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The moment her father came back to the picture with Colin’s coffee, Aliana could immediately smell the tension thicken in the air. Although not a devoted Christian like her parents, the redhead chose to elevate a silent prayer asking for peace. Miraculously, her request was answered, because neither Shawn nor Colin chose to go beyond a glance at each other. When the older man finally left to go back to his own devices, Ali breathed out a sigh of relief. Crisis averted!

Ali watched as her big brother took a sip off his coffee, and grinned when she saw him wince. [color=crimson]“What? Too strong for ya, bud?”[/color] she teased, passing him some cream and sugar.

Colin decided to jest back in another approach. [color=00a86b]“Pretty sure Shawn and Caroline wouldn’t appreciate you using their lord’s name in vain,”[/color] he teased back, giving her a snarky smirk.

Aliana shrugged. [color=crimson]“Good think I'm agnostic then,"[/color] she replied just as snarkily, putting her elbow on the counter and resting her chin on her palm.

[color=00a86b]“You could always quit. You know they aren’t going to give this place up anytime soon.”[/color]

[color=crimson]“Yeah, I know.”[/color] Ali admitted, letting out a resigned sigh. 

[color=00a86b]”Maybe Zeke could help you get a position at the Java.”[/color]

Ali thought about it for a second. [color=crimson]“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,”[/color] she mused, but immediately shook her head. [color=crimson]“I doubt they’re hiring though: Zeke would have said something.”[/color] The young woman looked around for any sign of her parents before talking to Colin in a low voice. [color=crimson]“What gets to me is that they don’t seem to understand that one day they’re going to have no choice but to pass on the reigns. So why the fuck not take the chance that you have a daughter willing to learn the ins and outs for a smooth transition when the moment comes instead of pushing her away?”[/color]

Aliana’s conversation with Colin was interrupted by a newcomer. Olivia Horton -her boyfriend’s youngest sister- made her entrance to the pub: skateboard under one arm and her laptop in the other. [color=f06eaa]“Hey Ali, I have somethin’ to show you.”[/color] she declared as soon as she was within earshot.

Ali smirked, eyebrow raised. [color=crimson]“Oh, yeah? What is it?”[/color] she asked the girl. This could only go one or two ways: either Liv had some really juicy and enjoyable gossip about someone else that was too hot not to share... Or she had some really juicy and unenjoyable gossip about someone that meant something to her that was too hot not to share. She really hoped it was the former.

Without wasting any time, Liv placed her laptop on top of the counter, with the screen at an angle that was mostly facing Ali but enough that others close enough could see as well. On the screen was a candid photo of Elliot, which instantly cracked a smile on Aliana’s face. She’d always loved it when he got that adorably flustered expression on his handsome face. It reminded her of the first months of them dating, back when they had most of their ‘first times’. Eli would always get nervous whenever things started to get [i]heated[/i], thus ‘the face’ would make its appearance. 

But then the logical question popped up: what was the context for this photo?

Her question would be answered as soon as she pressed the right button arrow on the laptop. A sick feeling washed over Aliana, and she quickly wished she’d never asked herself anything in the first place. The sequence of photos showed nothing out of the ordinary to an onlooker: just a young man looking embarrassed after spilling coffee onto an innocent bystander. But to the trained eye of Ali, she could tell that her boyfriend look nervous and flustered… And the blonde in his company was staring at him as if she’d found the answer to all her nightly prayers for her Prince Charming.

[color=crimson]“What the-?[/color] she began to say, but was cut off by none other than Elliot himself storming into the pub, looking similar to an angry bull stomping towards the bullfighter. 

As soon as he was close enough, Eli forcefully slammed Olivia’s laptop. [color=#513857]“You! Outside... Now!”[/color] he shouted, his usually kind voice now shaking with anger, 

[color=crimson]“Jesus, Elliot, what’s gotten into you?!”[/color] Ali called out to the curly-haired man, scolding him at the way he grabbed his sister so forcefully to drag her outside. Frowning, she watched them argue through the glass windows of the pub’s double doors. If he indeed had nothing to hide, why was he making a scene? It was only making him look worse. She wished she could hear what was being said. 

Once Olivia was dragged back inside the pub, it was Ali’s turn to take action. Leaving her spot behind the bar, she grabbed Eli by the arm and dragged him to her office, her face a similar shade of red as her hair. So many emotions were going through her head right now: embarrassment, hurt, betrayal, disbelief… It was hard to pinpoint if one overpowered the other. With the door safely closed behind him and away from the prying eyes of what seemed half the town, Aliana finally turned to confront her boyfriend in the no-bullshit manner that characterized her.

[color=crimson]“You’ve got ten seconds to organize the thoughts in your head before you explain to me what the fuck was all that about.”[/color] the young woman declared, a deep scowl on her face, slender arms crossed in front of her chest.