A.N: We almost reached 2.5K words with this one guys!! ENJOYYY~

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Daliah's POV

"One cinnamon butter croissant and a cold coffee with extra coffee for..." I rechecked the tiny notepad in my grasp. "Aria."

Dylan snapped his fingers, pushing away from the counter. "You got it."

The familiar hiss of the espresso machine and the buzzing murmur of customers created a comforting background hum as I moved around the cafe, taking one order after the other, body aching from the usual bruises and the exhaustion of trying to keep everything together.

My eyes darted to the dark form lounging on the table beside the window, a pair of crutches leaning on the wall beside him. Yup, Enzo was here again, and I have decided to make peace with the fact and temporarily put a lid on the suspicion bubbling in my mind with his name on it.

But I guess my existence had other plans for me today.

He seemed absorbed in something, his brow furrowed in concentration. And I couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity.

I finished taking a couple's order and made my way to the counter, discreetly peeking at the object of his attention on my way. He was holding a piece of paper.

The same one I had seen that day.

A sense of unease settled over me. What was so important about that paper?

While I was trying to strangle the exaggerated urge to grab his collar and question him until I'm satisfied...

"Daliah," A velvety voice called out.

The cafe was a noisy place, yet as soon as the person spoke, its as if everyone else's chatter was suppressed into hushed whispers for a second.

My eyes instinctively turned to look for its source, spotting Enzo gazing at me with a soft smile, beckoning me over with a flick of his index and middle fingers.

The brief, yet painful hush made me feel like I was being scrutinized by everyone, before it got drowned out as the conversations kicked up once more.

As I awkwardly walked over, I noticed his grip on the paper tighten slightly.

"Hey, Enzo," I greeted him, keeping my tone casual. "How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I could get one of those espressos you make so well." He replied and flashed me another smile, revealing a perfect set of pearly whites.

Before I could reply, he glanced down at his wristwatch and spoke again, "Ah, it is time for your break now, no?"

I checked the wall clock before nodding in confused confirmation.

How does he know my break timings? Was he by chance keeping track yesterday?

Enzo raised his left hand, waving it in the air. "Then, no worries. I do not mind waiting for my coffee. You have been running around the cafe for the past three hours. Get some rest, yes?"

"Oh...yeah, thanks." I mumbled, before hesitating.

Oh well waddya know, the opportunity presented itself.

"What are you working on? If you don't mind me asking..." I inquired about what was bugging me for days, feeling my anticipation growing by the second.

Enzo glanced at the paper and then back at me. "Oh, this? It's just a list of potential employees for the cafe I run."

There was a peculiar glint in his eyes as he said that, which disappeared before I could think too much about it. About what he said though...

"You run a cafe?" I asked, genuinely curious now.

"Yes," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "Recently, several of the staff members had to be k- fired due to ethical issues. That's why I'm looking for more people to hire. It's a small place though, nothing fancy."

I nodded, feeling my earlier wariness melt away. "That sounds like quite the responsibility. How long have you been running it?"

"A few years now," Enzo replied smoothly, folding the paper and tucking it into his jeans. "It's been...a journey. And you? How did you end up working here?"

"Well," I began, a bit thrown by the shift in conversation but welcoming it nonetheless, "I needed a job and this place was hiring. Plus, I enjoy the atmosphere."

"It's a nice place," he agreed, glancing around. "Cozy."

"Yeah, it is," I said, smiling.

Just then, a woman's scream sounded, abruptly cut off by a deafening crack that echoed throughout the area.

My head snapped towards the source of the blast, spotting two men with black ski masks over their faces.

One of them had his arm stretched out above him. A black object was held in his hand.

I stiffened, recognizing the type instantly – they were trouble. Major trouble.

The relatively relaxed posture and seasoned way they gripped the gun seemed to hint that this wasn't their first time.

The cafe was filled with terrified people scrambling towards a place to hide. Several screams rang out, each one silenced by a resounding gunshot.

I immediately grabbed Enzo's upper arm. His gazed shifted from the robbers to me. My fingers curled tighter around his bicep, and I silently signaled towards the back door not far from where we were sitting.

He nodded resolutely. We silently agreed to ditch the crutches. A strong arm wrapped around my neck.

