Unexpected Love

Chapter 9 - Bailey

A messy kitchen was how I loved to bake. It was the nostalgic feeling I got when I was alone in my home back in the city.

When I first started baking in my first apartment. I was messing around in the kitchen because I was a broke college student who resented her dad and had a dead mom. I was alone and needed something that made me feel whole. Something that didn't make me feel broken.

When I followed the instructions from the back of the cake box, I found joy in it. The pure joy that made me want to continue doing it. Every time I was stressed I baked. I started small buying cake boxes and cheesecake boxes from the store, decorating them with frosting and fruit. Slowly I worked my way up and started recipes from scratch and I was damn good at it.

Eventually, I dropped out of business school much to my father's drunk dismay, and went to pastry school. I was taught by the best woman and she helped evolve my skill. It became something I needed to do to survive. It was something beautiful that I found hope in. Baking was a form of art, you had to use precise measurements to make sure it comes out perfect. It was a blissful state I loved to be alone with.

I enjoyed a messy kitchen. I loved the flour that decorated the counter, the cracked eggs on the opposite side, and the chocolate chips everywhere. That's how it always ended of course.

Messy.

Now as I get all the ingredients out and place them neatly on the counter. Wet ingredients are on the left, and dry ingredients are on the right.

I was smiling as soon as I woke up this morning. Bailey Walker was smiling because a boy was coming over. The tension between us  was unyielding and thick. Greyson was coming over in an hour and, I was a nervous wreck. After last night all I could think about was him.

Staring at me, touching me, and sitting right next to me was all too much. Every time he was within touching distance I wanted to run the opposite way, but at the same time, I wanted to run at him, and have him do things to me that I wouldn't ever think about. He was in my head, in my dreams and I can't say I was against it. I wanted him to stare at me, touch me, and be by me all the time. Every day I wanted to see him.

Placing the milk on the left side of the counter. The doorbell rings and my heart skips a beat.

He's early.

Brushing my hands on my pink apron that was decorated with a single blue frosted cupcake in the middle. I make my way toward the door. My smile falters as, I open the door.

No one was there, I looked both ways because the person couldn't have gotten far. My eyebrows furrow when I see nobody there. I looked down at the white letter sitting on the brown welcome mat.

Picking up the envelope I close the door and take it inside. A plain white envelope sat in my hand, no return address, nothing written on the letter. Not even the address which meant it was hand-delivered. My heart skips a beat in fear, my hands shake slightly as I pull open the white paper inside the envelope.

You're alive.

Pity.

I tried really hard this time.

The words sit on the white paper in black bold writing, my heart beating erratically, my hands shaking worse than they were before.

What the actual fuck?

I was sweating and shaking with absolute fear. My chest felt tight. My breathing was shallow and fast. My legs were about to give out, my eyes were blurring with tears. Hot tears and I couldn't see, which set another stream of sheer panic to my throat.