Chapter 11 #2
“Okay, so what next?” asked Carter when he was done measuring.
“Now I combine everything together,” she said. “And then add some secret ingredients.”
“Oh, now we’re talking,” he said eagerly. “Am I allowed to know?”
“Well, we need to make this snow day exciting, don’t we?” She gave him a coy smile. “First secret . . . I put in a few dashes of cinnamon.” She shook the spice into the mixing bowl.
“And then,” she continued, “pass me the salt.”
Carter reached over and grabbed the pink retro Santa saltshaker. “Is this really necessary?”
“What?” Paige asked. “Is it really so bad to like Christmas?”
Carter smiled and let out a small laugh as he handed her the Santa shaker. “No, I suppose it’s not.”
Paige added the salt to the bowl, did her final mix, and started scooping the batter onto the baking tray. “Here,” she said, handing him a spoon. “You can start filling up this tray.”
They stood side by side arranging their cookie dough. Paige occasionally noticed Carter sneaking a peek at her tray, likely making sure he was doing it right.
As he filled the last spot on his tray, his phone lit up from where it was lying across the island.
Mom.
He quickly wiped his hands on a towel and danced around the counter to grab it before it stopped ringing.
“Hey, Ma,” he answered, breathing heavily from the quick movement. “Yeah, yeah, I’m all good, but it’s really coming down out there . . . Yeah, you can barely see out the window. But we’ve got some things here for meals, so don’t worry . . .”
Paige could barely make out a “Who is we?” on the other side of the line.
“My roommate, Ma,” said Carter. “Yes, she was kind enough to share some frozen pizza and now she is baking cookies . . . Yes, she is being too nice to me.” He winked across the room at her.
Was he winking because he said the word nice—their one inside joke—or because he was being flirty? Paige secretly hoped it was the latter. She shot him a shy smile before turning to put the cookies in the oven.
“I know,” Carter continued. “I already have a reminder set to call Gram. I do put birthdays in my calendar, you know . . . Yes, I will keep you updated on the blizzard. Don’t worry, there are more than enough Christmas blankets in here to keep us warm.
” He smiled as he made his way toward his room.
“I know you’re concerned, Ma, but I promise I’ll be fine . . .”
He was still smiling as he closed the door to his room.
So this is what his icy exterior has been hiding this whole time, Paige thought. Carter came off as a real jerk, but seeing this side of him today changed everything she thought she knew about her roommate.
Just this morning, he had stolen her freshly made cup of coffee, but the guy she had spent the last hour with was a completely different person. He was thoughtful, open, and vulnerable.
Sure, he looked like a walking Abercrombie model, but apparently he was also a man who called his grandmother on her birthday without needing to be reminded—and that elevated his attractiveness even more than Paige could have imagined.
Paige hadn’t had feelings like this in a long time. The butterflies in her stomach wouldn’t stop fluttering. She so badly wanted what Nadia and Linus had—what she thought she had with Chance—but she was too afraid of opening herself up for heartbreak again to ever give anyone new a chance.
She always found some excuse for not dating. Too soon. Too busy. Too expensive. After all, Chicago wasn’t cheap, and she wasn’t the type to insist that a guy always has to pay.
The day had been full of surprises, perhaps the most surprising thing being her realization that she might be ready to actually start dating for real again.
But was she ready to date in general, or ready to date Carter?
She didn’t even know if he was interested in her like that.
And besides, he was her roommate. At least for now.
Paige put on some Christmas music and started washing all the dishes while the cookies continued to bake.
Carter emerged from his room twenty minutes later just as she was taking them out of the oven.
“Perfect timing,” he said as he slid onto an island stool. “They smell incredible.”
He reached for the tray and Paige swatted his hand away.
“Not so fast,” she said. “There is one final touch.”
She sprinkled some sea salt onto the soft tops of the cookies.
“There, now they’re done.” She handed him the one that looked the best.
Carter took a bite into the gooey center and gave a nod of satisfaction while he chewed.
“Paige,” he started, mouth still full of cookie. God, she loved hearing him say her name, even like this. “This is the best cookie I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m honored to have learned from the master.”
What a dork.
“The pleasure was all mine,” she said with a smile.
“I’m just glad we . . .” She hesitated before her next words.
Was it too forward to tell him she enjoyed spending the afternoon with him?
Man, she was so out of practice when it came to this stuff.
“I’m just glad we didn’t burn them.” She decided to take the safe route.
“Seeing as we don’t have much extra food to spare. ”
She stole a glance at Carter and could have sworn there was a slight look of disappointment on his face before he looked over to her and said, “Same here. I’m very glad we didn’t burn them.”
He maintained eye contact as he reached over the counter again to grab two more cookies. He took a couple of steps out of the kitchen and stopped, but instead of turning around and rejoining her in the kitchen, he kept walking straight into his room and closed the door.
Paige felt a twinge of disappointment that Carter didn’t stick around. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to hang out with him now that he had let his walls down.
Why do I feel like I miss talking to him already? Paige thought to herself. This is crazy, right?
She replayed the last few minutes over and over in her head while she moved all the cookies into plastic containers and cleaned the last of the day’s dishes.
I should have just told him I was enjoying hanging out with him. It’s not like it was that forward. Plus, I don’t think I’m imagining the look that was on his face. He genuinely seemed hurt that I wasn’t glad to spend time with him. When he comes back out again I think I’m going to tell him.
She made a hot chocolate and took her usual position on the couch and put on one of the Netflix Christmas movies she hadn’t gotten around to yet, keeping her peripheral vision on Carter’s room in case he came back out.
***
Paige was already halfway through a second movie when the door to Carter’s room opened. She paused and turned toward the kitchen.
“Hey, Car—” she started before quickly noticing the over-the-ear headphones he was wearing, his music loud enough even she could hear it.
He kept his back to her as he pulled out leftover pizza slices from the refrigerator, and then he didn’t look her way as he took them—still cold—back to his room.
And just like that, she thought, the old Carter is back.
Paige rolled her eyes and resumed the movie, willing herself to ignore the ache building up in her chest.