Chapter 7

I always thought Braden would be with me forever. From a very young age, I knew that my older brother had problems, my parents would be more careful with him, he would have epileptic attacks and was just genuinely a quiet boy.

I took the role of being a good brother and a good son and I kept the house alive with my stupid ways. When he passed away in 2013 I was obviously devastated but there was a part of me that wasn't all that surprised.

Basketball was my passion and I never thought that I would be coming home to the news of my brothers passing. You could say I have never been quite the same. This year was the first year since his passing where I've gotten back to the sport.

I decided to walk my dog after having dinner at my parents, they were back from Thailand for a few weeks so this is the least that I could do.

I didn't expect to be walking out so late but after playing with Jonny in the park it was already dark out.

I passed this bakery near the university and obviously, the sight of all the cakes in the window was enough to get Braden barking like a mad man.

"Sorry, buddy, only for humans these ones" I already started to walk off but he was being very stubborn.

Mom will kill me if I even fed him more, there is a reason why I have to walk him, my dad feeds him way too much and he's practically obese by now.

"wait wait" I heard the sound of a little girl. I turned around and there she was a little girl standing with her hair in little pigtails and honestly, she was the cutest little thing ever.

Her big bold eyes weren't on me. but rather my chubby Labrador sitting next to me, his tongue wagging out.

" Can I stroke him?" she said quietly her arms fiddling with her red pleated skirt. I looked down at my dog. Why do you always have to get the girls man?

"Sky, sky where are you" another girl came out of the bakery. Her frantic eyes landed on us all outside. Braden was barking at her probably seeing how scared the little girl was.

Brilliant now were going to get complaints.

The girl walked closer, the closer you got the clearer it was to me that this wasn't any girl but rather a very attractive girl that I've already had the privilege of meeting.

She looks a lot different now in sweats and her hoodie covered in what looks like some flour, either that or it's a new style of clothing that I haven't been introduced too.

She noticed me instantly, she crossed her arms over her chest.

" You can't go running out of the store like that sky, not even for dogs," she said to the girl who looked slightly scared.

I can't exactly blame sky, Alexis is scary as fuck.

" sorry Lexy, please don't tell daddy, he will not let me come to the bakery tomorrow," she said quietly. Braden seemed to notice sky's sudden mood and went closer to her, pushing his snout against her tiny hand.

Real smooth there Braden.

Alexis huffed but she relaxed her harsh look. " nothing happened sky but don't do it again alright, not unless you know them" she said walking up to the girl and stroking her hair softly.

Alexis finally made eye contact with me " its cold out here, did you want to come in" I was surprised at her invitation I never thought she would invite me in.

One look at sky and I was walking into the bakery surprisingly with Braden behind me since I think that Sky would not be happy with me if I left him outside in the cold.

Cole looked ridiculous in this small bakery. He was just watching Sky play with his dog who I now knew as Braden.

I put a fresh batch inside the over. "You named your dog after your brother" it wasn't really a question more like a statement.

Cole whipped his head around to me. "Yeah, what else did the guys tell you. What star sign he was" he laughed it off, but I could tell that he was also annoyed.

"That was it trust me" I said. I busied myself with serving other customers. I didn't want to poke into his private business when were hardly even friends.

"so how come you're working in a bakery I won't even sugar coat it, but I never expected you to work in a bakery" Cole interrupted our silence.

Did he just.

I couldn't help it I burst out laughing. Even Cole had to smile at his own pun that he just made.

"I wasn't really looking for a job, but Sky's family needed some extra hands, so I didn't even have to think about it" I told him.

"Makes sense, maybe you are a nice girl after all" he comments. I glared at him for assuming the worst for me. Cole raised his hands up.

"just an opinion, no need to murder me with those eyes" I grinned, I've been told many times that my eyes are striking and when they are mad they tend to look crazy, but I guess it comes as an advantage more than anything else.

"you know, nobody will understand what you're going through with your family, but people will stop and listen. You don't want to keep it all inside Cole" I said after a few minutes. I could tell that Cole was getting ready to leave.

I could tell that he was keeping a lot of his feelings to himself and I get that he doesn't want people getting involved in his personal life but sometimes speaking to someone about it is a good idea.

"Alexis, people don't want to hear about my feelings they want to know how many Jagerbombs I can fit down my throat"

I turned to him; did he think that I would find that funny. "you think that but maybe that's because you surround yourself with idiots. Montana would want to listen" I actually didn't know that for sure but it's a wild guess.

"that's what you think" he replied.

I whipped my head around to him. What did he mean by that.