Page 43 of The Bright Side of Brooding
Chapter Nineteen
Nick
I would give you stardust. Say the word, it is yours. The incandescent beauty of you both will outshine all the darkest places.
The rest of the day went smoothly. Rob’s last event was brutal, but we’d anticipated that. His spirits were high, and I had to give him credit for that. He’d been able to keep the sense of wonder and excitement of just being there rather than expecting himself to perform beyond what he’d trained for. He was new, and his ambitions weren’t ultimately for competition. I admired his tenacity and his willingness to compete even when he had far less experience than many of his fellow competitors.
Art and Alicia had both killed their days. Art held second place overall, and Alicia led the women. They were both incredible, especially considering quite a few of the top athletes here were already sponsored and working out a lot more than they were.
All that said, I didn’t have quite as much fun once Summer left for her class. I’d done my best not to let my mind wander to her and wonder what she thought of it. Maybe it was too obvious? Too commercial or basic? Maybe she’d be upset I hadn’t talked to her about it so she could choose how to spend her time.
Rather than dwelling on those concerns, I stayed mentally in the competition. But by four, three hours after she’d left, I couldn’t ignore the nervous energy. The events were done and my people were ready to recover back at our temporary home.
Once I got them settled, I went for a workout in the building’s gym. It’d been expanded and well stocked thanks to the competition being nearby, so I was able to push myself and therefore banish thoughts of Summer’s eyes, lips, voice, hands…everythingfrom my mind for a bit.
By six, I’d showered, changed, and would’ve helped with dinner but Art and Alicia refused. In the past, we’d traded off who cooked, and since I’d ordered last night’s meal, I guessed they counted that as me cooking. Not quite fair, but if they didn’t want me hovering, I couldn’t blame them.
At six twenty-three, Summer walked in. Just the jiggle of keys at the apartment door made my heart start sprinting because everyone else was already inside. But rather than jump up and look like a puppy whose owner had returned from work, I stayed put on the couch, book in hand, feet up on the ottoman. So relaxed and chill, I impressed even myself.
“She’s back! Our star baker has arrived,” Rob said, greeting Summer with a big hug.
I was knotted up enough that I didn’t even feel ashamed of the whisper of jealousy that slipped through me. I wanted to hug her. Sure, fine, let Rob hug her too because they were friends, but I wanted that as well. Enough it made my stomach clench and my throat burn until I doused it with a drink of water.
Alicia and Art cheered and peeked their heads out of the kitchen, clearly both midstep in their dinner prep. “How was it?”
Summer smiled at them, a dreamy, sated look on her face. And that—thatmade my stomach drop.
“So good.”
Her voice, too. It emerged breathy and sweet.
Then her gaze found mine. Try as I might to seem anything short of completely rapt, I’d set aside the book and turned to face her, to study every gesture and breath. The electric shock that came in that glance, the pure happiness, shook something loose in me.
“Did you bring anything home?” Rob asked hopefully.
She smiled brighter, somehow, and produced a bulky canvas bag I hadn’t noticed.
Rob grabbed it and peered in, then clutched it to him. “This is all mine. Art and Alicia won’t eat this anyway.”
“Neither will you—not until after tomorrow.” I couldn’t suppress the coach in me, not even in this moment. The last thing any of them needed was a bunch of bread and pastries right before they tried to sleep.
“Don’t worry. I have recipes and techniques I’ll be practicing. I’ll need to give away some of it or I’ll die in a carb coma on my kitchen floor.”
“What did you make? Tell me everything and I will mentally consume it all for now.” Rob shot me a dirty look.
Summer rose to her tiptoes to speak, her excitement bursting from every pore. “We covered so much ground in six hours, it’s not even funny. We made… oh man, bread—like four different kinds of bread. We did cookies. Of course we did a Victoria sponge, an Italian sponge, and meringue. We did some chocolate work and made caramel, which I’ve never done. And… gosh, I know I’m forgetting so much already. I have a whole booklet of recipes, thankfully.”
“Okay, yes. Sinking into a baked-good-and-sweets coma now.” Rob pretended to faint.
She laughed, and Rob said something, but I didn’t hear. My mind had narrowed the entire apartment to her.
Then I realized I was probably staring like a weirdo and turned back around. I didn’t want to crowd her or pressure her, but every ounce of me willed her to come talk to me.Come tell me how it was. Did it make you happy?
Instead of asking, I picked up the book I’d been staring at and continued the good work.
“That was a very mean trick, Nick Masters.”
Her voice arrived before she did, then the cushion next to me slumped as she sat down. Close, but not touching me.
