Page 30 of You Cake My Breath Away

A shrill ring stops my self-destruction, my dad’s ringtone.

“Hey Dad.”

“Tilda,” he says, an air of sadness in his tone. “Where have you been?”

Anxiety curls in my stomach. I hate how he makes it seem like I’ve been avoiding him when he’s the one being sketchy.

I still haven’t told him about the bakery.

Eventually I will, but I’m not ready for him to have an opinion about it yet. I could stay making boring desserts for my parents’ restaurants for the rest of my life, but I need to do this for myself. And Rosie. She’d never forgive me if I gave up making her cupcakes.

My desserts should be in the hands of the people, talked about during school events and birthday parties, maybe even weddings one day.

“Baking.” I run my hands up and down my arms.

“I can tell by the amount of treats,” he laughs. “Shantel dropped off more than your usual haul yesterday, but I haven’t seen you since last week.”

You’d think he would’ve called sooner, but I’m sure it slipped his mind. He’s a busy man, after all. Hell, every time I come to the restaurant I feel like he’s rushing me out, like he doesn’t want to see me. Why is he worried about where I’ve been now?

“I’ve been busy helping Archer with some work at—”

“Archer?” His interruption sets me on edge. “What are you doing with him?”

“I just told you I’m helping him—”

“I thought you were going to start helping Shantel at her salon?”

“Not until the beginning of the year.”

Damn it, Dad. Would you just shut the hell up?

He continues. “I can find something for you at one of the restaurants.”

“No, Dad.” I sigh. “I’m fine.”

I wish things were different between us, that losing my mom didn’t create this chasm where it feels like we’re on different continents.

“Okay. I’ll see you for dinner this weekend?” he asks with a weird tinge of something akin to hope lacing his tone.

“Sure.”

With a stale ‘I love you’ the line goes silent.

I stare down at the ring I’ve told myself multiple times I’d take off, yet each time I think about doing it, I’m reminded of how alone I feel, and the comfort of having the ring on my finger fills my chest with a sense of peace.

Love is supposed to fill you, but it seems like someone broke the tab on my tank and it’s all spilled out of me, never able to refill. The love Jessie showed me is like droplets clinging to the side of the tank, moments away from evaporating and leaving me dry.

Chapter fifteen

Archer

Jessie and Tilly’s First Anniversary

Dear Seb,

Whoever made the gift list for wedding anniversaries had to be a businessman. Paper. Who buys their significant other paper to say, ‘I love you?’ Rich people who send memos on special stationary or military wives sending their deployed husbands a love letter sealed with a kiss.

How do I know this, you ask? Well, Jessie asked me to come with him to buy Tilly a ‘first anniversary’ present. I should’ve known, since he always asks my opinion, but something this important should be from him and him alone. The woman at Tiffany’s was really nice. Even though it could’ve potentially lost her a sale, she told Jessie the first anniversary wasn’t a huge diamond but a slab of tree. I tried to tell him a diamond wasn’t the way to go, but he never listens.

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