She clicked her tongue, burying the thoughts in the back of her mind as she readied a snarky response. But before she had the opportunity to speak, her phone vibrated, indicating that a message had entered. She supported the cake box on one hand and with the other,

fished out her phone from her back pocket.

Lloyd silently watched her all the while and when he looked away, he found that he quickly missed the heavy scent of her floral perfume. Odd, he thought, seeing as he always preferred ladies who wore lesser scented perfumes. The heavy ones were always too choking for him, ruining his mood before he could even get to the fun part.

But for some reason, it was different with Anastasia. As a matter of fact, everything was different with Anastasia Johansson. It left even him speechless and sometimes annoyed him.

With a sigh, Lloyd focused his gaze back on the enigma in his entire romantic advance, about to pull a leg or two to see her reaction and feel better about himself; when he saw her expression and paused.

Fear and panic was the first thing he could make out on b her visage and for some reason, it triggered a response that made him alert "Hey, what's wrong?" He quickly asked, not knowing that he had touched her shoulder until she harshly smacked his hand away But even she looked like she didn't know what she had done.

"Jesus Christ, Riley. You need to learn what personal space is." Her words had come out more harshly and louder than she wanted it to and when she realized that he had only done that because he was checking up on her, she felt a feeling of guilt creep into her gut. Fuck, he must think I'm an asshole, she thought, unconsciously biting on the inside of her cheek. Something she often did when she was tensed.

"I'm sorry if 1 scared you," Lloyd began and he looked genuinely sorry. Another kick to her snarky personality. "You just looked." He paused, looking for the right word. "Frightened."

Anastasia's grip tightened around her phone upon hearing his words and she looked away, swallowing thickly. "I'm fine." Game her response, but it sounded more like self reassuring words, rather than an answer.

And whether she wanted it or not, Lloyd wasn't buying that answer. "It doesn't look like that to me." He stepped forward, closer, and peered down at her, gauging her reaction, the way she avoided his gaze and was now visibly tensed compared to when she had first stepped out from the pastry shop, "is something the matter, Anastasia? You can talk to me if="

Anastasia's head snapped up to meet his gaze and she interrupted him, meaning to sound as rude and impolite as she did. "I said I was fine, so why don't you just mind your business, Riley."

Lloyd was caught off guard by her words, His expression said it all and the more she looked at him, the more she got that tiny kick in her gut, calling her an asshole..

Thankfully before anymore Interaction could go on between them, Leonica returned. "Sorry for keeping you waiting," She paused and looked between the two, sensing the tensed air. "Is everything alright?"

Her question was answered by a smile from Anastasia "Peachy. Can we leave now?" Before even waiting for Leonica's answer, she began walking towards the car. Leonica took one last look at Lloyd before chasing after her friend.

"y"know, you have one hell of a talent when it comes to pissing women off." Christian said as he came to stand beside Lloyd, stuffing his hand into his pocket and just like his friend, watching as the two ladies drove off.

couldn't. Anastasia's expression had been burnt into his head for

drawing into a slim line as he came to

saw in the message,

decat for Ms.

She paid for it, tipping the barrister generously as he had once again made her morning with his splendid coffee

her worries fade away. Her worry concern her mother's party. Her worries concerning work and her worries concerning that stupid message she had gotten from

the ride back, she had remained silent, biting on her nails as she reprimanded herself for having answered his message the first time he texted. And then later in the night, she received another round

told herself as she stopped in front of the glass door to fish out her car keys from her bag. As she got them and looked up,

Derek was fucking

even at that, the warning alarms in her head hadn't stopped blaring and only did she realize she was about to have one of

of the cafe. She paused for a while, waiting for the traffic light above to turn red

like minutes and the more she waited, different people passing and crowding around her, the more she felt this weird feeling of being watched. And just when she felt like things couldn't get any worse, she was

straight into the road.

the time comes. But the pain she waited for never

thing as getting reborn in another universe." He said, the tone of his voice

life just flashed before her eyes, but the moment Anastasia opened her mouth to respond, instead of words a

down her face, she didn't care about the onlookers, only replaying a certain thought in her

a five years old who had lost her toy? Well, the answers were obvious; It was all because of Derek Smith SPECIAL

more clear headed, he fetched her a glass of water, substituting it for her spilled cup of decal. "Feeling better?" He asked as he placed the glass on the table, sliding it to her, all the while sliding into the seat across

glass and seeking the usual warmth that her coffee provided. When the glass remained warm, bland, she fore her gaze away fixing it on the side walk where she

Or perhaps that was just her paranoid mind getting the better

one huge pulp of the water, placed the glass down and

giving her a

appreciated his silent gesture but found herself looking around, searching the crowd behind for the face that had thrown her into panic mode. She sighed out in relief when she didn't see anyone matching his description, but her body felt far from relieved. "Is everything okay? Lloyd asked, questioning the way

way they widened in alarm, before she schooled her expression and nodded her head, answering him. "I'm fine, nothing to worry about." She took her cup and brought it to her

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