ONE

The warm sunlight was what greeted her the moment she woke up. The sky was bright and the house was quiet. For a moment, it was magical.

She closed her eyes for a bit, savoring the moment of peace and quiet. Her aunt has probably left the house early which means she will have the house for herself. She grinned at the idea. Today is her birthday and she figured she deserve some decent breakfast. 

Getting up from the bed, she fixed herself. After making the bed, she skipped down the stairs and found the kitchen empty. She grinned to herself. Her aunt has probably left early and gone somewhere. It was a good thing as she doesn't want to deal with her nagging early in the morning on her birthday. 

She opened the fridge and found that save for the spoilt box of milk, there was nothing else. 

"Well, I guess I will eat breakfast outside," she said to herself and went out. She works part-time at a diner a few blocks away while she studies at the university not so far away from her house too. Somehow, she didn't need to ask her aunt for money because she earns it herself. And it's not like her aunt gives her money, anyway. She had some money left by her parents when they died and she kept it somewhere safe, hidden from he aunt. She gives some to her and hides the rest of her money as her aunt has the habit of rummaging through her things looking for cash. 

"I don't have it. Paid it to the school," she had said before and it only earned her a bash to the head that bled. She had to skip some of her classes to get it checked. Thankfully, it wasn't serious. She knew she should leave her aunt and live somewhere else but where would she go? She doesn't have enough money to start living on her own. And besides, this is her house. If there's anyone who should leave, it's her aunt.

She doesn't know where her aunt is and she couldn't care less. If anything, she's more than grateful for her absence. She walked for a few minutes until she arrived at the diner where she worked at. 

There were a few people who came by for a coffee but as soon she got in, there were no other customers. It's still too early, anyway. 

"Hey, Gwen," greeted the man behind the counter the moment she walked in.

"Hey, Reid," she greeted back the moment she sat. Reid grinned at her and all of a sudden, he took out a box of something and handed it to her. 

Her brows quirked up as he looked at the box and at Reid who was still smiling widely at her. 

"Happy birthday," he said.

She stared at him and at the box before she broke into a smile. She wasn't expecting any present for her today and to think that someone remembered makes her heart swell with delight. 

"How did you know?" she asked as she opened the box. She gasped at the beautiful small cake inside it. Her name was written on top of it. 

"I know everybody's birthday here. What makes you think I would miss yours?" He smiled broadly at her and for a moment, she just wanted to cry at the gesture. 

Reid is her manager at the diner where she worked at. He's a ray of sunshine and the moment Gwen saw him for the very first time, she developed a massive crush on him. And when she discovered how kind-hearted Reid was, it made her crush on him even more. For someone like her who rarely experienced kindness from other people, she couldn't help but be thankful for people like Reid who's one of the few who cares for her. 

She took the cake out of the box and Reid took two plates and two spoons so they could eat it together. Reid carefully sliced the cake and gave it to her. 

"Thank you," she said and dug in. The moment she tasted the cake, her eyes shone with delight. She saw Reid getting excited at her reaction too. 

"I never knew you make cakes so good. I wish it is my birthday every day," she said as she continued to feed herself. 

Reid smiled and stared at her. She blinked and realized he had been quiet and as soon as their eye met, she could have sworn her stomach did a backflip. The look he's giving to her now--he knows that look very well. Because that's exactly how she would look every time she looks at him. 

She swallowed hard when she realized Reid's gaze went to her lips. Her insides did a backflip. Her heart ratcheted into a thunderous beat. She couldn't breathe as she saw how Reid licked the bottom of his lips while staring into hers. 

She wanted him to kiss her right there. And if he wouldn't, she was tempted to grab him and kiss him. But she was frozen in her seat as she saw Reid slowly leaning closer to her. Her mind went haywire. For a moment she doesn't know what to do. Her toes curled as he neared her. Then she could feel his warm breath on her face. He smelled of vanilla and flour and she closed her eyes as she waited for his lips on hers. 

