She abandoned her batter, which was now beaten to within an inch of its life. “You heard me.”
“All I heard was my niece, my only living relative, telling me I should get over my heartbreak already.”
“Good. Because there shouldn’t even be any heartbreak. Driving away was a stupid and impulsive decision. But now that you’ve had time to think about it, you should get over yourself and talk to him.”
I sputtered, putting the piping bag down. “He lives in LA. And I have no intention of moving there. His family hates me. Shall I go on?”
“He loves you. Always has. I knew it then, and I’m sure now. Stop finding reasons to sabotage the best thing—after me, of course—to ever happen to you. I thought I was the only child in this relationship, but seems like you’ve joined the crazy train. Welcome aboard.”
She had me there. And the little devil knew it. “That’s not the point. Besides, we’re too different. And as I said, he lives over a thousand miles away. Long-distance relationships never work.”
“Semantics.”
“Again, I don’t think you’re using that word correctly.”
“Who cares? This is your life you’re throwing away.” She threw her hands up in a dramatic gesture, splattering batter on my face and apron. “You go right ahead. But don’t come crying to me in a few weeks and tell me you made the wrong decision.”
I leaned a hand against the bench, landing on the piping bag and shooting icing all over the wall. “I’m not throwing my life away. I’m trying not to screw it up.”
“All you are is scared. And now you’re taking the coward’s way out.”
She spooned up some batter and dropped it on the floor, fake gasping. “Oh no, my mistake. I dropped batter on your floor.” She then repeated the movement a few more times while I stared in horror at the mess she’d created.
“Are you insane? Stop it,” I yelled at her when I finally found my voice again.
“Make me.”
I threw myself at her with the war cry to end all war cries. The batter stopped me from reaching my bratty niece, and instead I slid in the mess and landed on my butt. I slammed into Willa’s legs and took her down with me.
She landed on top of me, and all the air escaped my lungs in a loud huff. My fight left me, and I slumped on the floor.
This was ridiculous. I must have finally lost it if I was contemplating hurting my niece for even a second.
Willa rolled off me, and we lay on the floor shoulder to shoulder on our backs, staring at the ceiling, the only clean thing in my kitchen at the moment.
She reached out for me, the batter making a squishy noise when she clasped my hand in hers. “You need to talk to him.”
“I know. I’m just scared.”
“If there’s one thing I know without a doubt, it’s that he cares for you. It was obvious all those years ago, and it’s obvious now. I’ll even promise to accept him into the family with open arms. He’s growing on me. Like a third nipple. It’s useless but quite extraordinary to have.”
I put my hands over my head, covering it in batter. “How did I mess this up so epically?”
Willa pulled my hands off my head and then stood up, taking me with her. “You didn’t. Not yet anyway.”
“You guys okay?” Cal stuck his head into the kitchen.
“All good. Just had to settle a little argument.” Willa grinned, her hair and half her face white and caked in batter.
She must have also taken down a bag of flour.
“There’s someone out here to see you,” he said, looking at me with wide eyes. I obviously didn’t look much better than Willa.
“Can you tell them I’ll be out in a little while? I need to go upstairs and clean up first.”
Cal grimaced. “I don’t think he’ll wait.”
What could possibly be so important that it couldn’t wait?“Fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”
