I don't sleep all night once again. I get up at five and get ready to go down to the bakery. I don't bother eating breakfast or getting my usual check up.
I get to the bakery right as Lola is opening up.
"Good morning." She greets and hold the door open for her.
"Morning." I yawn.
"Long night?" She questions.
"No, just having a hard time falling asleep." I put my apron and hair net on.
"Warm milk. It will knock you right out." She says as she places a few grocery bags on a random table.
"I will try that." I smile at her advice.
"You'll be up front today. I'll need you to wipe down the tables and make sure everything is neat and in place." She points at everything that needs to be straightened up. "When you're done you can sit anywhere, I have a few books in my office." She says and I nod.
When I'm done wiping off the tables and turn on the open sign I sit behind the counter and grab a random book.
We've been open for at least two hours and no one has come in. I rest my head on the counter, bored. The door bell rings and I lift my head up.
Finally a new customer. My face falls when I realize it's only Sawyer.
"Morning." He says with a smile and I stare at him skeptically. He's chipper this morning.
"Hi, I mean morning." I stutter. After last night I really thought he would never talk to me, or he would at least give me attitude like all the other times.
"You okay?" I question and his eyes dart from the menu to mine.
"Yes. Why wouldn't it?" He creases his eyebrows.
"You know, yesterday? You were pretty upset." I try triggering his memory but his face falls further in confusion as he tries to remember.
"Yesterday?" He questions and I hold on to the counter as my anger starts to creep in.
"Nothing. Never mind." He needs to get over himself and stop acting.
"I'll have a black cold brew and a carrot cake." He asks, completely changing the subject. He takes out his wallet from his back pocket and pays.
"There's perfectly good coffee at home and the pastry you didn't finish in the car." I remind him.
"My card." He says, ignoring my statement and I hand it back to him. He walks off to a corner seat by the window.
As I prepare his coffee I write his name but throw that cup away and grab another and write 'asshole' instead.
I ring the bell and he gets up to get his stuff. He looks at the cup clearly seeing the large letters. He takes a sip and nods clearly impressed by my coffee skills.
"Thanks Maple, or Maeve is it." He ponders, clearly on purpose saying a different name. He smirks and walks back to his seat. I roll my eyes. He knows I hate that name.
I watch as he takes out a lap top and starts typing away. I huff out annoyed that he's here.
I try going back to reading my book and I would look up to see if Sawyer would be typing and each time I would stare he would catch me. I see one side of his lip twitch slightly up and I know he's amused that he's caught me staring several times.
I try keeping myself from looking up and when I do he's already looking at me. He raises and eyebrow up and I quickly glance away.
It's almost eleven am and a customer walks in. A boy no older than me.
"Do you guys serve breakfast?" He asks and I nod.
"We have breakfast sandwiches." I point to the glass display and he looks over with a smile. He seems a bit out of breath.
"Oh, good. I'm from out of town and my family and I have been trying to find a breakfast place."
I smile, nodding not knowing what to say.
"How many are you?" I question.
"About seven of us. Let me go get them." He says and rushes out of the store. I see him and a line of people following him. They're a little routing all speaking over each other. They eventually calm down.
"Sorry about them." He says.
They all order and he's the last one.
"So what do you think is the best thing on the menu?" He asks and my eyes widen and I turn to look at the menu.
"Umm, maybe the bagel with cream cheese, turkey, and tomatoes?" I question.
"You sure?" He laughs.
"Try it." I assure him and he gets two of them.
"You're new here, aren't you?" He questions and I turn to him.
"What?" I question. He's leaning against the counter as he watches me make his sandwich.
"It's just that you had to look at the menu in order to tell me what's good." He shrugs, "Usually when someone knows they blurt out the best thing."
"Observant." I say as I spread some cream cheese.
"Are you from around here?" He asks.
"Yes and no?" I question more than answer.
"My family is heading down to the park trail in a couple of hours if you want to join us." He offers.
I look down at my apron, before I can answer him and Sawyer is right beside bagel boy.
Sawyer maneuvers the guy away from the counter, rudely as he demands for more coffee.
"Less ice." Sawyer says. I grab the cup from Sawyer with a slight glare. He's not going to move from that spot until I fetch him his coffee.
"I would love to but duty calls." I point to my apron and bagel boy nods.
