Page 45 of Tasting Sin

“Cheers to Sugar & Spice and everything nice!” Ava shouted, holding up her third Manhattan. “I knew this was going to work out for us.”

“You said that,” I said, tapping my glass to hers before I took the shot. The liquor warmed my throat on the way down, and I hummed. “But I don’t think either of us actually believed this was going to work out.”

Ava shrugged, tapping her glass against the wooden countertop before she brought it to her lips. “I did. I totally knew it.” She waved her hand to silently order another round, and I laughed.

“And how did you know it?” I asked with air quotes before I checked to make sure the bartender was bringing our drinks. I needed to be patient, but I was hoping another shot would make me forget about the yellow sign and eviction papers that taunted me for weeks. It might also make me believe I was actually going to keep my bakery. It was almost too good to be true, but I wanted it to be.

Ava eagerly grabbed the fresh shots from the bartender when he sat them on the counter, eyeing her when she nearly squealed with excitement. I took the shot when she offered it to me before lifting her own glass. “Because things always work out for you.” She shrugged and took the shot, ignoring my scoff. I sat my glass on the table, staring at her with my mouth agape, and she swatted at my arm. “You know what I mean, Nel. You’ve never let anything stop you. You’ve gone through the absolute worst and come out on top. You’re a strong woman, and I knew this would be no different.” She tilted her glass at me to emphasize her point before she tossed the drink back.

“I kind of let this one defeat me, if I’m being honest.” Hadn’t I all but given up? “I mean, I was telling the mixer goodbye six hours ago!”

She rolled her eyes so dramatically, her whole head followed. “You and I both know this wasn’t going to be the end of Sugar & Spice no matter what happened.” I knew she was right—we both loved the bakery too much to really give it up. We would’ve found somewhere else to make and sell the cupcakes. Now, we didn’t need to.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” I clapped my glass against the counter and took the shot, choking slightly on the liquor and swallowing the burn it left behind.

“I know.” Ava jumped off her stool with a cocky shrug of her shoulder, nodding her head toward the door. She tossed cash on the bar, winking at the bartender before she took off in the direction of the exit.

When we got out onto the sidewalk, I took a quick scan of the area, slightly hopeful I would see Ronan climbing into his car somewhere. He always happened to be in the right place at the right time. I didn’t see him, though, and my stomach felt heavy with the disappointment Ava was clearly able to see on my face. She hooked her arm through mine.

“Okay, so I have to know.” I knew she was going to ask about him before she even continued. “You and this Ronan guy. What’s the deal?”

I shook my head. How was I supposed to explain it to her? I didn’t even know how to explain it to myself. I sighed, dropping my head back and staring at the stars until I was convinced they weren’t going to answer the question for me. “I don’t know. It’s… complicated.”

“What’s so complicated about it? You either like him or you don’t.” It wasn’t unlike Ava to see things in black or white.

“It’s not that simple, Ava.” I kicked a rock across the cobblestone road beneath me, listening to the clapping echo off the brick buildings. Each click was like another thought I couldn’t seem to get straight. “I thought he was gone forever, and now he’s back, and I think I like him. Like, not just in that maybe I can stand him kind of way, but in that maybe I want to see him everyday kind of way, and that scares me.”

She seemed unbothered, skipping over an uneven stone in the sidewalk. “Why does that scare you?” I looked around the abandoned street to make sure it was still empty before I looked up at the sky.

“I mean, for starters, he was Dickie’s best friend!” I wondered again what he would think. He wouldn’t be okay with the things that happened between me and Ronan. My stomach churned. I didn’t care. “And now, he’s all I can think about.”

“Woah!” Ava turned up the stairs to the door to my apartment, silently letting me know she intended to stay the night. “All you can think about sounds pretty serious. This guy really has that much of a hold on you, huh?”

I nodded sheepishly, not wanting to admit it. “I think so,” I said when I pulled my keys from my bag.

“I kinda think you should see what happens.” She shrugged, and I gasped.

“You do?” When I pushed the door open, Spice pranced up to us, bumping into me before he diverted his attention to Ava. He always favored her when she came over.

Ava squatted down, scratching behind Spice’s ears and clicking her tongue at him. “I mean, maybe.” She looked up at me the way Spice was looking up at her. “Maybe he showed back up for a reason. Don’t things usually happen for a reason?” My stomach dropped.

Let me help you.

Chapter 27

Nellie

“Idefinitely did not need that extra glass of wine after we got home last night,” I grumbled to myself when I pulled up in front of the bakery. My head pounded, and I blinked to guard my eyes against the brightness of the sun. It didn’t help, even with the added protection of my sunglasses.

When I climbed out of the car, my stomach lurched, and I swallowed back the bile that started to make its way up my throat. I was determined not to throw up. Then, I turned around, and the nausea making my stomach cramp was replaced with anxiety that spread into my chest. I gasped.

Across the front of the bakery were letters painted in red. PUTTANA INGRATA.

“What the hell?” I asked, scrambling backwards. I looked around, but nobody was there. The street was quiet with the exception of my pounding heart and the wheezing breath caught in my throat. “Who would do this?”

My hands shook when I dug into my purse for my phone, and I almost couldn’t steady them enough to unlock it or to dial. I clicked, holding my breath while the phone rang.

“Hey, sugar,” he answered quickly. I had expected his voice to comfort me, but instead, I started to cry.

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