Henry arrived at the pub to meet with the Aerospace boys, he immediately noticed Alex's absence. "Alex's not here again?" he inquired with a hint of disappointment. Philip shook his head "He's trying to sort things out by distancing himself from Deliah and Sarah," he explained.
David chimed in "She was giving him the stink eye when he was trying to avoid her this afternoon," he whispered. "Alex better hurry up and make a decision before she starts to get suspicious."
Brad looked pensive "You know what I think? I think Alex is scared," he declared, his frown deepening as he bit his lip.
"Scared?" Steve repeated, incredulous. "Why would he be scared of Sarah? She's like a kitt*en!"
Joe laughed, "Yeah, I don't think Sarah is a threat to anyone."
But Brad shook his head, "No, it's not Sarah he's scared of. It's himself. He's afraid of hurting her."
The group exchanged puzzled glances, waiting for Brad to explain further. "I caught him staring at her with such longing in his eyes. He knows he feels something for her, but he's scared to act on it."
Brad paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "You see, he's been down this road before with Deliah. He's worried that what he feels for Sarah is just temporary, that it's just lust. And if he starts a relationship with her and realizes he doesn't truly love her, he'll end up hurting both sisters."
The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. "That's some serious sh*t right there," Henry murmured. "I'm glad I'm not in his shoes."
Steve frowned, "Can't we do anything to help?" Steve frowned.
Brad gave him a stern glance. "I thought we agreed to give him complete freedom to make his own choice. We already caused him so much trouble before. Look how he's suffering because of his relationship."
Joe suddenly stood up and grinned mischievously. "But what if we don't influence his decision?"
Philip was confused and blinked at Joe. "Then what's our plan?"
Joe's enigmatic smile grew wider as he looked at the Aerospace guys. "We're going to help him make up his mind faster."
**********
"Hey." Alex greeted his friends with a tired smile as he slumped onto the couch.
It was Saturday, and it had been six days since he started his "Avoid Johnson Sisters Project". Deliah didn't seem to notice anything was wrong, as she didn't usually spend a lot of time with Alex. But Sarah was starting to get suspicious.
She asked him what was wrong the day before, and Alex didn't know how to answer her without lying. He didn't want to lie, but how could he tell her the truth?
Gosh, I'm so confused. I know I have feelings for you, but I'm also afraid of hurting you if they're not enough.
Alex had been avoiding Sarah for almost a week now. But when they were finally forced to work together again, he couldn't help but feel drawn to her infectious enthusiasm. Her laughter made his heart skip a beat, and he found himself yearning to be closer to her.
It was such a stark contrast to his relationship with Deliah, where he had to force himself to show affection. With Sarah, he had to force himself to hold back.
All he wanted was to embrace her tightly, to kiss her gently on the forehead, to just be there with her in silence. But he knew the risks that came with acting on his desires, and it terrified him.
He would be a cheat again and again. He would hurt Deliah, and he would hurt Sarah in the process. DA*MN THIS SH*T.
As he sat there lost in thought, Alex couldn't help but long for Sarah's presence. Even when they were sitting next to each other, not speaking a word, he still missed her terribly. David and Steve watched Alex, both sensing his pain.
"He's positively suffering," David whispered to Steve, who nodded in agreement, his expression somber. David remained optimistic, suggesting they try Joe's plan to help Alex.
Brad, curious about Joe's plan, asked if he thought it would succeed. Henry, on the other hand, had little faith in Joe's abilities. "You think he can bake a perfect cupcake like Deliah did for Alex?" he scoffed. "He's going to fail terribly."
At the mention of Deliah's cupcakes, Alex's face fell. "Those cupcakes were actually made by Sarah," he admitted, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Deliah attempted to bake me another batch and informed me that the first time she made them, it was actually Sarah's doing," Alex explained.
"Wow," Philip commented quietly. "Sarah must be willing to do anything for her sister."
Alex nodded and let out a soft sigh. It was another reason to be concerned. What would happen if Sarah found out that her sister's boyfriend was in love with her?
"That stubborn girl," Alex muttered in frustration. "She doesn't care about herself at all when Deliah is involved. She once told me she would die for Deliah. Die," he emphasized, crushing his pillow. "She's so foolish," he grumbled.
"Hey, watch it. That's my pillow," Steve warned as he took the pillow from Alex's grasp and patted it.
