" That All Sounds Amazing, " Nova Replies, Bright Smile. " There's Something About Fall That Just Makes

" that all sounds amazing, " nova replies, bright smile. " there's something about fall that just makes everything feel so cozy, don't you think ? " the darker nights, wrapping up warm, a greater sense of togetherness. it might just be one of her favourite times of the year. " you can't go wrong with banana bread, but those pumpkin-shaped cookies ? that’s such a good idea. do they come in different designs, or is it just the pumpkins ? because personally, i think little ghosts would be adorable. "

" doesn't it? " hadley smiled at the other. caffeine was honestly one of her daily essentials. at least one cup a day because she needed to be awake. especially when working slightly longer shifts at the bakery. a lot of the items were new things they were trying out and selling to hopefully get the fall vibe going more. " you got it. well. one of my co-workers has added apple fritters to the list, pumpkin pie, banana bread, pumpkin shaped cookies. i'm not sure if any of those spark your interest but i must say... they are SO good. " hadley felt the same way when it came to choosing a dessert. anything with apple or cinnamon and she was entirely sold.

she's glad that he sees the amusement in it, seems to take the edge off her own shoulders. her entire existence up until the age of twenty-one had been fully controlled, and it irks her deeply that, despite things being drastically different now, she still holds onto some old habits— like keeping herself pristine even though part of her longs to let go, just a little. " oh, no. no. it's sweet of you to offer, but trust me you do not want to teach me anything. i'm a notoriously difficult student and i will overtake. " a fatal flaw perhaps, that when it came to ability she'd show extreme competitiveness. carved into her from a young age, a deep-rooted need to always be perfect, the best. " maybe i can teach myself, just to say that i could. " glint in her eye is met with mirth, playful in her delivery.

a soft chuckle leaves him , tipping his head to the side as he gives her a playful look . " well , ain’t that somethin’ , " he drawls , his southern twang laced with amusement . " can’t say i’ve ever heard drownin’ bein’ better than messin’ up your hair , but i reckon your mama had her priorities . " he steps closer , his smile warm and easy . " tell ya what , darlin’ . we’ll keep that hair lookin’ pretty , and i’ll teach you how to swim . no need for embarrassment . ain’t nobody born knowin’ how to do it . " his voice softens , the teasing edge fading as he adds , " you just say the word , and i’ll be right there , keepin’ you safe . "

he shakes his head, anxiety still there like an invisible cloud surrounding him but he bounces on his feet, forces himself to believe it's magically gone. " nope, i'm officially stress-free. the stress i began to feel over caring for a plant seemed to evaporated all my other stress weirdly enough, so you know, when you think about it, this things still served some purpose in the hour it was in my life. " when alyssa agrees to take it, relief washes over him. he’s all too happy to hand it over, rid himself of it. “ well congratulations, alyssa, you’re now a plant mom to yet another one of these things and i am free. ” practically beaming now, can’t wait to go home and tell his dog all about it. “ let me know if you ever need a plant-sitter, i’ll help you find someone. ”

they do. it's true. all plants die eventually. and then you have to go out and buy yourself a new one. especially if you're not someone who really knows how to take care of them. " of course you're going to be fine. i have a pup too, so i get it. they're wayyyy tougher and a plant.. well.. it's a plant. you just have to give it some sunlight and water. how hard can that really be for you, you know? " she let out a laugh and a playful roll of her eyes while her tone was also kept teasingly. " way, way, easier. at least in my opinion, yes. " dogs usually always let you know whenever they happen to need anything at all. but with plants, it's not exactly as if it can bark and let you know what it needs. " you no longer have any stress? " she made a face as she looked at ace because she could see right through the expression clear as day on his face that he was indeed.... quite stressed out right about now. " you sure? because you seem like you are to me. " she paused before continuing to speak. " if you don't want it...i'll take it. we do have a few cute plants in my apartment. so, what's one more? "

ACE: i don't carry it much for this exact reason. i lose it, like ... a lot. ACE: okay maybe ONE cookie, let's not be too hasty. ACE: oh i know, i used focus mode to silence my phone from everyone but her. and my grandad. ACE: well, since we're on a number basis now i guess we're like semi-friends ... go us !

HADLEY: i didn't realize it was yours until you were entirely gone from the bakery or i would've said something sooner. HADLEY: yeah ... i was going to say i think you would want that back. HADLEY: no more cookies or any goodies for you, don't you worry. HADLEY: oh right! sorry. it's been a long day and i forgot to say that it's me, hadley. definitely not teddy lol

" okay, " singular word is dragged out, contemplation before her next words. noa has never had a one night stand in her entire life, and it's not that she thinks there's anything wring with them— there most definitely isn't. but growing up watching her parents be madly in love had made her very particular. " well, did he ask to see you again ? because if not i would probably be questioning his motives. "

"Well the amount of bouncers I've met who have actually done their jobs and kicked out handsy and rude guys is astounding. Mostly I have to go and tell them and hope they actually do something, but this one actually helped out instead of letting the guys do whatever the hell they wanted. And he's really hot. Like could be a Marvel superhero hot," she further explained, putting her lipstick back into her purse. "And he was sweet enough to offer to walk me to my car in case the guy stuck around, which isn't exactly in his job description."

“ don’t go giving me any big ideas celeste, i don’t have time to move. i only just perfected my closet which means i need to stay put for at least six months. ” though wouldn’t it be nice to have all the close friends within the same complex ? perhaps a one day. “ no, ” she’s quick to insist. understands where the other is coming from but she has such big expectations of how love is supposed to be it’s often difficult look past. “ i mean, don’t get me wrong, i love a good project, but . . . well i know he’s not my soulmate, because if he was i would find it endearing instead of absolutely horrifying, you know ? it’s less about the sandal-sock combo and more about how it made me feel. ” logic, apparently. most likely why she’s no closer to settling down. “ but enough about me, what about you ? fill me in on everything. i need to know all about the happenings in celeste james’ life. ”

"if we were neighbors it would make our lives so much easier," she mused, cozying into the couch and throwing a fuzzy blanket over her lap. "then, we could just alternate days and i would be able to just show up at your door when you don't text me back." because that was totally normal and made sense ( to celeste ). immersing herself in noa's story, she began picking at the snacks, nodding here and there as she listened. "i see the problem," the disgust was written all over her face. socks and sandals were practically a death sentence to celeste, let alone on a man. "but i mean, so what he's a little bit of a fixer upper ? aren't the best one's ?"