"Maybe next time." He says as I hand him his bagel and I nod. Sawyer doesn't look at bagel boy, but he does make an impatient noise with his pen.
"Can I help you?" I question, arms crossed.
"I found a hair in my coffee." He pulls out a curly long hair.
"We both have curly hair."
"Mine is black. Yours is..." He stretches his arm and places it on my head, comparing the color. "Bingo." He says, he raises both his eyebrows.
"Do you want me to make you another?" I blankly ask.
"I'll pick you up at one." He announces causing the family peacefully eating to turn.
He packs his things and leaves.
"I don't think curly liked that I was flirting with you." Bagel boy says. I laugh and quickly cover my mouth.
"He doesn't care."
"Well, the bagel was the best bagel I've ever had. Thank you." He says and he leaves a tip in the jar before waving goodbye and walking out with his family.
"Bye Lola see you on Monday." I wave goodbye but she's too busy rolling dough.
I exit the baker and Sawyer is leaning against the wall.
"I can walk home. It's only a block away." I start walking back but Sawyer holds me back.
"We're not going home." He says.
"I look down at what I'm wearing."
"Can I at least shower first?" I question but he's already in the driver seat. I look down the road, I can see his house from here. And I turn back to Sawyer who gestures with his head to hurry up.
And once again curiosity gets the best of me.
I buckle up and he speeds off.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"You'll see." A mischievous smile graces his lips. I eye him skeptically.
We pull into a parking lot. And I see an art supply store.
"Please don't get my hopes up." My eyes widen.
"I haven't seen you draw lately." He shrugs and he gets out of the car.
I follow after him, unable to contain my excitement.
We walk down a few aisles. Sawyer grabs a few staples and a stamp do enter whatever date.
"Shit, have you eaten?" He stops in his tracks and turns to me.
"No, but I'm too excited to think about food." I tell him with a small chuckle.
"Pizza?" He questions and I shrug. Pizza sounds good.
I walk away from him and find the sketch books. I look at each one carefully.
"You can get as much as you want. And whatever you want." Sawyers voice books behind me and I turn around startled.
Every girls dream. But I can't. I don't want to take advantage of him.
I ignore what he says and continue looking. I know I want another sketch book. I need more color pencils and pens. Maybe I'll get two canvases, maybe one. And a few paints. But the paints are expensive. Sawyer did say to get whatever.
"Opal." I hear Sawyer say. I snap out of my thoughts and turn to him.
"It's fine. Stop internally debating with yourself. Just grab. Please." He says and walks off.
Thank goodness, him walking off is such relief.
I'll limit myself. But when is the next time I'll be here so I have to stock up.
"I can hear your thinking from over here." Sawyer voices. He sounds like his a few aisles down. A few people turn to give me looks and I go back to debating.
"You sure you got enough?" Sawyer mocks as he carries five bags full of stuff.
"You said..." I stop in my tracks, embarrassed.
"I know what I said. I'm only kidding." He laughs and I breathe out. I feel guilty but at the same time I don't. I'm excited I get to paint and draw and...
I lean back into my seat my brain running a million miles per minute.
"Okay, piazza. I'm hungry." He says. Right as he says that my stomach growls. He places a call for delivery and by the time we get home the pizza is already there.
"Where did you guys go?" Avery questions when she sees Sawyer carrying all the bags.
"Art shopping." I wiggle my eyebrows.
"Interesting." She says giving me a knowing look. I feel my cheeks blushing and turn my attention toward the pizza boxes.
"Plates. Opal get the plates." Jospeh says and I grab plates.
"How was second day of working?" Evan asks.
"Easy."
"Found a hair in my coffee." Sawyer teases.
"What were you doing there? There's coffee here." Evan questions and we all turn to see the answer Sawyer is about to give.
"Lets be honest, our coffee is shit." Sawyer shrugs as he takes a large bite from his pizza.
"Tomorrow I'm going in to get more bread. I forgot how good it is." Jospeh says.
"I don't work until Monday." I tell him.
"It's okay, I'm not there to see you like Sawyer."
My face turns red at his comment. Thankfully Avery steps in.
"Does pineapple belong on pizza?"
We all look at her and burst out laughing.
"I think it does." I tell them. They all look at me like I'm crazy.
"Get out." Jospeh playfully points to the door.
"It's not a crime." I argue.
"It's a deep offense." Jospeh laughs.
"As far as I'm concerned, I'm the offended one. How can none of you like it?" I'm shocked.