Just then, Joe emerged from the kitchen wearing a Hello Kitty apron and holding a tray of freshly baked cupcakes. "Hey, guys! I'm here!" he announced.
David looked at the tray of cupcakes and was impressed. "Wow, Joe, you really outdid yourself."
Joe playfully flicked his hair and struck a pose. "Do you not recognize the greatness that stands before you?" he joked.
Philip inspected the cupcakes, looking a bit uncertain. "Um, are these safe to eat? I don't want to get poisoned or anything."
Brad chuckled. "Come on, Phil. Even if there was poison in them, Joe wouldn't tell us."
Brad bravely took a bite, and his face lit up with pleasure. "Wow, these are delicious! You've outdone yourself, Joe."
Proud of his baking skills, Joe handed Alex a cupcake with a mischievous grin. "Don't worry, no poison. This is Sarah's special recipe. She's a real Renaissance woman. She's probably at the Piano Academy right now, practicing her Beethoven."
Alex took a bite and savored the flavors. He knew. Of course he knew she was there.
"And I think Deliah's at cheerleading practice," he added. "She has extra cheerleading practice."
Alex eyed Joe. "Why are you telling me these?"
Joe gave an innocent shrug, his grin widening. "Just making sure you had no plans, my man," he teased before turning his attention to the other Aerospace boys. Alex let out a sigh, wishing Joe wouldn't always bring up Sarah. It's not like he wasn't already thinking about her constantly.
As he pondered about Sarah's piano lessons, Alex was suddenly jolted back to reality by Joe's panicked exclamation over the phone. "Sh*t Sarah? Is she alright!" Joe exclaimed. "What? She fainted? Is she going to be okay? Oh okay, okay, right. I'll tell him," Joe finished, hanging up the phone.
Alex looked at Joe with concern. "What happened? Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Sarah had a little accident during piano practice. I think she got a little heatstroke and she fainted," Joe explained, a hint of sadness in his voice.
Alex was caught off guard and his reaction was explosive. "WHAT?" he barked in shock. He didn't even bother with his jacket, turning on his heel and bolting out of the door without a second glance back. His thoughts were racing, and he cursed to himself repeatedly, "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!!!" Once he reached his car, he slammed the door shut and stepped on the accelerator with force.
Joe couldn't help but feel victorious as he grinned at the Aerospace boys. "Wow, I think my plan just worked," he said with satisfaction.
*******
Meanwhile, Alex's mind was still reeling as he sped up the steps. "Oh my god, oh my god. Sarah Johnson, don't you dare let anything happen to yourself. Sh*t, sh*t sh*t" He couldn't help repeating those words as he ran up to the seventh floor where the Piano Academy was located.
He burst through the doors of the reception, panting heavily, his heart racing with fear. "Excuse me, where's Sarah Johnson?" he gasped, eyes wild with worry. "Is she okay?"
The receptionist looked up, surprised by his sudden outburst. "Sarah Johnson?" she repeated. "She's in room 11-3, practicing-"
But before she could finish her sentence, he was already dashing down the corridor in search of her room. His mind was racing with terrible possibilities, imagining Sarah lying unconscious on the floor, surrounded by strangers. Finally, he reached room 11-3 and flung open the door without a second thought, not realizing how a beautiful melancholic piano piece was currently being played right from inside.
"Sarah!" Alex panted, his eyes squeezed shut, not daring to see her unconscious form.
Sarah's fingers danced across the ivory keys, lost in the music until a sudden disturbance made her halt. She swiveled around to find Alex at the door, gasping for air as if he had just sprinted a mile. "Alex James?" Sarah stood up, a perplexed expression etched on her face.
"What are you doing here?" Alex's eyes fluttered open, surprise etched on his face. "Thank God you're okay." he exclaimed, taking a step forward and gripping her shoulders tightly. "You're okay." he repeated, his relief palpable. Sarah's confusion grew, and she laughed uneasily. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" "But Joe said-" Alex's voice trailed off as realization dawned on him.
He didn't even remember taking the call, and Joe had orchestrated the entire thing. "He played me." Alex muttered to himself, his frustration building. "I can't believe it...he freaking played me! Da*mn it!" Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Alex? You're acting a bit strange."
A bright smile spread across Alex's face, and Sarah couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest. In one swift motion, his hands glided down her body and pulled her close. "I've never been better." he whispered, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers. And then he closed the gap, kissing her passionately as if the world had stopped spinning.