Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
SAWYER
I am so behind.
I also feel like shit because two days after Aiden came to my house, I still wasn’t up to anything. I didn’t have much for him to do, so he just helped my friends bring in some furniture while I was sent off to lie down.
Definitely didn’t want to stay and watch Aiden lift furniture in his black tank top.
Noah found a small couch at a consignment shop for about fifty dollars. It’s cute, almost Victorian looking with roses all over the pale-pink and cream fabric. It’s old but clean, and it goes really well with the new color of the walls.
He found a nice little area rug and bought some decorative pillows in the shape of cupcakes. He also found a small bookshelf and a new coffee table that’s a pretty shade of ivory with gold accents on the legs.
I’m feeling good for the first time all week, and today is game night.
Joy.
I grab my phone and text Noah.
Sawyer:
Hey I’m feeling better. I plan on coming to game night.
I have to call a ride, but I want to get out of the house.
Noah:
YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
Noah:
Do you want me to send Cam over? He and Bo are here at Mark’s?? Puck Daddy is fixing my car right now or he or I would come.
Sawyer:
No, that’s ok. I’ll be over in an hour
I walk into my kitchen, feeling like I want to bake something.
That’s been one thing about this week. I haven’t baked at all.
It’s so routine, but I’ll admit it’s been a nice break.
Tomorrow I’m going to experiment with flavors.
I have a vague idea for what I want to do for the Valentine’s event.
Or as Noah is calling it, our ValenSlay event.
Even though I’m not sick anymore, I still feel a bit tired. Lazy maybe. I don’t think I’ve slept in bed that long in years.
I walk to my oven and preheat it to three hundred and fifty degrees. While that warms up, I grab a baking tray and line it with parchment, then I take out what I need and whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder, and a bit of salt. I mix it well, avoiding clumps.
While I mix, my mind goes to Aiden.
That soup he made was incredible. While Aiden doesn’t really talk or reveal too much, it was nice sitting with him while I watched some baking competition. Shows like that are my own form of ASMR, and it was a comfortable silence. Then I fell asleep and woke up alone with a blanket draped over me.
On top of that he cleaned my house, put the soup away for me, and put my medicine on the table in front of me with a glass of water.
In another bowl with my stand mixer, I add softened unsalted butter, brown and white sugar, then mix on medium for about two minutes until it’s nice and light. I think this makes the cookies nice and chewy.
Then I add two egg yolks, peppermint extract, and vanilla to the butter mixture until it’s all blended well. When that’s finished, I combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix until combined, careful not to overmix.
I look in my cabinet and find a bag of mint candies I bought last week. It’s not that I hate mint chocolate desserts, they just need to be done a certain way. I gently fold the candies into the batter.
I find my scoop and put about sixteen balls on the baking sheet, giving them enough space to spread as evenly as possible, then I put them in the oven for about twelve minutes.
Alright. Game night.
I run upstairs and change into a T-shirt and jeans, knowing full well that one or more pieces of my clothing are at risk of coming off tonight. I fix my hair and finish getting ready then grab my phone to request a ride. My fingers freeze on my phone when I see a message from Aiden.
Aiden:
How are you feeling?
Sawyer:
Sorry, just saw this message
Shit, I mean, I don’t know why that matters
Sorry
Aiden:
Why are you apologizing?
Sawyer:
I’m not sure. Yes, I’m much better, thank you
Aiden:
Your immune system did it, not me
Why did I expect anything else?
Sawyer:
For the soup and the company
Ah fuck, that’s lame.
I walk back downstairs, hearing the buzzer and taking the cookies out of the oven. Perfect. I place them on the cooling rack and sit back down, seeing another message.
Aiden:
You’re not lame.
What are you doing?
Sawyer:
About to request a ride and go to my friends’
I look behind me at the cooling cookies and walk over, taking a picture and sending it to Aiden.
