Page 159 of Icing It

Why doesn’t he want everything we had tonight? Why doesn’t he want that group of people with him for all the big moments? The small moments, too, but tonight should have shown him how awesome it is to have that group there, with him, behind him.

Owen should want all of these awesome people in Brady’s life.

In his life.

And he can have them. We can all be a family.

He just has to get over himself and…

I stop stirring and take a deep breath.

Okay, I’m rage baking.

This is what I do when I have big emotions.

I hate working out. Excessive drinking isn’t a good idea. At least not every time I feel big emotions because…that kind of happens a lot, I’ll admit. And until recently I didn’t have anyone I could anger bang.

Growing up, I always had a lot of emotions going on when I baked with my grandmother. The love and fun and feelings of home and family were mixed up with some sadness in missing my parents, probably a little anger at being an afterthought, a little resentment that hockey was more important than I was…

Yeah, baking, especially cupcakes, makes me emotional.

But it also makes me feel better.

I can beat the hell out of a bunch of ingredients and it turns into something sweet and colorful.

I can take a bunch of ingredients that, on their own, are nothing special, and combine them into something that is delicious and makes people happy.

Baking is messy. But the final product is awesome.

Because of all of those things, baking comforts me.

It’s something I can control completely and that I’m really fucking good at and sometimes I just need to do something that I know will turn out in the end, no matter how messy it looks in the process.

I finish filling a piping bag with blue icing and set it next to the bags with pink and yellow.

I have no idea what I’m going to use these cupcakes for, but I’m still going to decorate the hell out of them. Rob will have to take some home with him, too, I guess.

I put the bowls and spoons in the sink and fill it with water and soap.

When I turn back…my piping bags are gone.

I frown.

“Hey, Luna?” Cam calls from the other room.

“Cam, did you take my icing?” It’d be just like him to steal it, so I’d stop working and come get naked.

Given that Alexsei is probably out of the shower by now and damp and sexy, Cam is going to want me naked, too.

Not that I’d protest too hard…I am feeling better. More relaxed now that the cupcakes are out of the oven and cooled.

But I could ice the cupcakes and then get naked.

And I can think of a few uses for the leftover icing…

“Can you come in here?” he calls.

I blow out a breath and wipe my hands on my apron, starting for the living room. He had to have taken the icing. But if he thinks he’s going to just squirt my gourmet homemade icing straight into his mouth or use it on graham crackers or something…

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