Page 153 of A Very Merry Enemy
I force myself out of bed and into the shower, letting the hot water run over me until it turns lukewarm. When I catch my reflection in the foggy mirror, I barely recognize myself. I look like I haven’t slept; probably because I haven’t. The only time I can rest is when Lucas is holding me.
When I’m alone and I close my eyes, I see Dominic’s face. I can hear his threats and remember how he controlled me. I imagine those videos being released, my parents seeing them, and the whole town knowing every intimate detail of my past. This is a game of cat and mouse, except I don’t know which one I am. Right now, I feel like I’m being hunted.
I get dressed in the dark, and by four fifteen, I’m in my car, driving down the empty country road that leads to the Christmas tree farm. When I turn onto the property, Christmas lights twinkle in the predawn darkness. Usually, it makes me smile, but today I just feel lonely.
The lights are already on at the bakery when I pull up. Bella’s car is in the parking lot, and when I walk inside, she’s already wearing her apron and pulling ingredients from the walk-in fridge.
“Why are you here?” I ask.
“Wanted to get started and give you a break,” she says. “You’re mentally exhausted, Holiday.”
“I am,” I say. “Will be happy when this contest is over and everything can go back to normal.”
Normal. I don’t even know what that is.
“Yes, tomorrow is going to be a big day!” She’s way too cheerful for four thirty in the morning. “Are you excited? Nervous? Both?”
“Both,” I manage, tying on my apron, barely awake.
I move to the coffee maker and brew some coffee, hoping it jolts me awake. Right before I take my first sip, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, expecting a good morning text from Lucas. But it’s not.
Dominic
Look what I just came across on my phone. Missing you terribly.
Below the text is a thumbnail file of a video. My stomach drops because I recognize the setting immediately. It’s our condo in Paris. More specifically, the bedroom with the exposed brick wall, and in the thumbnail, I can see myself on the bed.
My hands start shaking so badly that I almost drop the phone.
This is his warning shot. His reminder that he has power over me. That tomorrow, when I’m standing in front of everyone, he’ll be watching me while lording this over my head.
I don’t watch the video because I can’t. I know what’s in it and seeing it will destroy me. With trembling fingers, I text Lucas.
Holiday
He sent me one of the videos.
The response comes within seconds.
Lucas
Fuck him. He’s just trying to get into your head and play mental games. Don’t let him, HoHo. You hold all the cards.
Lucas
Also, good morning. Can’t wait to see you.
I force myself to focus on work as I make the icing. Today, I’m making Double Doozie gingerbread men, peanut butter blossoms, and red velvet cookies. I know they’ll all be bestsellers,and we’ll sell out in hours, but there is nothing I can do until the bakery is expanded. My hands know the measurements to the icing by heart, even when my brain is somewhere else.
Bella pulls the first batches out of the oven, and they come out perfectly.
“I have to run home real quick,” Bella tells me. “I forgot my headphones, and I want to listen to my audiobook.”
“Okay, no problem,” I tell her.
“Ten minutes, max,” she says, rushing to the door.
I add the dough to the trays and place it inside the oven as I work on the rest of the prep. When I smell the cookies, I realize I forgot to set a timer. When I pull them out, they’re burned with black edges. The gingerbread men look more like corpses. I stare at the ruined cookies and something inside me cracks. I’ve been baking since I was eleven years old. I’ve worked at Michelin-star restaurants. I don’t ever burn cookies like this. But I just did.
