

"If I wasn't eating all the ice cream for breakfast," she ventured, "like, I would say that you'd be obligated to buy me a turnover since that comment sounds an awful lot like an attempt at a pun or something?????"

But she had ice cream and adding more sugar would just be an even worse idea.

[firstofitskind]

It had absolutely been an attempt at a pun, good catch, Nina!

"Maybe a breakfast sandwich would be a better idea," he conceded. "Assuming you've got room for something like that." It was an awful lot of ice cream, after all.

[bookbeltof_love]

"I don't think I could eat that right now," she admitted. "That sounds like something way too much???????"

[firstofitskind]

"All right, then," Liam conceded. A beat, and then: "Breakfast wasn't actually why I was looking for you, anyway."

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina paused.

"Is everything okay??????" she asked, frowning up at him.

And if he looked, yeah, it was clear she'd been crying. Make-up couldn't hide everything.

[firstofitskind]

"I'm fine," he assured her. Well, fine-ish. More fine than he had been yesterday. "I was going to ask you that, actually. The squirrels accused you of crying on radio this morning. I can see now that wasn't a baseless accusation."

That last was said gently, yet firmly enough to let her know he wouldn't believe any attempts to brush it off.

[bookbeltof_love]

She squirmed in her seat, still not used to an adult taking an interest in her emotional state.

It was weird. Not... bad? But weird.

"They weren't supposed to do that," she muttered, still a bit cross at them.

[firstofitskind]

"It was pretty thoughtless of them," Liam agreed. "What's going on?"

This wasn't the first time he'd caught you dealing with feelings via sugar, Nina. There was a reason the first few places he'd checked were the bakery, the ice cream shop, and the coffee shop.

[bookbeltof_love]

Sugar for problems was a time-honoured tradition!

It didn't really fix anything and it left her feeling physically terrible afterwards but, like, tradition.

She sighed, shoulders slumping.

"I broke up with my boyfriend," Nina explained.

So this wasn't a world-ending problem but, rather, a very normal one.