My heart was beating wildly, but not because I was scared. This wasn't something major for me. But I also had Enzo now to take care of. The possibility of him getting hurt was what scared me.

We neared the door. Almost all his weight was leaning on me. I could feel him trying to ease off some of it but that's not really possible in his condition.

My hand was on the door knob and I twisted it open. The erratic thudding in my chest pulsed in my ears. Enzo was in the same condition. Though, his was probably because of the physical effort he had to exert.

Maybe that's why neither of us realized when the mayhem in the cafe was reduced to a suffocating silence charged with fear.

I glanced back once more before moving out. Enzo was halfway out the door. I saw Aiden, Dylan, Lisa, and a few part-timers on their knees with their hands behind their head. I saw one of the robbers dragging Caleb to the cashier's table with a gun to his head.

And I saw the other guy pointing his gun at someone.

At us.

I acted on instinct.

"Grab the pole!" I yelled at Enzo before giving him a hard shove outside just in time, as the shot rang out.

I bolted out after him, banging the door shut after me. A fleetingly icy sensation brushed past my arm. I rummaged in my pockets for the keys to the back door. Once the door was locked I whipped around and firmly wrapped one arm around Enzo's waist as he automatically put his over my shoulders.

He gave a soft grunt as my legs tried to take us towards where my motorcycle was parked as fast as possible.

Those thugs in there wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on anyone in there. What if Enzo was at the end of the barrel at any instance. What if he dies? No. It was too much of a risk to stay in there. My priority right now was to get him somewhere he's safe.

I felt guilty for leaving Dylan and everyone else behind. I felt guilty for pushing Enzo like this. But...what option was I left with? He's under my wing right now...kinda. So, his safety comes first. And this is for his safety.

"I know, I know it hurts." I spoke helplessly, "But we really need to go. Once we're on the road you're not going to be in danger anymore and we both can relax."

The arm around my neck tightened slightly. "It's fine." He gritted out.

I mentally applauded his strength and determination, adding one clap of gratitude for adjusting instead of blowing up on me.

Once we were both seated, I revved up the bike and we sped off.

Once we were a safe distance from the cafe, I slowed down to a stop on the side of the road and felt around in my pockets before groaning.

"Left my phone inside," I sighed, before turning my head back. "Do you have your phone?"

Enzo silently placed his unlocked phone on my palm and I quickly called 911.

○○○○ ◇ 911 what's your emergency?

>> ... ○○○○

The last two interactions with the police flashed in my mind and coiled up my common sense into a useless lump. My mouth opened and closed like an idiot.

I quietly passed the phone back to Enzo. "...Can you talk to th-them?"

The stutter...the GODDAMN STUTTER AGAIN.

He didn't move for a second before slowly taking it from my hand. I could see the burning question in his eyes.

○○○○ ◇ Hello? This is 911, what's your emergency?

>> Yes. I would like to report an armed break-in happening right now at Cottage Cafe.

◇ Okay. Can you tell me what you see and where you are inside the cafe?

>> I am outside the cafe with a friend right now. We managed to escape unharmed, however there are several who have been shot in front of us, and the rest are being held hostage by two men wearing all black and ski masks. They are demanding all the money from the register.

◇ Alright, could you please tell me your location?

>> Yes, of course. It is... ○○○○

He proceeded to inform the operator about the cafe's address and she asked for a few more details before hanging up.

"You okay?" He asked softly. I nodded in response with a blank face.

"They are asking to come to the police station for questioning," he sighed, "But, we don't have to go. They can probably find someone after rescuing everybody inside."

I shook my head and headed to the police station, which was really close from where we were right now. The several distant wails of approaching cops and ambulances eased my heart a bit, knowing that the people I abandoned inside weren't completely helpless anymore.

▪︎▪︎☆~☆▪︎▪︎ 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 ▪︎▪︎☆~☆▪︎▪︎

The buzzing and popping sound of mosquito-killing lights filled the room, mingling with the clatter of keyboards and the sharp ring of telephones. I walked past the walls lined with bulletin boards, that were cluttered with haphazard pictures and case updates. The A/C blasted cold air in my face, infused with the smell of stale coffee, printer ink, and antiseptics.