The door opened with a ding and she jumped on her seat. She straightened her posture while Reid was still leaning into her, turning his head to the side to look at the door. It was as if he didn't mind getting caught while kissing someone. Her cheeks flustered at the thought. 

I almost kissed him! He almost kissed me. We almost kissed! She remained frozen in her seat when she so badly want to scream.

She shot a look at the door and saw Maddie, another part-timer, and also one of her closest friends. Maddie rose her brows as she looked at her and then narrowed her eyes when she looked at Reid who was now far away from the counter. Far from her. Thank god. 

Maddie knows how she's feeling towards Reid so she already knows that Maddie already has an idea of what happened earlier. She's been the person she tells about it not because she wanted to talk about it to anyone. It was because Maddie knew even when she did not tell her about it. Maddie was the one who told her what she looks like every time she looks at Reid.

"You look like you wanted to grab him and kiss him in the corner," Maddie had said and she flushed at the idea she placed in her head. Kissing in the corner of the cafe...

"That's wild," she said. 

"Exactly." Maddie tapped her cheek. 

She cleared her throat as Maddie walked closer, bringing a paper bag. She was giving her a suspicious look but she couldn't mistake the grin she tries to hide. She could almost hear what Maddie wants to say. 

Tell me what happened. You have to tell me what happened. She doesn't know how to tell her what happened because she's not sure what happened, either. It could be just her imagination.

Snap out of it, Gwen. He was clearly trying to kiss you. 

Her eyes glanced in Reid's direction and he was wiping the glasses and plates as if nothing happened. He was smiling at Maddie--the usual smile he had every time he greets them. Now the idea of pulling him into a corner sounded so good as she saw that innocent smile he flashes. 

"Hey, Maddie," he greeted. 

Maddie sat beside her and took a spoon before taking a piece of the cake. 

"You never made me a cake on my birthday," she complained. She raised her brows as she looked at Reid who scratched the back of his neck, getting embarrassed at Maddie's sudden revelation.

Oh god. Does this mean he only made a cake for me? He only said he does it to everyone so it wouldn't become too obvious, is that it?

Then Maddie gasped deliberately and looked in her direction. Then she gave Reid another look before she said, "Is there something going on between the two of you?" 

"Maddie!" she exclaimed and looked at Reid. He doesn't know how she feels about it and if Maddie continues, Reid will know about her feelings for sure?

"Reid? Are you dating my friend?" Maddie said again and she wanted to sink to the ground. 

Reid was silent for a moment and she could feel her heart hammering inside her chest. She gave Maddie a warning look and pinched her arm secretly but Maddie doesn't seem to want to back down. 

What if he says he doesn't feel that way towards me? How on earth am I going to react to that? 

But she was surprised to hear what Reid said next, "Actually, I was just about to ask her out if you hadn't arrived." 

Maddie's gasp was exaggeratedly loud but she didn't care about it anymore. She was looking at Reid wide-eyed. He was looking at her, giving her that dashing smile that made her crush on him. 

"Dinner, later? I'll cook," Reid said and she blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. 

She could hear Maddie screaming in delight while she was just staring at Reid. He just invited her to dinner and the best part, he's going to cook. Which means they'll be in his apartment. It won't be the first time that she's been in his apartment. They often go there or to the diner when they celebrate something. But going there on a date...

Maddie leaned in and whispered to her ear, "Remember that new set of lingerie we bought the last time? Wear that tonight." 

She gave Maddie an incredulous stare but before she could even react, Maddie handed her the paper bag she was carrying earlier. 

"Happy birthday, Gwen." Maddie kissed both her cheeks and walked d to the door. Leaving her and Reid alone. 

She gave Reid an awkward smile. 

"What did she say to you?" he asked. 

Heat instantly tainted her cheeks as she remembered what Maddie said to her. 

"N--Nothing," she said. "I will see you later, Reid." 

"I'll pick you up by seven, is that good?" 

She nodded, biting her lower lip, trying to contain her smile. 

"That's perfect." 

She remembered thinking it was the best birthday she ever had. But she never expected how a perfect day could turn so wrong in so many ways when instead of Reid, someone else was at her door.