Page 94 of Pucking Them
What cake would I even have asked for?
The birthday party was Shay’s. The friends were his.
I sacrificed my life for Shay to be able to live his. So, his happiness is all that matters, right?
I pass Cody’s surfboards, which are stacked against the far wall, padding on bare feet into the kitchen. The walls and open shelves are painted sky blue.
The afternoon sun streams over the exposed beams and wide-planked wooden floors. It also spotlights the baking battleground, which Cody and I left behind us.
“We forgot to clean up.” I stare in horror at the flour, cocoa, and sugar that spill across the counters.
I rush to the sink, snatching up a cloth. I begin to wipe down the sides.
“Hey, hey.” Cody grabs my arm to still me. He is dressed in blue boardshorts and matching t-shirt. “Leave it. We have your famous English Chocolate Birthday Fudge Cake to stuff our faces with.”
“But what about when Mike sees this?”
Cody is the wild spirit. Michael is stern.
They balance each other out, but I don’t want Cody to get into trouble because of my recipe.
Friends protect each other.
Cody looks at me, confused.
“Mike isn’t my dad or D’Angelo.” He chuckles. “I’ve heard about the prank war between Shay and him over jam on counters. Trust me, Mike has seen worse, especially when I was in my baking experimental phase.”
Shay sometimes talks about hisexperimental phase.
Was he talking about baking?
My brow furrows. “Like what?
“This is nothing compared to the Great Cupcake Explosion,” Cody whispers. “Let’s just say that’s how I learned never to experiment with baking powder.”
I hum in agreement.
Perhaps, I’ll have to ask Shay what he discovered inhisphase.
He may tell me some interesting things to add to my bakery notes.
Cody plucks two aprons off a peg, slipping one withREAL MEN BAKE COOKIESon over his tumble of hair. Then he tosses me a second rainbow one withBAKE SOMEONE HAPPYin black letters on the front.
I tie on the apron.
“As your birthday is coming up, what cake would you like me to bake you as a gift?” Cody offers like it’s not a big deal.
No one has bakedmemy own cake before.
I stare at him in shock. “There’s no party.”
Cody gives me a look that I don’t understand. “Ehm, okay. But you can still have a cake. You’re family and my best friend.”
Best friend?
I almost smile, before I catch myself.
“Star,” I manage to say.