Sawyer:
Or if you’re not busy, you could take me and I’ll pay you in milk-chocolate currency
My phone startles me when it rings, and I see Aiden’s name. “Uh, hi.”
“Are they mint chocolate cookies?”
“Possibly.” I hit the camera on the bottom left and wait to see if he’ll answer it. When he does, I can see he’s in his car. “Watch this.”
I prop my phone up and grab a cookie, breaking it open and watching the way the melted candy stretches.
“Is this what people mean when they say food porn?” he says.
I laugh, shaking my head. “Not sure. Why? Is it turning you on?” Shit. “Ah, that was bad. Ignore me please.”
Aiden smirks with amusement. “When do you need to go over there?”
“I’m going to leave now.”
Aiden thinks. “I’ll take you.”
A thought pops into my head and it’s worth a shot. “I mean, you could play with us.”
“With all your friends?”
I nod.
“No thanks.”
“That’s okay. I used to suck at games too.” I smirk.
“I don’t suck.”
“Kinda seems like you suck and are afraid of sucking in front of my friends.”
“I don’t suck.”
“Well, that makes one of us, I guess.” I cover my mouth. “Shit, I didn’t—”
“More things to sue you for. See who’s winning now?”
My lips break into a smile. “I just wanted you to know you’re invited.”
I watch Aiden think for a moment. “I’ll be there in ten.”
“Really? I was just kidding. My friends are a lot, and you are—”
“I’m what?” he challenges.
“Nothing.” I smirk. “Nothing at all.”
“I’m hanging up now. I want those boxed and ready by the time I get there.” I smile as he hangs up.
This is a horrible idea.
I’m confused the moment we pull up in Hunter’s driveway.
I mean, I’ve been confused pretty much every day since Aiden stepped into my bakery, but this type of confusion is reserved for my friends. It doesn’t help that my heart has been beating out of my chest since Aiden picked me up.
I need to stop whatever it is I’m feeling. It’s stupid. Aiden is hot. So what? It’s like my entire nervous system becomes aware of him. He hasn’t said much on the ride over.
“What are they doing?” He asks.
I see Noah’s car on a jack with the wheel off. My best friend is sitting on the ground, shirtless and in a pair of coveralls, fixing something. All of that’s normal.
Hunter is great with cars.
No, what’s confused me is the audience he has sitting on the porch.
Noah, Bo, and Mark are sitting there.
Noah and Bo have popsicles, their eyes trained on Hunter as he works. It’s hot out today, and I walk closer seeing Hunter’s tan skin is slick with sweat. Mark’s playing a game on the porch.
My feet make noise on the gravel, and Aiden is close behind me. Hunter lifts his head from the car. “Hey.” He looks back at his spectators, shaking his head.
“What are you doing?”
“Noah’s brakes. Apparently, he wasn’t aware that if they screech when you stop, that’s bad.”
“And you’re doing a great job, Puck Daddy!” Noah waves at us. “I think you um . . . you missed a bolt. Better grab that wrench thingy and tighten it. Slowly.”
Hunter shakes his head. “Idiots.”
“Admit you like the attention.” Hunter flips me off. “Then why are you doing this shirtless? Was a T-shirt constricting your movements?”
Hunter’s brown eyes lift. “Fuck off. I don’t want to get grease on my clothes.” Hunter stands, tightening the bolt on the tire, and Noah and Bo both cock their heads to watch.
Hunter bends at the waist and picks up a tool.
“Can take the butt out of the hockey, but not the hockey out of the butt.”
“Noah, that doesn’t make sense.” Hunter shakes his head. “Why is Aiden here?” His brows rise.
I look back at him. “He wanted to come.”
Aiden leans in. “I did not want to come.”
“Yet you’re here.” I smile at him. He left the box of cookies at the bakery.
The front door opens and Cam steps out. He’s insanely huge.
Which makes the pout that springs to his lips funnier as he watches his boyfriend check out Hunter.
