23. Twenty-Three
”This… is… good,” Ronan says between chews. From his hesitation to swallow the chocolatey bite, I know the birthday cake I made last night is shit. ”You made this all by yourself?”
My entire face heats, but I nod, claiming the monstrosity. I dare a quick glance around the dining room table. Everyone else silently forks through their slices and I can sense their reluctance to finish their plates. I finally muster the strength to take a bite. It”s grainy and dry and yet somehow mushy? I don”t think I can swallow this morsel, let alone eat the entire slice, and I would feel eternally guilty if I let the rest of them power through it to spare my feelings. I turn to look at Nyx but before I have the chance to ask him what he thinks of it, he grimaces and discreetly spits the mouthful into his napkin and sets his fork on his plate.
”I can”t eat this, Kitarni.” He wipes the crumbs from his tongue.
”Nyx,” Eris chides.
”I”m sorry, I really am, but I just can”t stomach it.” He pushes the plate away, looking queasy. ”I”m too hungover to force myself to eat this.”
”It”s a great attempt for your first time alone,” Finn smiles at me, though I can see the pain in his eyes. ”With a little more practice, you”ll be better than me!”
”Nyx is right,” I throw my napkin on my mostly intact slice of cake. ”This is shit.”
”It”s most certainly not shit,” Eris encourages me, forcing herself to consume another bite for emphasis, but I twist my head to Atlas on my right. If anyone is going to be honest with me, it”ll be him.
”It”s shit, isn”t it?” I question him. He”s reclining in his seat, not having touched the slice I cut for him. He quietly blows the steam from his cup of coffee and meets my inquisitive stare.
”I haven”t tried it yet.”
”Then try it.” I take my fork and stab through his piece of cake and hold it out to him.
There is a wicked gleam in his eyes as he slowly leans forward and claims the outstretched bite. My cheeks heat as I watch his lips slip from the fork.
”Well?” My voice comes out raspy, so I clear my throat and try again, ”Well?”
He chews through the morsel before swallowing and I watch his neck bob and combat the thought of licking him chest to chin.
”Do you want me to be polite or honest?” he asks; his voice ripping me from my unapologetic stare of his neck.
”Honest, always.”
He brings his cup of coffee to his lips and says, ”It”s not good.”
I slam my hand to the table for emphasis. ”See,” my eyes sweep over the others, ”it”s not good.” I scoot back and shoot up from my seat, beelining for the front door.
”Where are you going?” Nyx calls after me. I can hear him scrambling to catch up, playing the dutiful bodyguard role well.
I snatch my keys off the ring and slip my jacket on. ”I”m going across the street to grab us some actual birthday cake.”
”That”s not necessary, Shaye,” Finn says sweetly. ”We”ll have a cake when we get to my parents” house later today anyway.”
I cannot accept this failure. Yes, I”m still new to the baking world, but that”s all I have to offer Finn for his birthday. I don”t have any money to my name here. I can”t run around town on a shopping spree and nab up every gift Finn deserves. Hell, I can”t even buy him a proper birthday cake from the bakery across the street. Defeated, I slowly hang my keys and shimmy out of my jacket but stop short when Atlas says, ”Tell Helen to send me the bill.”
”What did you say?” I whisper, attempting to fight the sadness constricting my throat.
He turns in his seat just enough for me to catch his line of sight. ”I said, tell Helen to send me the bill. Get whatever you want in there.”
What he isn”t saying, but I see in his eyes, is he knows how much this means to me and he”ll do whatever he can to make it happen.
”Thank you.” I grab my keys once more and Nyx and I slip out the door.
Once we cross the street and open the door to the bakery, the little golden bell rings to announce our arrival and the smell of the pastries fills my nostrils. Chocolate, vanilla, apple, blueberry, raspberry, caramel – you think of a flavor, Helen probably has it available.
Treats might be my favorite place in the city, not because of the delicious desserts, but because it looks like it was plucked straight out of a fairytale. Red and white checkered tile floors, a glass case that runs the length of the shop filled to the brim with whatever baked good your heart desires, and a handful of two-top white tables with green velvet chairs tucked underneath. Glass chandeliers hover above and folded boxes varying in sizes line the floating wooden shelves up and down the wall. If I could sit in here all day, eating pastries and drinking coffee, while watching people go about their daily routines through the massive windows overlooking the park and the Harland House, I would.
Today though, I ignore the tempting apple turnovers and raspberry filled cupcakes, and head straight to the checkout stand to see if Helen can be my birthday cake salvation.
Helen”s face lights up the instant she sees me, bringing a smile to my face. ”Ah, good morning, my dear! What can I get for you today?”
”Good morning, Helen,” I greet her cheerfully. ”I”m needing a chocolate cake. It”s Finn”s birthday and I sort of messed up baking one for him myself.”
