Marked | ✔️

Part 7:Suspicious Partner

"Ugh, we're already working again!" Parker complains.

"Was two days off not enough for you?" Bex asks.

"Of course not!" He whines.

"Can you stop complaining? You may not need the money, but we do." Bex looks at Kristy. Parker glances at her then purses his lips.

"I'll go clean the rags." He goes to the back with a handful of brown rags. Yesterday was the last day of our 'work trip.' All we did was went hiking, went canoeing, went swimming, did yoga, and shared ideas on how to improve the shop. I still can't get Lavender's fiancé and his secretary out of my mind. She was very suspicious to me. It seemed as if she didn't like Lavender, and there was something going on between those two, but I can't pinpoint what it is. I also do not want to accuse them of something that's not true. I don't want to see Lavender cry again.

"What are you thinking about?" Kristy looks at me curiously.

"Oh, just some things."

"Like what?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because you're an interesting person, and I like you." I open my mouth to speak, but she raises her hand to my mouth. "FYI, I meant as a friend." She smiles.

"I actually don't want to talk about this, but I need other help if I'm going to find out if it's real."

"What is it?" she asks.

"You see, back when I was a teenager, there was this girl who I knew." If I'm going to tell her my situation, I'm not going to say the whole truth.

"Yeah?" Bex takes a seat next to me.

"Yeah. Whenever I saw her smile and be happy, I had this feeling in my heart. Like I was happy that she was happy, and when she was sad, it hurt me too. I asked my friend, Amber, about it, and she told me I was in love."

"Dude, you were," Parker joins our conversation.

"Well, she said it would've also been admiration," I remark.

"Maybe you just liked to see people happy," Bex comments.

"That's what Amber also said, but I didn't feel that way with other people," I state.

"I think she's right. You were in love, Jason," Kristy declares.

"B-But..."

"There's no denying it, dude." Parker pats my back.

"Where is she now?" Kristy asks.

"In the back..."

"What?" she asks. I realize my mistake and stand up abruptly.

"Is it Ms. Wes?" Bex asks, staring at me.

"N-no, I..."

"Don't lie. I saw you staring at her, and I saw what happened yesterday," she states.

"What happened yesterday?" Parker asks.

"It's not what you saw, Bex," I remark. "She was sad, and I lent her a shoulder to cry on. That's it."

"Then how do you explain you staring at her sometimes."

"Okay, that I can't deny."

"Jason, Ms. Wes has a fiancé. An attorney fiancé," Bex comments.

"I know! That's why I was never going to tell her," I remark.

"I think it's for the best," Kristy states. The bell rings, and a man comes in.