SAWYER
I blinkmy eyes open and know instantly something is wrong.
Or rather someone is missing.
I look to my side and see Aiden’s gone. He could be in the bathroom, but it’s like I can feel his absence. Which is why I’m not surprised when I see a piece of paper on my nightstand.
Sitting up, I scrub a hand down my face and reach for it. My head hurts. I think I’ve slept way too much over the last few days.
I start to read, my stomach sinking with every word.
Thanks for these last few days. I’ll see you tonight for work.
Thanks? That’s it? Thanks. After last night. Are you fucking joking? That was... the most intense shit I’ve ever experienced.
It was exactly what I’ve been missing.
Pleasure, passion, tension. All of it. It was incredible. His soft breaths and moans.
And then he just up and left.
I’m not sure what I expected, but this wasn’t it. My lungs still haven’t settled. I still feel him on my skin, my heart beating way to fast. Maybe that’s the problem. It’s why sex is hard for me. Sexalways means more to me. There’s something wrong with me. Why can’t I feel normal?
Aiden looked just as into it as I was.
So why did he up and leave?
“I don’t thinkI’ve seen this many truffles in my life.” I rub my eyes and focus on putting another tray of chocolate raspberry truffles on a tray. There are so many, I agree. This way there’s a lot of variety. Truffles are easy to eat and make.
I count fifteen trays. So many different flavors. There has to be over a thousand truffles. Maybe I overdid it.
I look at the orange creamsicle ones and pop one in my mouth.Damn I’m good. Next to lemon, orange is my favorite flavor. I love citrus a lot. “I want to have enough,” I say absently.
Noah counts, marking them off in his notebook. “Well, you definitely have enough.”
Noah pops his face into my line of sight as I pipe dark chocolate on the cherry chocolate truffles. “Why are you so quiet?”
“Just want to get everything done.” I hear footsteps and see Jamie come into the kitchen. Noah is checking everything off for me and helping me plate truffles. We got the boxes, and they look like real chocolate heart boxes. They’re perfect. My friends are all out in the bakery decorating, insisting they’ve got all that covered.
“What’s going on?” Jamie looks between us.
Noah puts his elbow on the table and looks at me. “I don’t know, he hasn’t told me yet.”
“I’m fine. Just want to get this done. I want it to go well.” I fight the urge to eat another one as my eyes slide to the BananasFoster–inspired ones. I grab one and pop it into my mouth. “Damn.”
All the samples for the speed dating are done. Each table during the game will have some samples of things I carry in the bakery. I have cheesecake bites, raspberry white-chocolate bark, and of course, lemon cookies. The shortbread cookies are shaped like lemons with decorative piping for the leaves, and there’s a lemon meringue filling in between the cookies.
I’ve already eaten three.
These ones are almost done too, but I just need to keep my hands busy. “What’s going on with you?”
“Noah, I said I’m fine.”
“Yeah, usually I’d tell him to mind his business, but there’s something off.” Jamie sits on the stool across from me.
Noah sets his book down. “What’s wrong?”
My eyes dart between them both. Maybe I should tell them.
