Darien

It's the busiest day in Aubreys Bakery since the shenanigans started. Everyone in the neighborhood thought the bakery would have closed by now, but since Silver is merciful enough to leave it standing till now they decided to continue buying till the day the bakery finally closes.

Jem had a lot of customers seated in the bakery, others were lined up in front of the counter trying to decide what to buy.

Baking for her customers is one of her favorite things to do and she used to do it enthusiastically. But today she looked bored.

She had to fake her signature smile not to make her customers feel unwelcomed.

After attending to the last badge of customers she noticed the front door open then Darien walked in with two blonde girls.

She wasn't familiar with their faces so assumed they are not from around here.

Her face lit up when their eyes met. She waved at him grinning sheepishly. He waved back and then helped his friends to a table before going to meet Jem.

"Hey," He leaned on the counter.

"Hi,"

The way his eyes bore into hers made her feel weird. She had to start blinking to be able to drift her gaze away from him.

"Where are all the others?" His eyes scanned the room filled with satisfied customers.

"Daisy will be here soon to help me out,"

"What about Victor and June?"

"Dad had to let them go,"

Darien nodded. It's been a while since he came here. Not much has changed, except there are now more seats for customers than they were when he worked here.

It used to be him and Jared who assisted Aubrey in serving customers. He was in charge of the coffee maker machine while Jared sell other bakery items.

"This place gives me Deja Vu." He sighed then turned to look at her.

"I told my friends about your famous ice cream sandwich,"

Jem smiled. "Even your order hasn't changed."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Some things don't change, I guess."

Their eyes were fixed on each other for a moment. Darien is one of her oldest friends. He was already a family friend long before she was born.

She grew to see him as her older brother. But things changed over the years.

Ever since Jared passed away they both grew apart until they stopped talking. It's the first time he stepped his feet on Aubrey's bakery in two years. The last time he came was when Aubrey died.

He had to attend Aubrey's wake which was held here in the bakery. Since then he hasn't shown up here not even to say hi.

"What happened to us, Darien," Jem said drawing his attention back to earth.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we used to be good friends but I feel like it's not the same." She lowered her gaze while Darien stared at her searchingly.

"It isn't Jem. So many things broke when..." He paused to hold back the growing emotion inside him.

Jared is his first love and best friend. Losing him was the worst thing that has ever happened to him.

"...when Jared died. We just have to pick up the broken pieces... You can't fix what's broken you know. We can only put the chunks back together." He let out a heavy sigh.

"What about you?" Jem might annoy him a lot now but he still cares for her. She is still his little sister, and he promised Jared to be there for her, regardless of their differences.

"Jared is my brother," a tear crawled down her flushed cheek which she wiped immediately. Losing her big brother like that is one of the reasons she has never gotten behind the steering wheel. It's the same reason she never got her driver's license.

"You don't have to talk about it. I just want to know how you've been holding up, I know we've never really talked about it since it happened then your mom happened."

She nodded smiling. Thinking about her brother and mother stirs up a lot of forgotten emotions. But if she was able to get over attending both their funerals, she can handle anything.

"Now it's you and Silver, your life has been one drama after the next." He chuckled.

She shrugged her shoulder. "The story of my life I guess."

"You don't seem to be excited about it."

"Why should I?"

"I don't know, 'cause you love him."

"Well, I would be if he wants to talk to me about our wedding or anything at all."

"He's not talking to you?"

She was a bit startled that Darien wanted to hear more about her relationship with Silver.

"I told him I love him, then he stopped talking to me." She blushed as she admitted it to Darien. It's the first time she had ever fessed up to a guy first and he knows that.

He raised his brows, "Wow!" He pulled a stool nearby and sat on it. Then leaned on the counter with a cheek-scrunched-up toothy smile.

He has known Jem since she was a child, she has never professed love to a guy first. She only comes clean when the boy makes the first move.

"And he said nothing?" She said with a hint of gloom in her voice.

She bit her lower lip feeling so embarrassed. Her body was flushed thinking about how her conversation went with him that night.

"He's not even taking my calls anymore."

"Well, what did you do?"

Her nose and forehead were suddenly scrunched and one of her eyebrows was half-cocked.

He figured she didn't know what he was pointing at.

He rolled his eyes groaning. "You just told a man you love him without thinking twice if he is going to say it back. That's balls girlfriend." He hits his fist on the counter startling her a bit.

"What did Finn do after sending several letters to cherry?"

"I don't know what."

"He went to her house sat by her window and sang her favorite song to her."

"What movie are we talking about again?."

"Go to him you dummy, you have to tell him to his face to see how he'd react."

"But... I don't want to sound desperate."

"It's better to know what he thinks of you than sit here like a pile of nothing."

"I can't leave and just go to him,"

"Blockhead, go now I'll take care of things till Daisy arrives."

"But..."

"No buts, you need to see him today. But first my ice cream sandwich." He raised his index finger when he thought back to his sandwich. They both burst into laughter.

"Sure. I'll get you your ice cream sandwich."

"Do you remember the way I like it?"

"Don't tell me what to do." She smoothed a smirk at him before leaving through the door behind her.

Darien shook his head chuckling. She still looks adorable despite trying to look mischievous.