The Art of Knowing [Completed]

18. • rouge •

[to all who radiate happiness and love, lighting up everyone else's life without even realizing it.]

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"So, do you like scones?" Betsy pressed. The vivacious elder remained near the table with her infamous unrelenting presence as she held onto the tray with her hand, raising her thin brows towards Ryan.

"Love 'em," Ryan reciprocated with ease, and luckily for him, it was the perfect answer for Betsy. Cassandra loved scones and rarely left the diner without one, which would surely compliment this new suitor's choice in pastries whenever they visited the diner in the future. The elder could see Cassandra's skittish behavior towards the rather forward questions she had for the young man. Nevertheless, she didn't bother in lowering the intensity of the interrogation.

"Marvelous." Betsy beamed with immense happiness, making Ryan smile in return. He chuckled a bit at the older woman's personality but he was refreshed by it, nonetheless.

"Why is that important?" he chuckled, the steaming hot coffee cup just shy of his lips.

"Cassy loves them, too." Betsy nudged with a suggestive lift of her brows. "I'd like to think couples should share the same interests, don't you think?" Cassandra couldn't have felt more mortified than at that moment, all while Emilia tried hard to suppress her laughter.

"Okay, Bets. I think you need to tend to customers now," the young artist spoke immediately, her emerald eyes widening a bit towards Betsy. The embarrassment was nearly palpable.

"Oh, don't mind her. She's a bit shy about these things," Betsy continued with Ryan, tapping his shoulder with ease and familiarity.

"Yeah, I've noticed. Cute though, right?" Ryan mused, a sudden smirk tugging on his lips towards the young brunette's mortified expression. Everyone seemed to be smiling except her, and that included the other blonde sitting across from them. He could see sudden color flourishing on Cassandra's rouged cheeks. It was evident the reaction was rather amusing for him.

"Well, I should go ahead and leave you kids alone," Betsy chuckled with certain pride, "don't hesitate to ask for a refill, Ryan. It's on the house."

They watched as the elder waltzed over to more tables in a graceful manner and a bit proud of her brazen remarks, clearly just for the sake of making Cassandra a bit more self conscious about the wonderful situation. It was only when Betsy left that true silence engulfed the table. Despite the quiet moment, Emilia's mind had been racing as she watched the two in front of her, noticing the same wardrobe that adorned their physiques- which were in fact an exact match to the outfits she had seen on them in her impromptu dream of Cassandra almost a month ago. She felt herself smiling like a fool while staring at them, Cassandra coyly shielding her face as Ryan teased her. She was indeed living in one of her snippets at that moment.

"I like her," Ryan declared with smug smirk.

"Yeah, she's a real peach." The words held a sliver of sarcasm as they escaped Cassandra's lips. She loved Betsy to death, but it was easy to see she was quite involved when it came to anything her little Picasso was going through.

"Definitely," he added with a quick sip of his coffee. Regardless of the quick chit chat, Emilia could see how elated Ryan was with Betsy's comment, and if there was one thing she was sure of, it was that he truly didn't mind it. Her eyes trailed to Cassandra with a bit of playfulness in them, in hopes the young artist would catch on to the sudden shift in attitude. It was only when she glanced at Ryan, that she could see a sheepish smile on his face as he averted his gaze away from her's. A clear sign he was just as smitten, Emilia thought, and at that moment she had no other choice but to use her coffee cup as a barrier for the ever growing smirk on her face.