Tempted by Fate

Chapter 3

The blaring sound of my phone jolts me awake. The early morning sun has just begun to rise, peaking through the curtains. I open my eyes, groaning loudly as I throw an arm over my face protecting it from the bright light. I kick the covers from my legs, swinging them over the side of the bed. As I sit up my head begins to throb. It feels as if my brain is going to burst through my skull.

Why I thought it was a clever idea to go out the night before my first day at the bakery is beyond me. I can hardly remember the events of last night, but one glaring moment sticks in my brain.

My fingers skim over my bruised cheekbone, causing me to wince. The shrill sound of my phone ringing breaks me from my trance. Picking up my phone, I see Ma's face

"Shit," I curse, pushing to my feet. It's Sunday, I'm supposed to help Ma open the bakery this morning.

I press the green answer button, pinning the phone between my uninjured cheek and my shoulder as I stand up, rushing for my closet. I rip a t-shirt from the closet, tossing the hanger aside.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," I say quickly, heading for the bathroom.

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart," she says with a chuckle.

"Morning," I mumble, stepping out of my clothes

"Have a long night?" she says.

Ma has never been the scolding type. She's the most patient woman I know. I wish I had inherited a bit more of that patience.

I huff loudly, flipping on the tap in the shower, "yeah, a bit. I'm jumping in the shower now and will be at the shop soon.",

We exchange goodbyes and I hang up the phone, tossing it onto the bathroom counter. I shower quickly, scrubbing away the feelings of Darren's hands on my skin once again. I cannot believe he thought he could take advantage of me. How am I ever going to tell Carly what happened? Will she even believe me?

I run a brush through my hair and apply a quick swipe of concealer over the bruise on my cheek. Pulling on jeans and a t-shirt, I glance in the mirror one last time to confirm the bruise is covered.

"If Ma see's this she is going to freak," I say with a groan.

Grabbing my keys I head for the door. I cannot believe I was late on the first day.

—

Thirty minutes later I rush through the glass doors of the bakery. The bell above the door jingle's lightly as I enter. Ma's white head of hair peaks around the doorway to the kitchen area.

"Just one moment," she calls out..

"How can you be this cheery at five in the morning," I say with a sigh, setting my bag down on the counter. I remove the hair tie from my wrist, placing my dark brown locks into a quick bun atop my head. Grabbing an apron I place it on my chest, tying the strings behind me.

"There is no such thing as too cheery, my dear," Ma says from behind me.

I spin around, reaching out to take her in a hug.

She stops abruptly, reaching out to grab my biceps, a look of horror on her face.

"My god, what happened to your face?" she says. Her worried eyes scan my body from head to toe, looking for additional damage.

I swipe her hands away, shaking my head.

"Is it that bad? I tried to cover it up," I say, chewing on my lip.

Ma puts her hands on her hips, shaking her head, "Are you gonna tell me what happened, or am I going to have to force it out of you?"

"Really Ma, I'm fine," I say in a rush. She grunts, but heads back into the kitchen to continue working. I follow her into the back room, washing my hands and wiping them on a paper towel. The smell of cinnamon and vanilla blanket the kitchen, reminding me of the days we would bake together in her kitchen when I was a child. Fresh dough is spread out over the counter top, ready to be rolled into cinnamon rolls. I begin working, meticulously rolling out the dough, making sure it is evenly coated in cinnamon and sugar goodness.