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Jyn grabbed a table for everyone because she arrived at the bar first. Okay, so that was almost unheard of—Bodhi still didn’t need to look so shocked when he showed up ten minutes later.
“You must really be nervous about meeting Kerri,” he teased her, unwinding the ridiculously long scarf Kay had knitted for him and draping it over the back of the chair beside her. “I told Han to send nachos right away so you have something to distract you.”
“Shut up.” Jyn deliberately bumped his shoulder as she reached past him for the pitcher of draft. Her first glass was already half empty. “I finished up at work early, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” Bodhi grinned. “She’s going to like you. And even if she doesn’t, Cassian won’t care.”
That wasn’t true. For two years now, Jyn had listened to her friend talk about his little sister who was finishing her degree abroad, and it was obvious how much he loved her. Jyn had maybe stalked Kerri’s Insta, just a little—Cassian hardly ever used social media, but he liked and commented on every one of her posts. Kerri’s few selfies displayed the strong resemblance between the two siblings; they shared the same dark eyes and charming smile, right down to the dimple.
The door opened, letting in a blast of arctic wind, and Kay’s tall figure was silhouetted against the rectangle of bright light from the street lamps outside the bar. He stalked directly across the room to their table and sat down across from them with a curt nod. “Cassian texted me to say that traffic from the airport is heavy, so they’ll be fifteen minutes late. You seem nervous, Jyn.”
Jyn huffed. “No, just annoyed.”
Han dropped a plate of nachos on the scratched wooden table between them and Jyn pettily snatched a chip with extra jalapeños piled on it before Kay could. He rolled his eyes at her and launched into a conversation with Bodhi (really more of a monologue about the latest book he’d read).
The nachos sat uneasily in Jyn’s stomach. She picked up her phone for something to do but instead of checking any of her news alerts or emails, she opened her string of messages with Cassian.
Can’t wait for you two to meet! he’d written. Anxiety twisted through her at the sight of the exclamation point, much more expressive than Cassian’s usual texting style.
Jyn couldn’t help being nervous about this meeting. Family meant a lot to Cassian; Jyn, on the other hand, seemed destined to be a loner. She’d loved her mom, but had never known her as an adult. And she’d had distant relationships with both of her dads, biological and foster, before they’d passed away too.
She lacked the ease at connecting with others that Bodhi and Cassian shared. The small circle of people that they’d slowly drawn her into was the closest thing she had to a family. She stared down into her beer, tapping her fingers against the glass. If Cassian (understandably) decided that his sister was more important to him than his friends, he’d drift away. He’d stop having lunch with Jyn almost every day, and their regular movie nights would end…
Another gust of freezing air and Jyn looked up to see Cassian and his sister blown through the bar door, laughing together. Kerri’s cloud of dark curly hair was wind-tossed and her cheeks red from the cold. Cassian spotted their table, waved, and towed her toward it through the now-crowded room.
“Jyn, it’s so great to meet you!” Kerri flashed a bright smile and actually hugged Jyn, who froze in surprise before it occurred to her that maybe she should have reciprocated. But Kerri had already broken away and was cheerfully arguing with Cassian about her order.
“I need something to warm me up,” she said. “It's freezing out there.”
“You’ve gotten soft,” Cassian teased her. The resemblance was even stronger in person, with the similar lilt to their voices.
“Or maybe we're just not meant to live somewhere frostbite is a risk for half the year.” Kerri stuck her tongue out at him as she wrestled out of her coat and hung it over the back of the chair on Jyn’s other side.
Bodhi leaned across Jyn to ask Kerri about her dissertation and she launched into a story about her absentminded advisor, her hands circling in animated gestures that were exactly like Cassian’s. Kay polished off the last of the nachos and pushed the platter aside. Jyn picked up her glass of draft—warm now, ugh—and drained it with a long swallow just as Cassian came back from the bar. He put an Irish coffee down in front of Kerri and sat down across from Jyn, nudging her knee under the table.
“Here.” He slid a highball glass in front of her. “I got you an old fashioned. I don’t know why you insist on ordering pitchers of draft when you hate cheap beer.”
“Because it’s cheap?” Jyn parried automatically, trying to sound normal. “Not all of us can afford expensive taste in alcohol.” She lifted the glass and took a sip.
Kerri squeezed Jyn’s left arm eagerly, leaning in close and raising her voice to be heard over the noisy room. “I’m so happy the two of you are finally together.”
What? Who was she talking about? Jyn stared blankly at her. The song playing ended and a coincidental moment of near silence fell around them, making Kerri’s voice suddenly loud as she continued, “Cassian had such a crush, it was embarrassing to listen to him go on and on about you every time he called.”
Bodhi ducked his head to hide a grin; Kay’s eyebrows rose above the frames of his glasses. Jyn coughed so hard she nearly choked.
“We're not actually—” she tried to get out, but Kerri was still talking.
“If you two are thinking of moving in together, let me know because I’d love to sublet Cassian’s apartment. It’s not an ulterior motive if I tell you upfront, right? I’ve been desperately trying to find something online for months…” And with that, she was off into a rant about what a disaster the local rental market was.
Jyn stared at Cassian. He glanced away, his face flushing crimson under his scruffy beard, and then back at her before ducking his chin to stare down into his glass.
She leaned forward across the table. “Are you going to tell her we’re not dating, or are you going to make me do it?” she asked, keeping her voice low under the music.
Cassian’s gaze flickered up at her under dark lashes and the look in his eyes sent a shiver up her spine despite the heat of the overcrowded room. He leaned in close as well, and his barely audible whisper was warm on her cheek. “I was hoping I wouldn't have to.”
Shock stole Jyn’s breath. Cassian didn't move away, or laugh—he held her gaze steadily. He wasn’t joking.
“We don’t have to mention exactly when we started dating,” he added.
Before she knew what she was going to do, Jyn surged forward and pressed her lips to Cassian's, firm and deliberate. She held it long enough to make it clear that she wasn't joking either, and pulled back only when she had to gulp for air.
Cassian's eyes were wide, but the dimple in his cheek slowly developed as he smiled. He put his hand down on the table between them, palm up and open.
A giddy swirl of joy bubbled up inside Jyn. She took Cassian’s hand and laced her fingers firmly between his, unable to stop an idiotic grin from taking over her face. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, smiling back just as wide.
“God, you're so cheesy,” Kerri groused. “Jyn, he’s going to be insufferable.”
“I don’t mind,” she said.
Kay snorted. “News to me.” He didn't seem particularly surprised, however. And from the smug look on Bodhi’s face, Jyn suspected that Kerri’s mistake might not have been as innocent as it seemed.
But Cassian kept holding her hand, and she really didn't mind.