Innocent cravings

Chapter 11 – Lines Crossed

Alice's POV

The clatter of plates and the steady hum of voices usually drowned out my thoughts, but not tonight. I could still hear my own pulse thundering in my ears, loud and heavy, as if the whole diner could hear it too. My hands shook when I picked up another order slip, and I had to squeeze the pen tighter to steady my writing.

Brian's face kept flashing in my mind,the way he'd stepped between me and humiliation earlier, calm but unmovable, his voice sharp enough to cut through the laughter that had been aimed at me. I should have been angry at him for interfering. I should have hated that he saw me at my lowest, treated like I was nothing but a joke.

But instead, all I could think about was how his eyes looked when they locked on mine. Protective. Dangerous. As if I mattered to him in a way I had no business mattering.

I wiped my palms on my apron and forced myself to focus. Orders. Tables. Smiling even when I wanted to curl into myself and hide. It was routine, and routine was safe.

Except routine cracked the moment the bell over the door chimed again.

I didn't have to look up. I knew. My body knew before my brain caught up.

Brian.

He wasn't supposed to be here. Not after everything. Not after standing in front of me earlier like some kind of savior. His world didn't belong in mine, and yet here he was-towering in the doorway, shoulders squared in that expensive suit, eyes scanning the diner until they landed on me.

And stayed.

My breath hitched. I forced myself to keep walking, to deliver the plate of fries in my hand as if nothing was different. But everything was. The air thickened. My legs felt too heavy, my chest too tight.

"Hey, Alice."

His voice was smooth, low, meant just for me even though the diner was crowded. I turned slowly, clutching the empty tray against my chest.

"You shouldn't be here," I whispered, trying to sound steady but failing miserably.

He smiled faintly, not his usual practiced smile-the one I'd seen him use on others. This one was softer, almost hesitant. "Maybe not. But I wanted to check on you."

Check on me. The words burrowed deep, making my throat ache. Nobody checked on me. Not like this.

"You don't have to," I said quickly, trying to build walls with words even as I felt them crumbling. "I'm fine. I always am."

His gaze lingered on me for a long moment before he finally nodded, but there was something unspoken in his eyes. Something that said he didn't believe me. Something that said he wasn't walking away just yet.

And I hated how much a part of me didn't want him to.

Clarissa's POV

If there was one thing I couldn't stand, it was being overlooked. And lately, that was exactly what had been happening.

Brian was mine. Everyone knew it. Our families had planned it, woven it into dinner conversations and future deals for years. We were supposed to be perfect,a picture of wealth, beauty, and power tied together in one flawless package.

So why did it feel like his attention kept slipping away?

I'd seen the way his eyes trailed after that girl on campus. Alice. A nobody. A diner waitress pretending she belonged among us. It was laughable. Infuriating. Unacceptable.

I sat in my room, the soft glow of the chandelier reflecting off the glass of wine in my hand, and replayed every detail. Her awkwardness. Her cheap clothes. The way Brian had looked at her as if she was worth his time.

No. She wasn't.

I'd worked too hard, perfected myself too thoroughly to let some nobody ruin everything.

"Clarissa, darling," my mother's voice called from the hall before she appeared in the doorway, elegant as always. "The Carters will expect you at dinner tomorrow night. Wear something bold. We need to remind them why this arrangement is beneficial."

"I know," I replied, plastering on a smile.

But underneath that smile, a storm brewed.

If Alice thought she could even glance Brian's way without consequences, she was sorely mistaken.

Brian's POV

The office was quiet long after everyone else had gone home. Papers were stacked neatly on my desk, contracts waiting for signatures, but none of it held my attention. My tie was loose, my sleeves rolled up, but the weight of responsibility still pressed on my shoulders.

Numbers. Meetings. Deals. They all blurred together into a gray haze.

And behind it all, Alice's face kept pushing through.

I leaned back in my chair, dragging a hand down my face. What was wrong with me? She wasn't supposed to matter. She wasn't supposed to occupy my thoughts like this.

But she did.

Every glance, every word, every flash of defiance in her eyes-burned into me.

The knock on my office door startled me. My father stepped in, sharp as ever in his tailored suit. "You'll be at the dinner tomorrow night," he said, not asking but stating. "The Richardsons are expecting you and Clarissa. We'll finalize the sponsorship agreement afterward."

I nodded automatically, though my chest tightened. "Of course."

He studied me for a moment, his gaze narrowing. "Don't lose focus, Brian. Our family's reputation depends on this. On you."

When he left, the silence returned, but it wasn't empty anymore. It was suffocating.

I stared at the city lights outside my window, wondering how I was supposed to keep living in two worlds-one that demanded perfection and one that made me feel alive.

Alice didn't belong in my world. I knew that.

But for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted my world without her in it.