Crumbling Cakes

Epilogue

***Three Months Later***

"Come on, Shorts."

I bit my lip, my fingers cramping around the pen. Sebastian's raised eyebrow threatening the arm wrestling match from hell if I didn't put ink to paper. That's how we solved disagreements now.

Three months of united domestic bliss and we challenged each other to neanderthal displays of strength. Gloating in the other's crestfallen face when the win was particularly juicy. There were no rules in our matches, anything goes. We could exploit whatever weakness we deemed necessary to win.

I was the Eagle Scout of arm wrestling. But right now...

Ronnie's eyes promised Defcon 1. Sitting at the table across from me, arms crossed in a simple navy t-shirt. Looking as delicious as he was mischievous

"Sign."

"Are you absolutely sure?" I stalled. My voice taking on a whiny pitch. "This is beyond generous, Sweets. Are you absolutely sure this isn't a mistake?"

He rolled his eyes, scooting forward to rest his forearms on the table. "Lia, Darlin', Baby. The apple of my eye. The sun in my sky. The one who owes me a pizza pie." I snorted like the delicate flower that I am, that was a fun night. "We talked about this."

"Not enough," I grumbled under my breath. Sebastian threw the balled up straw wrapper at me. We sat in our dining room after a rushed take out lunch. We had a busy day, these were busy times. And my big mouth a month ago led me to this place right here.

Staring at acceptance papers for a degree that would help me with all of my goals. All I needed to do was sign. That's it. And Sweets would pay for all of it...

"I just feel like this is too much, Ronnie."

He sighed. "Love, companies do this all the time. I'm investing in someone I know will be worth it. That's you by the way."

"It still feels like cheating." My head sank into my lifted shoulders. It was turtle time. "I mean I could just use my savings."

"And drag this out for ten years? I don't think so." He shook his head. Ugh, he was right. This program was for business. With the organization I wanted to put in place, I was desperately going to need it. A loan was out of the question because, well, I didn't exactly have credit to bounce it off of. Hello, street life.

Sweets had caught me looking at the schools list, then latched on when I mentioned on the off chance of doing one someday. He took that baton and ran with it. Now I was suffering from guilt and indigestion.

"It wouldn't be that long..." He gave me a look and I groaned. "I just—don't know how to pay you back?"

"Lia, this is a normal thing that happens. Companies, big businesses, they cover the cost of schooling for degrees that are geared toward the employees position. This is good for the bakery. Remember? You're the one who threw that out there."

Crap. I did. I did throw it out there. To be fair it was purged through an embarrassed rant after I slammed the laptop screen shut when he crept up on me. I said a lot of things that night...

"I want you to be partner, Darlin'. You're already there with what you've taken over at Shy Guy's. This is just to help you feel like you aren't over your head." I tapped my foot against the carpet.

"I still think you're jumping the gun in wanting to make me a partial owner... you're nuts, Sweets. Nuts."

He shrugged. "It's a strategic business move." The half mass of his lids gave me the impression that Sweets was hiding something. Something of the ginormous variety. Oh, fuck balls...