Briar lounged in the corner booth of the café, one leg crossed over the other, fingers lazily tapping her coffee cup. Sunlight cut across her sharp features, highlighting the green streaks in her dark hair. She barely glanced at her friends.

“I’m telling you, I have the highest standards,” she drawled. “Smart, hot, impressive — someone who can keep up with me. I’m not settling for anything less.”

Her friends rolled their eyes. “Yeah, we get it. You want a superhero or something—”

The café door burst open with a slam. Briar’s eyes flicked up.

A girl stumbled inside, chest heaving, hoodie half off her shoulder, hair wild. Shouts echoed from the street as she scanned the room in a panic. Before anyone could react, she bolted — straight toward Briar.

“What the—?”

Briar barely had time to sit up before the girl threw herself into her lap, arms locking around her shoulders.

“Play along,” she whispered, breath warm against Briar’s neck, heart pounding hard enough to feel.

Briar froze. She was close enough to notice the way adrenaline flushed the girl’s cheeks, how her wide eyes gleamed with barely-contained panic. Gorgeous. Distractingly gorgeous.

Shouts echoed past the café windows, then faded. The girl exhaled, starting to lift her head. “I’m so sorry, I just—”

Briar didn’t let her finish. On impulse, she cupped the girl’s jaw and kissed her.

The café went silent.

When she pulled back, the girl blinked, stunned. “What… what was that?”

Briar smirked lazily, heart pounding. “Me calling dibs.”

Her friends gawked. “That’s your type?”

Briar tilted her head, gaze still on the girl. “Yeah,” she said with a crooked grin. “That’s the one I want.”