AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She puts her arms around me. “No, you wouldn’t.”
I lean my head to hers. “No,” I agree, “but I’d want to.”
She laughs.
“So what do I do?”
“Give him time to sort through his feelings. He was pretty torn up about Jonathan’s reaction. I don’t think he knew how much he cared about Jonathan’s opinion until he saw how upset he was.”
“So I just sit and wait?”
“Not forever. Just long enough to give him time to process how he feels. He’s having a whole paradigm shift going on right now.”
“What am I supposed to do while I wait? I’m not exactly the most patient person.”
“Except when it comes to Mark.” She gives me a nudge. “You’ve had feelings for him for too many years to give up on him now. Not right when he’s starting to have them back.”
I roll my eyes. “Can we please talk about something else? Anything else?”
“Have you heard about the surprise baby shower Belinda is planning for herself?”
“No!” Not that I’m surprised.
We spend the rest of the morning talking about how Belinda refused the baby shower my mother offered to throw her, stating that she and her mother were planning a shower and that Mom’s help was not needed.
It’s a further reminder of how after my last—and only—serious relationship, I vowed that I would only ever date someone that got along with my family. With a family as close-knit as ours, it’s difficult having someone who doesn’t want to be a part of the craziness. There are a lot of us, and we are always in each other’s business. It’s just the nature of large families. This is also a reminder of how if I did date Mark, it would be public knowledge very quickly and hardly private. There would be no hiding it, not that I would want to.
So, if, and it is a really big if at this point, Mark and I did date, we would have to tell our families early on. If word got out that we were together and hadn’t told anyone, it would make for a much bigger deal. Not that any of this matters if Mark isn’t interested. And based on that last text message, I’m not sure he is anymore.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes lately but the decision to stay home wasn’t one of them. After coming home from Danny and Ashleigh’s, I tried to go through some manuscripts I’ve been meaning to get through, but I couldn’t concentrate for more than a few sentences. I tried binge-watching shows I haven’t had time to watch, but it was useless. Everything Ashleigh told me today keeps swimming through my mind. Mark’s never felt for anyone like he feels for me? He was miserable. I don’t want him to feel miserable. I don’t want to feel miserable. I know she said I should give him time, but I can’t just sit here waiting for who knows how long. I need to do something. I have to do something. Anything.
I groan as I fall onto my bed and let out a good long scream into my pillow. Not knowing what else to do with all this pent-up energy I head to the kitchen. I open up all the cabinets and the pantry door and just stare. I have no idea what I’m going to make. I just need to create something. I need some sort of control over my current situation.
I start pulling ingredients. Two dozen cupcakes, six batches of cookies, three loaves of bread, and a casserole in the oven later, Kiersten and Tori come home to find me, and our kitchen, covered in flour and sugar.
“You lasted longer than I thought you would, I’ll give you that,” Tori says, inspecting the cookies before deciding which one to eat first. “What kinds did you make during this round of stress baking?”
“I’m not stress baking!” I snap. “Mint chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, pecan turtle, cookies and cream, s’mores, and a new Hawaiian flavor that I’m not sure about.”
“If you made it then it’s good.” Kiersten comes up behind giving me a hug. I sigh, and the tears start all over again.
“Millie, what’s wrong?”
“I’m just so tired.”
“Mark?”
“Of course, it’s Mark!” Tori’s mouth is stuffed to the brim with a cookie, and she swallows with a big gulp. “You know the only time she mega-bakes is when she’s upset over a man.”
“Hey! Not true!”
“It is too! You first created this recipe after things with D-bag Denham blew up,” Tori argues.
“Shh! We don’t speak that name! It’s like Beetlejuice, or worse, Voldemort!” Kiersten hisses at Tori. I’m not sure if Kiersten’s goal was to make me laugh, but at least I’m not crying anymore.
“Okay, so I’ve been known to stress bake in the past, but it doesn’t mean that’s what I’m doing now,” I protest.
Tori and Kiersten just stare at me and then the countertop bakery that I’ve created.