She clicks her teeth. ”I”m sure it isn”t as bad as you think it is.”
”Oh, no,” Nyx chimes in, disgust marring his features, ”she messed it up alright.”
I jab him in the ribs with my elbows, but keep my eyes latched on Helen”s. ”Please tell me you have a chocolate cake I can purchase.”
She giggles, wiping graying curls from her round, rosy face. ”I think I have just the one.” She waddles down the glass display case of beautifully displayed cakes, cookies, and pastries, before snatching up the most tempting chocolate glazed cake and setting it in a box. ”This is one of my personal favorites,” she quickly explains. ”Chocolate mirror glaze over a coffee and cocoa cake with raspberry jam slathered between the sponge layers.”
”My mouth is watering,” I admit without an ounce of shame. Her laugh draws a grin from me as I watch her effortlessly tie a green ribbon around the signature red and white pinstriped box before sliding it across the white counter to me.
”Atlas said to send him the bill,” I explain, though the sting of embarrassment that I can”t pay for it myself seeps into my bones.
”I”m not sure who is my most frequent customer,” she refastens her apron around her round waist. ”You or Atlas.”
I quirk an eyebrow, curious to learn more about Atlas” secret sweet tooth. ”I didn”t realize he came here so often. What”s his favorite thing to order?”
She bobs her head in excitement. ”Oh yes, he buys all sorts of things. Every Saturday, he buys up whatever I have left in stock for the day, normally cookies or cupcakes, and takes them to the children he teaches at Gustav”s. During the week, he is my first customer. He orders a cup of coffee and always takes a white chocolate cranberry tart with him.”
In all my wildest guesses, I never would have pegged Atlas Harland”s favorite pastry to be a white chocolate cranberry tart. I suppose the order suits him. The bitterness of the coffee mixed with the sweet and tangy tart reminds me so much of his personality.
Nyx clears his throat, bringing me back to the present moment, reminding me of my hands. Thankfully, I”ve been doing much better at keeping my feelings from shining through, but Nyx is right to be cautious. Especially when it comes to thinking about Atlas.
”Consider the cake a gift.” Helen draws my attention.
”Oh, no, I couldn”t possibly – ”
She cuts me off with a friendly wave of her hand. ”Nonsense. It is my pleasure to brighten your day.”
Knowing there”s no arguing with her, since I can”t shove money her way anyway, I dip my head. ”Thank you, Helen. You are the sweetest.”
”I would hope so, if I”m the owner of Treats.” Her laugh echoes through the shop, almost summoning people outside to stop by and grab a goodie. The bell above the door rings and a few people trickle inside, eyes glistening taking in all the options.
”See you soon, Helen,” I wave as Nyx gathers the box in his arms. We weave past the late-morning rush and safely make it across the street.
We find everyone is still sitting at the table, laughing and drinking another round of coffee, but my cake and the dishes with barely touched slices are nowhere in sight. Thank the stars I don”t have to look at the abomination a second longer.
”You”re back,” Finn smiles, motioning for us to rejoin the table.
I hang my keys on the ring and shed my jacket. Nyx gently plops the box in the center of the table and reclaims his seat, ready, almost drooling, to get a slice of Helen”s chocolate cake.
”I hope this will brighten your day,” I giggle as I unwrap the box to oohs and ahhs.
I let Finn take over cutting and passing out slices and settle in my seat beside Atlas. I lean just a little bit closer to him and whisper, ”White chocolate cranberry tarts?”
If surprised, he doesn”t show it. He smirks and I adore the slight crinkle in the corner of his eyes. ”It would appear my secret is out.”
”When is your birthday?” I ask, gratefully accepting the small plate Finn hands me.
”Why do you want to know?” There”s a hint of teasing in his voice that draws my skeptical gaze. ”So, you can bake me a cake?”
My eyes widen and he laughs. It”s the same unashamed, unhindered, honest to stars smile he sported while teaching his art students to paint, and I would be a liar if I claimed there to be a more wondrous sight.
He slips his hand over mine and squeezes once before releasing me. ”It”s a joke.”
I smile. ”I know.”
”Spring,” he says. ”My birthday is in the spring.”
”I promise I won”t make you a cake,” I snicker, ”but don”t be surprised if you see a white chocolate cranberry tart sitting on your nightstand.”
Something instantly shifts between us. His jovial gaze is now molten, and I just want to melt into him. ”What if there”s something else I”d like to see sitting on my nightstand?”
”Ask.” My answer catches him off guard. ”Maybe you”ll get what you want.”
A sharp knock on the door sounds and Eris says, ”Carriage is here,” without abandoning her dessert.
”Are you ready to meet Rafe and Soraya Harland?” Ronan taps his elbow against mine.
”As ready as I will ever be,” I say with a smile, even though deep within my soul, I”m terrified.