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Brian's lips curl. "I know. If it makes you feel better, he told Nick and I his entire life story. We thought he was messing with us when he revealed he'd played the piano most of his life."
My heart leaps. He opened up to his best friends!God, I'm proud of him.
"For our bulldozer to open up like that is a big step. You and Samantha are having a profound effect on him. Don't push him, Alisha. Let him experience the pain."
"What?"
Brian shrugs. "A person once told me she wished me pain."
Amanda and I raise our brows. Brian's comments while pointing to the confused expressions on our faces. "That was my first reaction, too. But what she meant to say with that is when our heart breaks, we then get a chance to grow and develop ourselves and our emotions."
I blink. How is it possible that this man who gives you the idea he's all fun and games gives such in-depth advice? Guess a whole other Brian Fox is hiding behind his player image.
"Okay, enough psychology for one day," he says. And with that, he disappeared behind the curtain leading to the office and kitchen area with his tool bag. I spin to Amanda, who is gazing at me.
"Shouldn't you go after him and show him the problem? I'll stay to help the customers."
Amanda nods. "Yeah, you're right."
I grin as I watch her hurry to the back of the store. It's clear they have feelings for each other. So why have they been running in circles for years? The doorbell rings, and two customers come in—time to work.
"Okay, done."Brian pops out of the back and walks into the store.
Amanda glances at her watch. "You've been here for over two hours. Don't you need to be at Six-Pack?"
"Oh." he shrugs. "My team has it under control—the place will survive."
"Thank you," Amanda says, sending him a bright smile.
"You’re welcome, Brownie."
Her cheeks flush as he touches her shoulder while passing her, but when he's midway through the store, he halts.
"Oh, shit. The witch is on the hunt."
"What?"
The doorbell rings, and my breath halts as Carmen Walker, followed by Jeremy, steps inside. Brian crosses his arms in front of his chest and raises a brow.
Carmen's hair is up in its usual bun, dressed in a cream a-line, silk-blend skirt, and button-up shirt. She looks sophisticated. She carefully treads her way through the store and stops two feet away from me. Jeremy shows his natural smile as he stands next to Carmen. I rub my hand over my arm as I wait for her to speak. Her hands clench and unclench, and when her eyes meet mine, I gaze into a sea of swirling emotions.
"Can I help you?" I open.
She blinks and sighs. "I'm sorry for coming here, but Cole hasn't answered my calls since..." She stops her sentence and glances at Amanda and Brian.
"Oh, we know what happened," Brian says while sending Carmen a stern stare.
Carmen's lips press together as she swallows.
"What are you doing here, Carmen?" I ask
"Could I talk with you in private?"
Brian coughs loud and shakes his head.
Carmen's eyes start to water, and when she speaks, there's a clear tremble in her voice. "Please, Alisha, let me explain a few things."
Damn, what am I supposed to do?I want to say no because Cole will be furious if he finds out his mom came here, and I talked to her. But when Samantha's teary face and Jessica's written words race through my brain, I'm torn.
