Dear Mr. Pessimist {Completed}

~10~ Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backwards

When I walked into Doughboy the next morning, I found Bennett passed out in one of the booths, laying on a duffel bag.

He didn't look like he was taking a nap or anything like that, he looked comfortable. Almost as if he had slept here all night, possibly all weekend.

"Bennett?" I whispered, poking him with a menu. He rolled over, turning away from me.

"Go away." He grumbled.

"It's Monday, Bennett. And we open in about an hour." I saw his bare shoulders tense at the news. After a second he sighed and forced himself up, immediately glaring at me.

"Have you thought about my proposal?" He asked, his eyes not softening even a little bit.

"No." I answered, turning around and walking back toward the counter, "I was busy all weekend, didn't get a chance."

"You mean you were too busy sticking your tongue down Tristan's throat, right?" I rolled my eyes at the comment, reaching for my apron on the coat rack.

"Don't avoid it, that's where you were, wasn't it?" I shrugged, tying the apron around my waist and whirling back around to face him.

"What's it to you if I was? Tristan and I are both adults, he doesn't need your permission to date me, you know." He snorted, standing up. I couldn't stop my eyes from falling on his biceps.

He wasn't huge, not by any means. He didn't have a six pack, I'm sure, but he had enough muscle to get him by, to fight with.

"Considering his taste in women, I'd say otherwise." He snapped back, stretching his arms over his head.

"From what I've heard, you don't have a great taste in women either." I replied, leaning back against the counter. It took me a second to realize what exactly that meant about me.

If they were both trying to ask me out, pretend or not, and both had a bad taste in women, what did that say about me?

"Obviously not. Look at me begging you of all people to pretend to be my girlfriend." He shot back, swinging the duffel bag over his shoulder and heading toward the back of the store before I could get a word out.

I stared at the door blankly for a second, my hands reaching for the pen a few feet away to write down the sticky note of the day, shaking my head slowly.

**

Tristan showed up to take over Bennett's shift around two, a heart shaped box in his hands.

"Hey." He said, jumping over the counter and joining me on the other side. I smiled, gesturing toward the chocolates.

"You do realize we work in a bakery, right?" I joked. He nodded, setting them down on the counter in between us.

"Yeah, but I thought you could use something without yeast in it." I snorted, covering my mouth once it came out. Tristan nudged me, opening the heart shaped box.

"Chocolate raspberry kind of girl, I take it?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow as he picked the piece of the box. I nodded, taking it from him and taking a bite out of it. I moaned after a second, shutting my eyes.

"This is amazing." I said, "Much better and less complicated then sex." I felt Tristan start laughing beside me, his arm brushing against mine.

"I'd agree, but I'm sure I could change your mind." My cheeks went up in flames as Bennett stalked back into the room, shoving a new sheet of cupcakes into the display case. He seemed to take in our expressions when he turned around, his eyes narrowed.

"What? Why are you so red?" He looked back and forth between the two of us, before letting his eyes rest on Tristan, "What are you doing here? I thought you had to a doctor's appointment." It was my turn to watch the boys interaction out of the corner of my eye, the tension growing in the room.

"I wanted to drop these off for Syd. I was about to leave." Tristan pushed the chocolates closer to me before hopping over the counter again, leaning over it so he was only a few inches from me.

"You still up for me picking you up at eight?" He questioned, stealing a chocolate out of my hands.

"Yeah. Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to try.

"Nope, just make sure to bring a bathing suit." With that, he leaned closer and kissed my cheek, avoiding the disgusted look Bennett was giving us.

"So you two are dating?" Bennett asked once the bell signaling Tristan was gone rang. I shrugged, staring down at my half full box of chocolates.

"Not officially. We're just. . . trying it out, I guess. Why do you care so much?" I lifted my eyebrows, genuinely curious on why he had been questioning Tristan and me dating all day.

"I don't, really. You still haven't answered me. Are you going to help me or not?" He growled, obviously getting irritated by the questions I was asking.

"I said I'd think about it, Bennett." I sighed, glancing up at the clock on the wall, "But I can promise you that if I said yes, it would be because I want to help you. Not because of your stupid response of actually reading my notes." He mumbled something under his breath as a familiar girl walked through the front door.

I had known Jessica my whole life, but I hadn't ever seen her sobbing before, nor had I ever seen her covered in blood.

"Jess? Hey, are you okay?" I slid past Bennett and jogged toward my best friend in front of the door. She was whimpering, her bloody hands outstretched, as if she were trying to reach for me.

"Jessie?" I whispered, grabbing her shoulders, "What happened?" She was shaking her head again, her face buried against my own shoulder.

"Kyle." She said, barely audible. "Syd, Kyle's in the hospital."

***AN***

I know, I know. A super short chapter. 

I promise the next will be better and longer.

Let me know what you thought!

~ChasingMadness24