Page 58 of Strawberry Kisses

“No…” Aaron sounded like I’d caught him off guard, which was odd because, well, he’d never reacted that way. “He’s in later, but I’ve hardly seen him this week.”

That was… odd. I frowned as Aaron turned away. Had something happened while I’d been at my parents’? I shook my head and followed him back towards the kitchen. Whatever was going on, I wasn’t going to get in the middle of it. Not until I had to.

I settled into my routine, finishing off my scones for the afternoon before getting the last few puddings sorted. The easy flow of work gave me something to focus on, allowing my mind to settle and my worries to drift away. Cooking was almost like a form of meditation for me. I could easily get lost in work and not think about whatever was bothering me.

By the time the lunch service had finished, and I’d thrown myself into the prep for afternoon tea, I’d hardly given my situation with Connor a second thought.

It wasn’t until much later, when I finally found ten minutes to myself and flopped into an old chair in the break room, that I finally checked my phone. There were a couple of messages from Connor, mostly just complaining about teaching or being hungry. Except for the last two messages he’d sent ten minutes before.

ConnorIt sucks you’re working a double today and I don’t get to see you =(

ConnorI really miss you <3

I stared at them, warmth and worry swirling in my heart.

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