“Let me help.”
I glance up at him from between my fingers. “But,” I sniffle, “you hate chocolate, and these are dark chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate ganache icing.”
He squeezes my shoulders. “Who gives a shit? It’s not like the cupcakes can tell I find them revolting.”
“If people can tell when something is baked with love, they can most definitely tell when it’s baked with disgust,” I mutter, wiping at the corner of my eye.
His hands fall away, and he leans back against the counter. “No. They can’t. Sure, you canbake with loveor whatever the fuck they say on that stupid show—”
“—the stupid show you can’t stop watching—”
“—but when you get down to it, baking is a science.” He crosses his arms over his chest and gives me a knowing look. “What is my Ph.D. in, Violet?”
I frown at him. “Um, mechanical engineering?”
“Well, yes. But more broadly, science.” I nod, staring glumly at the tray of cupcake failures. “Now stop moping. You’re not going to fix anything with that attitude. We can do this.”
I take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. He’s right. I can do this. We can do this.
“You know, you can be pretty inspirational when you want to be,” I mutter, as I pull out a new mixing bowl from the cabinet.
“I run a company, Violet,” he reminds.
“And you’ll never let anyone forget it.”
Together, we make an entirely new batch. It’s quick work, and by the time they’re in the oven, I’m in disbelief at how speedy things can go when you have help…and someone following a step behind you with a sponge and a garbage bag, feverishly cleaning up the messes you make.
Landon disappears as I set a timer on my phone, and I finally spot him standing outside by the pool, staring up at the watercolor sky like he’s never seen it before.
“Wow,” I mutter, admiring the vivid pinks and oranges as I step out into the warm, evening air. I stand beside him. “That’s unreal.”
He doesn’t say anything, but when I glance over at him, his entire face is relaxed in a way I’ve rarely seen. Together we stand there, staring in awe at the magnificent colors gracing the sky, and the moment is perfection.
My gaze drops to the shimmery surface of the pool, reflecting the colorful work of art, and something comes over me. A rush of energy, a reckless urge, a wave of pure glee. Before I can overthink my decision, I turn and leap into the pool, an impulse I’ve had since the day I first saw it. The water’s warm and welcoming, and I let my body sink down, down, down to the bottom before pushing up toward the light with one smooth kick.
I break through the surface with an exhilarated gasp, only to find Landon hovering at the edge of the pool, a frantic look in his eye. He slaps his hand over his heart and draws in a sharp breath.
“JesusChrist, Violet!” he cries. “One second, you’re beside me, the next you’re in the water. I thought you’d fallen in!”
A laugh bubbles up inside me, and I can’t help it. I start giggling. And when Landon’s panicked expression transforms first to disbelief and then to sheer annoyance, I laugh harder. “I’m sorry,” I manage between giggles. “I’m-I’m really sorry. The water just looked so inviting.”
“That wasn’t funny,” he snaps, even more irritated, and I cover my mouth to hide my smile. “I thought you’d passed out! I thought you were drowning! I thought I’d have to do fuckingCPR, and I’m not that kind of doctor! Will you stop laughing?”
“You’re pretty cute when you’re freaking out.” In usual fashion, the observation is out of my mouth before I can stop it, and my face grows warm. I debate dodging beneath the surface, but when Landon opens his mouth to respond, for once nothing comes out. He blinks at me. I blink back. It seems my comment caught him off guard, a rare occurrence, and I float on my back to quell the awkwardness. “You should come in,” I say, staring at the sky. “The water feels so nice.”
“This is a three-hundred-dollar shirt,” he snaps.
I stop floating and stare at him in disbelief. “You spenthow muchon a shirt?” I start laughing again. “Rich people are crazy!”
Landon shakes his head at me. He’s surpassed annoyed and moved on to incredulous. “Did I miss something? Are you having a stroke?”
I beam at him. “No, I’m just happy. Hey, watch this.” Before he can respond, I do a quick backflip. “Pretty impressive, no? Thinking of taking that act on the road.”
“I think you’re high on cupcake fumes,” he mutters.
“Come on, Landon. The air’s cool. The water’s warm. Come in. Don’t be a chicken.” I give a light slap to the surface, splashing water toward Landon’s expensive shoes. “Actually use the pool you pay to upkeep instead of just staring at it with that broody look in your eye.”
“I never have abroody look in my eye.”
