“Hensley,” I said sharply to my ex, “I told you, we’re done.”
“We are not done,” she hissed, advancing on me in the pantry. “You and I are meant to be together. Our parents are friends. We love each other.”
“I don’t love you.”
“Yes, you do!” she shrieked. “You kissed me last night.”
“I didn’t,” I said in a low growl. “And after this bake-off, I’m going to make sure we never see each other again.”
“We will,” Hensley insisted, “because we’re going to get married.” She threw herself in my arms.
I was holding all the ingredients and couldn’t easily remove her.
“Did you see if they had—oh!”
Fuck.
“Merrie,” I said, trying to sidestep Hensley, who was professing her love for me and naming our future children. “This is not what it looks like.”
“Uh-huh.”
73
Merrie
Matt sure happens to be caught with Hensley in his arms an awful lot, I agonized as I mixed up the cake batter for my five-tiered winter wonderland cake.
She’s probably just being manipulative, I tried to tell myself.She’s trying to drive you off.
But then why wouldn’t Matt tell me about the text messages she had sent him? Why had he kept trying to tell me I didn’t have to come to his parents’ Christmas party? Maybe he was trying to get back together with Hensley, but I kept ruining it.
You’re going crazy. You’re stressed about the bake-off. He clearly cares about you. Stop acting like a teenager. If he wants to get back together with his lying, cheating ex, that’s one shit pie that you don’t have to take a slice of.
I measured out my flour.
And so what if he does want to get back with her? You’ve only known him for a few weeks. It’s not like he’s the love of your life.
But it felt like it.
I snuck a glance at Matt. I had put him to work carefully rolling out cookie dough and cutting out the gingerbread house, snowflake, Christmas tree, and holly cookie shapes.
His platinum white hair fell over his forehead, which was slightly furrowed in concentration.
Really, I wanted him. I wanted him in my life every day. If he felt the same, why was he still talking to Hensley?
Merrie:I need you to talk me off the ledge.
Merrie:I think Matt is getting back together with Hensley.
Merrie:It’s crazy, right?!?
Olivia:Maybe you should just concentrate on the bake-off. You need to win that prize money.
Merrie:You’re right. I’m crazy and paranoid.
Olivia:Yep.
Merrie:You’re supposed to offer words of encouragement like “Of course Matt is the love of your life. He is totally devoted to you.”
