Page 25 of Sawyer

Maybe it would be better to just stay friends. Okay, friends who had kissed. But still, friends.

Right. It was about personal growth. About opening myself up to the possibility of trusting someone again.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

I let out a long breath, trying to clear the jumble of thoughts swirling in my mind.

Chris broke the silence. “You want to see him again, don’t you?” He grinned, already knowing the answer.

I hesitated. Did I really want to see Sawyer again? Yes. But a part of me was still holding back. "I... I don't know."

Chris gave me a playful nudge. "You do. Why don't you just go over to the bookstore and see if he's there? I can watch the shop for you,” Chris said.

I glanced at Lisa. She wasn’t as quick to jump on the idea. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice softer, more cautious.

She was worried—about me, about Sawyer, about how this could all turn out.

"I'll be fine," I said, even though I wasn’t entirely sure myself.

Chris chimed in again, more encouraging this time. "Come on, Casey. You haven’t really been going out much lately. This could be good for you."

Maybe he was right. Maybe seeing Sawyer again was what I needed, even if it was just to figure out where I stood.

I glanced around the secondhand bookstore as I stepped inside.

It was mostly empty, except for two people sitting by the counter seats at the window, chatting quietly.

An older woman stood behind the cashier near a small café section, offering a warm smile as I approached.

"One coffee, please," I said, slipping a few bills onto the counter.

I grabbed my cup and found a small table near the window, positioning myself where I could quietly observe the room.

I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but the conversation between the two by the window drifted over.

“So, Miles, who do you think this Casey is?” one of them, a guy with tousled blond hair, asked. His voice was just loud enough to catch my attention.

"No idea," the other, a dark-haired man with glasses—Miles—replied, glancing my way for a split second before continuing. "Sawyer's not saying anything, as usual. But you know who might know? Griffin."

My hand stilled over my coffee cup. They were talking about me.

"Griffin, huh? Yeah, he might know something," the blond guy chuckled.

I sipped my coffee, trying to keep my expression neutral, but my ears were definitely tuned in now.

Miles leaned back in his seat. "But Noah, are you okay with this?"

"With what?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Casey, Sawyer... the two of them, whatever's going on," Miles said, sounding hesitant.

There was a pause. I could feel the tension in the air as Noah considered the question.

"Yeah," Noah admitted after a moment. "I'm not interested in Sawyer like that anymore. It didn’t work out between us, so... it is what it is." He shrugged.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Before I could dwell on it any further, a familiar voice called out.

"Casey?"