Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Owen had left, and with him gone, Liz lost any interest in staying any longer.

"I'm heading home," she announced, dropping the bomb before turning on her heel, leaving Sammy in her wake.

Sammy stood there, perplexed, his mouth agape, wanting to catch up, to ask her what was wrong, maybe even offer to walk her home.

But then he remembered he was on duty tonight as the camp counselor. Liz could afford to follow her whims; he, however, was tethered to his responsibilities.

It was a frustrating realization. Despite being in a relationship, Sammy always felt like Liz was a world away, her thoughts and feelings a mystery to him. They hadn't even shared a kiss beyond holding hands, which only added to his sense of distance. Dropping his gaze to the ground, he let out a sigh.

Suddenly, he was jolted by someone crashing into him.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" Mamie exclaimed, balancing a plate in one hand with an assortment of pastries and a drink in the other, some of which had now spilled.

Quick to apologize, she looked genuinely concerned.

"It's alright," Sammy reassured her, offering her a napkin. "Here, you might want to clean up a bit. You've spilled some of your drink."

"Oh! Thanks!" Mamie realized both her hands were full, and an awkward smile spread across her face.

"Maybe I can hold the plate for you?" Sammy suggested, noticing her predicament.

"Would you? That'd be great!"

Once her hands were free, she wiped them clean. "I'm usually not this clumsy... sorry about that."

"It's not your fault. I was lost in thought and not paying attention to where I was going," Sammy confessed.

"To make it up to you, how about a pastry? Consider it an apology," Mamie offered, noticing Sammy eyeing the selection on the plate.

Among the treats were mango mousse, tiramisu, and a cheesecake slice.

"Sure," Sammy said, picking the cheesecake slice without hesitation, eliciting a pang of regret from Mamie.

"What's up?" Sammy found Mamie's expressive face intriguing and amusing.

"Nothing, it's just... that cheesecake is really good."

"You've tried it?"

"Yeah, three times."

"Your face said it all. You were hoping I wouldn't pick it, right?"

Mamie gave an embarrassed chuckle. "No, no, I just thought... not everyone likes cheesecake. I thought maybe you'd choose something else." That way, she could have kept it for herself!

Sammy laughed. "I love cheesecake, actually."

He hadn't had it in a while since Liz wasn't a fan, claiming it was too rich. Jen had sneakily shared a piece with him once, "our little secret, I won't tell Liz."

Recalling that Liz wouldn't be in the

lab today and they wouldn't see each other till tomorrow, Sammy figured the flavor would be gone by then. Last time he had something Liz didn't like, she gave him the cold shoulder for days. Since then, he'd avoided cheesecake entirely.

But today, he felt rebellious.

"This one's mine! Thanks!"

As he was about to leave, Mamie suddenly stopped him.

"Is that a charm from the hidden collection at Kim's Bakery?!" She had spotted a unique charm on Sammy's phone, one she'd been trying to find for ages - the elusive "Doughnut Charm."

Her excitement was palpable. Mamie had a bit of an obsession with collecting, and despite spending a fortune on blind boxes the "Doughnut Charm" remained out of her reach. It was a rare find, only available during special promotions atthe bakery, and luck had never been on her side.

Spotting Sammy's charm, she couldn't contain her excitement.