The corners of his lips tugged up into a smile as he cocked his head at me. “Is that so?” His voice was low and filled with amusement. “I don’t know, Ally-Bear. I think you might just be a natural. But we’re definitely going to have to try again so I can be sure.”
Heat traveled to my cheeks, and I wanted nothing more but for a black hole to appear underneath me and swallow me whole.
“You look cute when you’re blushing.” He stroked a strand of my hair out of my face and toyed with it nervously. His eyes closed as he realized what he just said, and instantly, a deep breath drew from his lungs.
The last time someone called mecutewas when my grandparents came to visit from Italy. I was eight years old at that time.
Sure, my friends occasionally gave me compliments, but it was different when it came from someone who couldn’t have cared any less about you.
Eden needed me for one thing and one thing only: to make sure he could bake his sister’s baby shower pastries. He didn’t have to say I looked cute when I blushed—which I definitely didn’t.
My face must’ve been as red as a tomato, at least, that’s what it felt like. Yet somehow he lied to me and almost made me believe him.
Almost.
I cleared my throat, moving a bit farther away from him. “Well, uhm… I think we should probably not do this again.”
Something shifted the second those words left my mouth. Eden’s faint smile faltered, his eyes drained of the spark I’d seen a moment prior, and his lips parted and closed again as if he was at a loss for words.
At least until he bobbed his head. He regained his composure, and finally found his voice. “Yeah, of course not.” He sounded odd, almost hurt. “We’re just friends, right?”
I nodded, yet somehow, that nod felt wrong.
I always knew exactly what I wanted, and I always got it.
From a very young age, I knew I wanted to become a photographer—though I could never decide which kind of photographer. I still had some time to figure that out, though, and I knew I would eventually.
When I first started baking at twelve years old, I knew I wanted to master it. I worked hard, baked almost daily to reach a decent enough level, and I never gave up getting there.
I wanted good grades, not because I had to or needed them, but I made sure to get them.
The only times I didn’t get what I wanted was when it involved other people.
Each time I thought a boy was even remotely cute, he’d been my obsession from the very first second. And though I was aware I’d never talk to him because I was far from confident enough to do so, I knew this very crush wouldn’t leave for a while. And that was okay.
Still, I could see my future life when I closed my eyes, and nothing had ever disturbed those fantasies.
Not until Eden came along and decided to wreck all my plans.
Austin was supposed to be my goal. He was supposed to fall in love with me—thanks to Eden, but that didn’t matter.
Well, alright, when I talked to Austin the other day, he was kind of an asshole, but maybe he just had a bad day. He might’ve still very well been the awesome, sweet guy I imagined him to be.
I couldn’t give up on that yet, could I? I’d been crushing on Austin for far too long for him to have been nothing but a waste of my time.
An illusion.
Sure, I knew there was a possibility that Austin wasn’t going to be anything like the one I had pictured for myself. He could’ve been the complete opposite. But… no. I’d been dreaming of him for years. I couldn’t give that dream up because ofoneinteraction.
And Eden… well, it was complicated.
He didn’t like me.
Okay, maybe hedidlike me. As a friend. The friend he was slowly shaping into whatever version of mehepreferred.
Much like I did with Austin in my head…
Oh, God.