After he tightens Noah’s wheel back on, Hunter lifts the hood. “Noah, when’s the last time you changed your oil?”
“It doesn’t take oil. It takes gas,” Noah shouts.
His fingers scratch through his beard. “Fucking help me,” he murmurs, pulling out the dipstick and checking the oil. I don’t know much about cars, but I do know that oil shouldn’t look like black sludge. “Oh good Noah.” He holds out the dipstick. “Nice and thick.”
“Just how I like em.” Noah shouts.
Hunter closes his eyes for a moment then opens them wiping his hands on his coveralls. Cam walks over to us, and his eyes go to Aiden with a smile.
“Fuck,” Aiden whispers.
“Hey, man.” Cam goes to gather Aiden into a hug, which he sidesteps instantly. “One of these days you’re going to hug me and it’s going to be magical.”
“I’d rather pluck my fingernails off one by one.”
I look between them. “You two know each other?”
“We’re friends.” Cam nods.
“We’re not friends.” Aiden shakes his head. “I work out at his gym.”
“Don’t downplay our relationship. He loves me.”
Aiden rolls his eyes.
Cam looks back at Bowen then peels off his shirt. Cam’s solid broad chest is impossible to ignore. The deep umber of his skin tone glimmers in the sun.
Cam looks back, rolling his shoulders, and his muscles tighten with the movement. “You need help?” Cam asks Hunter.
Hunter freezes slowly, turning his head to Cam. “No.”
“You sure?” Cam looks back, stretching his arms over his head and then subtly flexing his arms. “I can help.”
Hunter screws on a cap, shaking his head. “What do you know about cars, Cam? How would you like to assist me? By all means, help me out.”
Cam’s lips purse. “Look, my boyfriend is checking you out in your slutty little overalls. Can you be a little less scrumptious? I would appreciate it.” Cam glares.
“Ah yes, because I’ve been in love with you for decades only to be swept away by my good friend’s boyfriend.” Bo nods. “Watch out, Mark.”
“I’m shaking,” Mark says flatly with his attention on his game.
Cam pouts. “Our boyfriends are mean.”
“Cam, you have the biggest muscles of anyone I know. Relax. I’ll deal with the oil later.” Hunter moves Cam away from the car, shutting the hood. “Now, who wants to help me shower?”
Noah and Bo stand up with their hands raised, and a pleased smirk spreads on Hunter’s lips as he grins at Cam.
“I thought you were the nice one,” Cam grumbles.
The door opens and Jamie steps out, looking at Hunter and then at his boyfriend, shaking his head as he steps down the stairs between Noah and Bo and walks up to us.
“Why are you shirtless?” Jamie asks Cam.
“He’s trying to turn Noah on,” Hunter says.
“What!?” Jamie glares.
“Shut up. No I’m not!” Cam glares.
“I have to do his oil, but I need to buy the shit for it, brakes are done.” Hunter says. “How the fuck do you even get into a car with him? How did you not hear that noise?” Hunter asks.
Noah shuffles his shoe on the step. “What happens in that car is between me and Miss Britney.”
“He’s talking about Britney Spears.” Hunter blinks at Jamie. “That’s your boyfriend.”
Jamie bites a smile, nodding. “Babe, stop listening to your music so loud. Please be safe in the car.”
Hunter shakes his head. “I’ll buy the oil tomorrow and send you my bill. I’ll make sure to check the breaks again in a few months.”
We walk toward the rest of the guys. “There’s still time to run,” I whisper to Aiden. “I’d be scared too.”
“I’m not scared,” he hisses as we walk up the steps.
“Who’s hotter, me or Hunter?” Cam asks.
“Hunter.” Mark gets up, shutting his game off.
“You, babe. Of course, you.” Bo kisses Cam.
Noah grabs for Jamie’s arm, wrapping it around his shoulders, and a small smile spreads wide along Jamie’s lips. It makes me envious.
I want someone to look at me like that.