Rules To Live By

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

                “I’m heading out to the grocery store to get ingredients. Do you need anything?” I asked my mom, who was sitting next to Todd on the couch.

                “Ingredients? For what? Oh Leah, please tell me you’re not going to bake more sweets,” she replied.

                “Yes, actually. I find it quite soothing and you seem to enjoy the results of my new hobby,” I said defensively.

                “No argument there, Leah,” Todd said good naturedly. He also enjoyed the cakes, cupcakes, and brownies I’ve spent my time making.

                “Honey, it’s been a month of this and you still haven’t told me what happened,” my mom said sadly. It was true; I focused my energy on baking rather than dealing with my feelings. It was easier to think about mixing certain ingredients than thinking about how awful Damien made me feel about a month ago.

                “Maybe you should get a job instead. You could spend time doing something that earns you money,” she suggested.

                I sighed and nodded. “I’ll look for a job this week. For now, I’ll be going to the store. See you both later.”

                I left the room quickly so my mom wouldn’t protest anymore against my new hobby. Quitting my job at the diner was one of the hardest things I had to do. I felt horrible about suddenly leaving Joe without a waitress, but there was no way I could stand working with Damien. It’s not like we could work different shifts since I had school until the afternoon and Damien worked practically every evening.

                After driving straight to the grocery store, I scanned the aisles of ingredients, thinking of what I could make next. My eyes landed on a can of pumpkin paste for a pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving had already passed, but I’ve never made a pie before. That would be something to try to make.

                “Leah?” someone called. I turned and saw Ben walking down the aisle. My eye immediately widened with fear and I hoped that his older brother wasn’t with him. I had successfully avoided any contact with him for almost a month. I wasn’t ready to break that streak now.

                “Don’t worry, I’m here by myself,” he told me, offering a comforting smile.

                “Hey,” I finally replied.

                “How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

                “I’m great. I’ve taken up baking,” I said, trying to sound strong. I wanted to believe that he didn’t know what happened between his brother and me. I told Delaney the gist of what happened, yet I told her not to tell anyone, especially Ben.

                He looked at me unsurely. “I heard. Actually, I’ve heard that you’re pretty obsessed with baking.”

                “What? I am so not obsessed. I’ve just had more time on my hands.”

                “Because you quit your job,” he stated.

                Without replying to that, I turned back to view the items on the shelf in front of me.

                “Why did you quit, Leah?” he asked, sounding like he already knew the answer. After all, he’s been living with the person who caused me to quit. He knew his brother was the reason I hadn’t visited Sarah’s house in a month. I bet Damien even told Ben about my pathetic way of proclaiming my love for him.