"Sawyer maybe you should examine her tastebuds, find something medically wrong." Jospeh teases. Sawyer smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
He catches me staring and it quickly disappears before he gives me a genuine smile. He takes another bite of his pizza and I look away.
"If anyone needs me, don't." Evan says.
"No one bothered to tell me you got pizza?" Jethro marches in. The atmosphere changes and Sawyer gets up and walks out.
"What's up his arse?" Jethro questions.
I do the same, feeling uncomfortable that he's here.
I plop down on the couch and sort through all the new drawing utensils. I must admit I did go a little crazy. Not my fault, Sawyers really good at making me feel like I needed everything.
I hear the piano playing.
It's hard to tell what Sawyer is feeling he never really tells anyone. I mean, if I think about it more Sawyer doesn't tell much of anything to anyone. He sits alone in his office typing away and calculating data most of the time, eats, and then goes to the piano ignoring the world around him.
Maybe he uses the piano as a tuning out mechanism, just like when I draw or read my books I try to forget the world.
"He's dome that as long as I can remember." Jospeh blurts out. I look up from where sketch pad where I've been drawing from memory the zombie people I saw. "He always fingering those keys." He says and laughs at his little joke. He gets serious and continues, "When we were little they trained him everyday of his life. I would wake up hearing him play and when I fell asleep I would sleep to him playing. He has to be the best piano player in the world by now." He ends with a chuckle, shaking his head.
I nod as I try focusing on my sketch. The hungry rage of their eyes.
"So, what are you drawing?"
"Um, just something I had a dream about." I tell him and turn over the drawing for him to see. I only have half of it's face but it can give anyone nightmares.
"Woah." Jospeh says, his features laced with concern.
"What?"
"It's a little dark don't you think?" He questions and I stare at the picture and the cause of me not sleeping.
"I call it a zombie." I try joking but his smile falls.
"Whatever that is, it's worse." He says and shivers.
"My imagination is wild." I shrug, continuing to draw in the details.
I'm so entranced in what I'm drawing that I don't notice it's way past my bed time. To my surprise I still hear Sawyer playing the piano. I follow the sound.
He's sitting peacefully as he plays, his eyes closed.
I know he knows I'm watching, he pauses for a second before he starts playing again.
I sit beside him, placing my drawing on top of the piano.
He stops playing,
"Are you okay?" I question as he opens and closes his hands. His fingers must be sore.
"Yeah." He says and taps a few keys.
"Okay." I whisper. His attention turns toward the drawing. He grabs it examining it.
"Your drawings usually aren't this dark." He states. He doesn't take his eyes off of it. It's the one that bit him. "It looks familiar. I've seen this before." He says and I perk up.
"Where?" I ask, hoping he'll finally fess up.
"Can't remember." He shrugs, handing back my note book. He shakes his shoulders and starts playing again. "It's late you should sleep." He says without turning to look at me. I nod even though he can't see me. I leave the notebook there hoping the more he ponders over it the more it scares him to confess.
I slip into bed my mind too tired to think and I eventually drift off into sleep.
I wake up with a jump as I rush to Sawyer. I know why he can't remember. It makes total sense.
"Sawyer!" I excitedly call out. He's in his office.
He doesn't turn right away, first hint that something is wrong.
"Well," I say, and I walk toward him. "Someone is in a fine mood today, aren't they?" I poke his shoulder.
Complete silence. Almost as if he can't hear me. But the tilt of his head lets me know he does.
I furrow my eyebrows, "hey, are you trying to ignore me? Did I miss something?"
All I hear is a low mumble, "Leave me alone." And a hidden face.
"I know why you can't seem to remember. You keep messing with the watch. There has to be a button. You've pressed it on accident or something because how can I remember and not you. Every time I travel with you I don't touch the watch only you. You test it out and try to find clues. You're accidentally erasing your own memory." I say all in one go, I breathe trying to get my breath back.
"Now, can you leave or something? I really have no desire to continue being in the same room as you." He sneers at me.
How can he want me to leave at a time like this?
"Did you hear what I just said?" I question.
"I heard. Leave." He says, pointing at the door.
"Fine, I'll leave."
"I remember." He says and I pause by the door. I don't turn to look at him, the anger in his voice makes me scurry out of there.
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Double update!!!
Enjoy!
Have a safe weekend ❤️