Love & War | Brad Simpson ✔️

22. "I think he really likes you"

"What are you going to study?" she asks as I pick up the tray for her and emerge from behind the counter to take it to her favourite table by the window, just like I always do for her.

"Art" I answer as she follows behind me, "probably won't get me a career but it's the only thing that I'm actually good at"

"And do it you enjoy it?"

"Yeah" I nod as I place the tray down for her. She takes my hand between the two of her warm wrinkled ones.

"If you enjoy it, then do it, don't you worry about the future, Ella sweetheart, everything will fall into place" she advises me, like my own fairy godmother, "you don't get to my age and worry about not having taken the more sensible route, you look back and remember everything you've enjoyed doing and everything that made you happy"

"I'll remember that" I smile, "if you want anything else, you just let me know"

She smiles and nods, and I leave to let her enjoy her tea. In the meantime, I serve a couple more customers and then my mum calls me into the back because she's finished icing the cake and it's ready to go out. I take it into the front of the shop and start to place it on display behind the glass counter.

As I'm placing the slices of cake in a decorative formation in the counter, I see a face appear opposite mine on the other side of the glass. Mille sticks her tongue out at me, to which I grin and stick my tongue out back at her.

"Hands off the glass, I have to clean that later" I tell her as I stand up straight and lean over to swat her hands away. As I do, I realise that there's a taller figure stood beside her. I look up and my eyes meet Brad's big chocolate brown ones. The corners of his mouth curl upwards.

The other day I made out with that mouth...

"Why is she with you?" I ask, nodding at my sister.

"Tris is outside on the phone" he tells me. I glance through the window to see my brother on the phone.

"Guess which cake I want" Millie beams, making me turn my attention to her.

"Erm, is it..." I pretend to think, "the triple chocolate layer cake you get every time?"

"Yep" she grins.

"This slice?" I ask, pointing to one of the bigger slices using the tongs. She pouts and shakes her head so I move to the next one, "this one?". She nods enthusiastically so I pick that piece up and place it on a plate, handing it to her.

"Thank you!" She sings, before bounding off to find a table to sit at, leaving Brad and I alone.

"So what are you having?" I ask him.

"Hmmm" he hums, leaning his forearms against the counter as he gazes over the selection, "there's just so much choice"

I roll my eyes because I know he just wants to annoy me.

"I'll have a slice of the Red Velvet cake please" he says, pointing to the one I've just freshly put out. I pick up a pair of tongs and place it carefully on a plate for him. I can feel his eyes on me with every movement.

"Anything else?" I question as I start a new transaction on the till and add the cake to it.

"How about a kiss?" He smirks, "to add to the two I've already had"

"How about I rip your ballsack off and force you to eat it?" I reply in the same flirty tone he used.

"Well, that doesn't sound nearly as much fun" he replies, unphased by my comment.