Faux Vows, True Desires

Owen flashed a cheeky grin. "Then let's just hang out at the diner for some practice."

"Get lost!"

"So rude. You'll never get hitched with that attitude. Looks like you're stuck with me."

Owen chuckled, seizing the moment before Cecilia could react, and quickly made his way to his car.

Whatever Owen needed to discuss with Stefan, Cecilia was clueless about. Once the girl returned, Cecilia asked her to mind the diner while she stepped out to get some groceries.

But after she had cooked a fine meal, Owen called to say he wouldn't make it for dinner.

Cecilia sighed in frustration.

She had gone to the trouble of cooking some of her best dishes, and he had the gall to bail on her. Considering he went to see Stefan, she figured he must've had something more pressing and generously decided not to hold it against him.

Still, Owen hadn't checked in for several days.

Accustomed to him being as sticky as bubblegum, Cecilia was actually starting to miss his constant presence.

The afternoon sun was lazily hanging in the sky, and Cecilia felt its lethargy seep into her bones.

She lay sprawled across the cash register, doodling aimlessly on a piece of scrap paper with a pen in hand.

A bowl of freshly washed cherries appeared before her.

"It's a rare sight to catch you daydreaming. Let me guess, missing your Mr. Malicious? The little birdie told me he hasn't dropped by in days. Let's see, from Wednesday to now, Sunday, wow, it really has been a while."

Lucinda leaned against the counter, having placed the bowl of cherries, and teased Cecilia with a playful smirk.

glass pane.

her hand was a steaming cup of coffee,

smile but didn't join the banter, choosing instead to

had her

she

was none other than one of Keith's

skills were top-notch, and she had arranged things so swiftly that her own sister couldn't find out, not to

persistence in finding the mysterious woman was troubling. What if he had other motives? Could her

decided to drop by

he hasn't been

look at you, all sprawled out. If someone snapped a pic and posted it online, you'd be trending in

me, but he was lunching with me that day and didn't meet Owen. Must've been something else holding him up." Lucinda corrected her posture, popping a cherry into her mouth before

a shake of her head, lifting her coffee cup

Lucinda didn't press her.

joined them, she always sat quietly to one side, speaking softly and sparingly, which made the others almost afraid to raise their voices

hailing from humble beginnings, and even Tiffany, despite her affluent background and bold nature, saw Darlene as some

watching the world outside, it's such a beautiful scene. It reminds you

Lucinda agreed wholeheartedly,

in her tranquil state. "I'm going to have this painted, a large one, framed like a portrait

elf

I'll have my brother do it; he's amazing at

didn't bother to call out

was quite

Mr. Malicious, huh? It's been days since he's come

miss him. So what? Is it a