Page 25 of The Plan
I look at his darkened figure for a few seconds. An apology for leaving or not staying, I’m not sure. I have no idea what I want. All I know is what’s for the best, so I pull my eyes from his and back off his drive.
Blake: Did you get home okay?
Me: Yes, thank you.
Blake: Sleep tight, baker girl. Sweet dreams xxx
I stare at that last message for the longest time. Firstly, because it reminds me that I just left boxes of cakes a client is expecting tomorrow in his kitchen, and secondly, those three kisses. I lift my fingers to my lips trying to imagine what his lips might feel like against them. Would they be as soft as they look?
* * *
Blake and Sinead turn up first thing the next morning with my cupcakes. Sinead is practically buzzing as she shows Aunt Addy and tells her all about how we made them. I think she’s still running on last night’s sugar.
Blake, on the other hand, hardly says anything. He stands in the corner of the kitchen and silently watches as Sinead chats away before she turns to see what I’m working on. My next bake is a chocolate fudge cake decorated with hearts and flowers for a teenage girl’s birthday tomorrow. I’ll make the cake in the morning; I’m spending today making all the decorations in dark, milk and white chocolate.
“Are you okay, Blake?” Aunt Addy ask when she notices his mood.
“Yeah.”
“He’s hungover,” Sinead helpfully adds, much to Blake annoyance.
“I’m fine,” he snaps.
I keep looking over to him but he avoids my eyes. I try not to think too much of it but it’s so unlike any other time we’ve been in the same room that it’s clear the issue is me.
“Excuse me,” I say, putting my flower down and leaving the room.
Blake being off shouldn’t affect me. I’m the one who keeps saying it can’t happen. I was the one who insisted on walking away last night for reasons that I still stand by, but his coldness hits me deep.
“Did something happen with you two last night? I heard you come in. It was late.”
“What? No!” I say, making myself look guilty. “Blake was just late, and drunk. He probably does have a hangover.”
“I think it was more than that.”
Thankfully, I don’t have time to sit and dissect the Blake situation with Aunt Addy because I have forty-eight cupcakes to deliver to the local community centre for a wedding. I notice the spare ones Sinead and I made haven’t been brought back, so I can only imagine how many she’s eaten this morning.
I intend to go alone to give me some thinking time about this whole Blake situation, but Aunt Addy insists on tagging along because she wants to take me to lunch to say thank you for babysitting for her last night. I tell her it’s not necessary but she won’t have it.
* * *
I want to say that it’s not because of me and what did—well, didn’t—happen at Blake’s last Friday night, but he’s kept away from Aunt Addy’s ever since the morning he dropped the cakes off. I know he’s been busy because Aunt Addy has been looking after Sinead more than usual, but that doesn’t stop me worrying that it’s because of me.
I’m also annoyed because I’ve heard diddly squat from the solicitor who’s meant to be sorting my divorce out. Every time I ring, I swear her assistant just fobs me off with some crap about having issues pulling everything together. I hired her because I was confident she’d be able to get it sorted quickly, and fairly pain-free, but it doesn’t seem to be turning out that way.
“Happy thirtieth birthday, sweetheart,” Aunt Addy sings when she comes into the living room and pulls the curtains back. I groan and roll back over. I was up late icing last night; I’m not ready to get up yet. “What, did you think I’d forget?”
I knew she wouldn’t. She’s the only person I have religiously received a birthday card from all my life, so now I’m here, I knew she’d be on top of it.
“Here,” she says, passing me a card and present.
I pull the card open to see a glittery cake looking back at me and smile. The present is a dainty silver bracelet that has a shamrock hanging from the chain with a small emerald in the centre. It’s simple and perfect: just the reminder I need of what I’m doing here. I immediately remove it from its packaging and place it over my wrist. Aunt Addy sees what I’m doing and comes to sit down next to me to help.
“It’s good to see you smile again. I’ve been worried about you the last few days.”
“I’m fine. Thank you for this—I love it.”
“It’s not much but it had your name written all over it.”
