Page 74 of All My Broken Pieces

I follow his gaze and officially lose the battle with my laughter. Doubling over, I clutch my sides, laughing so hard I can barely stay upright.

“Stop it.” Ava cries. “It’s not funny!”

I push off my knees, walking across the room and coming to a stop to inspect the disaster before me. “Ava, what were you doing?” I giggle, running my gaze over the mess.

Scattered across the floor and countertops are dozens of eggshells, flour covering nearly every surface inch. Shifting my eyes, I notice large splatters of wet gloop clinging to the walls and ceiling.

“I was trying to make a cake.” Ava mumbles, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Why in the world would you try to bake a cake? Babe, I’ve never once known you to bake.” My gaze travels over her as I try so hard to hold back my laughter.

I don’t want to make the situation worse by my reaction, but as I look at the large clumps of batter in her hair, smudged flour covering her face, neck, and majority of her body, I know it’s a losing battle.

“It’s a surprise.” She mumbles miserably. “I just wanted something nice for…” She stops herself, shifting her eyes to me and away. “For the surprise.”

“I can help.” Hudson’s quiet voice cuts in.

I turn to him, my eyebrows raised. “You can?”

He shrugs, a half smile lifting up his lips. “I like to bake.” His cheeks stain red as he glances away.

“What? Since when?” I take a step closer, crossing my arms and waiting for him to look at me before demanding, “And why have we not had a multitude of goodies this whole time?”

He mirrors my stance, replying with another shrug of his shoulders. “You never asked.”

“Oh, you little shit.” I gasp, feigning indignation.

“Wait, you actually can bake a cake? Like, for real?” Ava chimes in. “And you want to help?”

Hudson turns to her, dropping his arms and grinning. “Sure can.” His gaze moves over the mayhem of the kitchen. “But, uh, we’re going to need to clean this up first.”

“Babe, I love him.” Ava calls to me, spinning on her heels and beginning the arduous task of cleanup.

I chuckle, sidestepping her and pulling down a bottle of wine and a glass. “Me too.” I smile at my brother as I pour my drink, choosing to ignore the concern in his eyes.

Chapter 33

Arriana

“Where are we going?” I ask, peering out the windshield and trying to familiarize myself with the area.

“Need to make a quick stop first.” Killian rumbles, indicating his signal to make a turn.

My eyes narrow, but I don’t say anything else. Slowly but surely, our surroundings begin to look familiar. “Wait, I thought you said Andrew was busy?”

Muttering under his breath, Killian doesn’t respond to my question.

“Okay, fine, keep your secrets, old man.” I quip, leaning back in the seat.

About twenty minutes later, we pull up outside of Andrew’s home.

It’s a simple single-level home, nothing super fancy. At least not on the outside.

Killian pulls up to a stop and I leap out of the car. I’m excited to get back to Fallon, but can see the importance of debriefing with Andrew and Killian first, especially considering the mess I left behind in Spokane.

Knocking on the front door, I wait impatiently for Andrew to open the door. When he does, I can’t help but do a double take. “Shit, Drewbie, you look like, well,shit.” I chuckle.

My eyes run down his body, noticing he’s lost a considerable amount of weight himself. His once bulging muscles and stocky frame now an emaciated version. The thin layer of stubble-like hair now covering his normally bald head, bags under his eyes, and disheveled clothing all point to a general lack of upkeep.

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