The Boy Who Didn't Love

15 - just friends

After the emotionally confusing moment that they shared, they quickly returned to their work norms.

  He continued to help her whenever he could, and she didn't try to stop him. She had realized that it was something he genuinely wanted to do for her, for reasons neither of them questioned.

  Ali leaned on the counter as she watched Sawyer take care of her customer, a faint smile hanging from her lips. When her sweet-tooth coworker suddenly hopped onto the counter beside her, she almost tripped over her own feet.

"Oh my God, Brady," Ali breathed, putting a hand over her heart, and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sorry, did I distract you from staring dreamily at Sawyer?"

She flushed in embarrassment. "No, of course not."

"Uh-huh," Brady said as he unwrapped a new black lollipop, halloween-themed. "This infatuation you got with him is getting a little out of hand, don't you think?"

"I'm not infatuated with him. We're just friends," Ali objected, and she watched as Brady's eyes slowly drifted away from her. Feeling a familiarly tall presence behind her, she turned and raised her eyebrows at him. "Right, Sawyer? Aren't we friends?"

  The expressionless man seemed to pause for a second, but his voice remained firm. "Yes. We are."

  "Really? It's not just a front?" Brady questioned, then leaned towards her as he lowered his voice. "You know, like out of pity?"

  Ali glanced at Sawyer, who was distracted with his phone, then vigorously shook her head.

  "Not at all. I like spending time with Sawyer, so why wouldn't we be friends?" she said, then chuckled as an afterthought. "I mean, I know friendship is a two-way street, and I can't speak for him, but hopefully he does too."

  "I do."

  Both Ali and Brady fell silent at his quick and definite response. She slowly looked up at him, and he caught a glimpse of the emotional glint in her orbs. He, however, couldn't fathom the immeasurable warmth that seemed to flood her body in that moment.

  Brady curiously scrutinized the couple as he sucked on his lollipop. His eyes flickered between the two of them for a minute before he jumped off the counter and cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I was wrong. Don't tell Marina I admitted that."

Once he was gone, Ali awkwardly folded her hands and stepped towards the indecipherable man. He stared into the distance, his Adam's apple bobbing.

  "So," she murmured, seemingly nervous, as she looked down at his shoes. Her voice was hesitant and sheepish. "Were you lying back there?"

  Sawyer took the chance to freely stare at her face for a brief moment before he spoke. "No. I can't lie to you, remember?"

  "Well, you would've been lying more to Brady than to me, and it's for the sake of maintaining your image with your father. So it wouldn't violate our deal," Ali pointed out, lifting her head again.

  "I know," Sawyer agreed, nodding, as he averted his gaze from her.

  She furrowed her eyebrows. "But you still decided to be honest?"

  "Yes," he said quietly. "I wanted you to know that I...like being around you too."

  "Even though you can't manipulate me?"

  "Even though I can't manipulate you."

  A bright smile blossomed onto her face, and he swiftly glanced down for a peek at it. It made her smile widen even more, until her cheeks hurt.

  She wanted to say more, but a customer appeared at her station a second later. He stepped away from her to attend to them, but she quickly pulled him back. "How about we take care of this one together?"

  He nodded, then walked over to the customer with her by his side.