Enzo turned his head at the sound of my footsteps. His body was leaning against the wall with a newfound pair of crutches graciously provided by the officers, talking to someone on the phone. He tucked the phone in his pocket as I approached.

"Hey," he greeted and I nodded in acknowledgement.

"I just wanted to tell you before I leave. I hope you will be comfortable here," I said and he tilted his head.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to go back to the cafe. Everyone is most probably being questioned there while the paramedics deal with the injured people. I need to see if Dylan is okay."

His brow furrowed slightly at my answer.

"So you two are really close, huh? You care about him a lot," he spoke strangely.

I just gave an awkward hum, before turning around to leave.

But wait...what's this about?

As soon as I stepped away, a warm hand grabbed my upper arm, and a painful throb made me wince.

I pulled my arm out of his grasp, whipping around at the same time.

He quietly pulled his hand back, staring at his palm. It was soaked in blood.

A cold gaze travelled to the newfound wound on my upper arm, back to his palm and then to my face.

"You," he started in a chilling tone, "don't need to go check on anyone. What you need to do is go to the hospital and patch this up. You're lucky that bullet missed you."

I just stared dumbfounded at him.

He was angry.

Not on me but...for me.

It was a new feeling. It felt nice...

"I wish I could accompany you, but I'm afraid, I would just be a hindrance like this." he continued softly, "You're still bleeding after all this time. It's pretty deep."

Sharp honey eyes glared at his leg.

I was mentally floundering for something to say, faced with someone's concern. And, obviously, that kind of situation doesn't lead to the best of dialogues.

"That's what she said." I blurted randomly.

I slapped my palm over my mouth, feeling myself ready to fall over and die right here with the amount of embarrassment rushing to my face.

Enzo gave me a 'really?' look. Why the fuck was his face so funny?

I laughed out loud.

Yep, it's official. I'm off my rocker. A few fries short of a Happy Meal. Crazy. Whatever you wanna call it.

He just looked at me, baffled, which only made me laugh harder.

Then, he smiled, and I felt a sudden surge of...something.

I found myself grabbing his bloodstained hand and pulling up a tissue from the box beside us.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled softly, yet his hand was rigid.

Both of our laughter died down as I slowly wiped it, finishing off with some sanitizer.

I raised my head to find him already looking at me.

"Really, I...thank you for being worried." I began and he looked away.

"I'm not worried-"

"But this isn't that big of a deal." I interrupted, "I can clean the wound at home. Once I have talked to Dylan. I'll ask him to come pick you up from here, okay?"

Enzo didn't say anything, just nodded with an unreadable expression.

"See ya!" I grinned and he smiled again at me.

He's smiling a lot today.

"Take care, Daliah," he murmured, and the corners of my lips widened further.

I'm smiling a lot today as well.

Hm.

But as I made my way outside, I froze.

The two robbers who broke into our cafe were being escorted inside.

No, scratch that there was only one.

The black ski mask had been pulled off, revealing receding blonde hair and brown eyes that looked haunted. The short, stocky figure reminded me of the one who was threatening Caleb at the cash register on gunpoint.

What happened?

I approached one of the police officers with him. "Excuse me, sir. May I ask what happened to the other guy? There were two originally."

"Well, ma'am, I don't know if what happened was fortunate or unfortunate."

"What do you mean?" I probed.

"When we arrived at the scene of the break-in, the robbers had already escaped in their minivan. We gave chase, but they had a significant head start, and we were beginning to lose hope. However, just then, we spotted them—the van had overturned on the side of the road. Upon inspecting the wreck, we found only one of the robbers inside; the other had died in the crash. Further investigation revealed that their tires had been punctured during their escape, causing them to lose control and crash."

I was still processing the information when the officer excused himself and walked off.

My head involuntarily turned towards Enzo, wondering if I should tell him what happened.

He was still leaning on the wall, eyes locked on the blondie being dragged into a cell.

I sighed. Maybe it was better if he didn't know. After all, all's well that ends well, right? It wasn't that big of a deal, despite some of the details being questionable.

I gave him one last look before leaving.

And while he was steadily gazing at the man, one side of his lips tugged upward.

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