Page 10 of Sugar Lips

“Congratulations, Elizabeth!” they say, each giving me a hug. I still can’t believe it. I won. I fuckingwon!

I look up at Jackson again, beaming so much that the sides of my mouth hurt. I jump into his arms for another hug.

“Do you still want to date me?” I whisper into his ear.

“Of course I do,” he whispers into mine.

Then, suddenly, I realize there’s something I need to do.

“I need to call my mom!” I say, and excuse myself, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket.

She answers on the first ring. “Hello? Elizabeth?”

“Mom,” I say, tearing up again. “Guess what?”

Chapter Six

Jackson

“What do you two want on your popcorn?” I call out.

“A little bit of butter and salt,” Elizabeth calls back.

“Same,” her mother says.

I dump popcorn into three bowls and open the fridge to grab some butter. It’s been two months since Elizabeth and I filmed the baking competition, and tonight is the night it finally airs. We’ve both really been looking forward to this night, and so has Elizabeth’s mom—she keeps teasing us that she “can’t wait to see us fall for each other on screen.”

I melt some butter, drizzle it over our bowls of popcorn, and sprinkle a pinch of salt over each bowl, too. Then, with all three bowls in hand, I make my way out to the living room.

“Thank you, Jackson,” says Elizabeth’s mom, smiling as I hand her the first bowl. She’s been doing a lot better these days, and the doctors are optimistic that she’ll continue to improve.

“You’re welcome,” I say. I hand Elizabeth her bowl next and then settle down onto the couch next to her. A commercial is still playing on the TV. “You ready for this?”

“Are you kidding?” says Elizabeth. “I can’twaitto see me whoop your ass.”

I laugh. I’m about to remind her about those flavorless cookies she baked in the first round, but then the show starts and she shushes me and says, “It’s starting! It’s starting!”

As it turns out—as if this is any kind of surprise—it’s pretty weird to watch yourself on television. But it’s also pretty fun. And even though we were both there in person, it’s not like we were able to witness everything that was going on the whole time, so there’s lots of stuff in the show that’s new to us, too.

We watch, entertained, as our past selves bake our thirty-six themed cookies, as the judges bite into them and evaluate them, as the three initial eliminations are made. Then we watch as the remaining six of us bake our cakes, and I’m impressed all over again by the mummy cake that Elizabeth made.

“You should definitely recreate that cake,” I say to Elizabeth.

“I could be talked into that,” she says, smiling over at me.

“Like…for my birthday?”

She laughs. “If you really want a mummy cake for your birthday, sure.”

Elizabeth and I have been dating ever since filming the show. It hasn’t been easy, with my schedule the way it is, but we’ve made it work. And I’m absolutely crazy about her. Every kiss of ours is still electric. In fact…I’ve even caught myself considering the whole marriage thing. I know we’re still so early into our relationship…but…I don’t know. It feels right.

I should probably take it one step at a time, though. Like, you know, starting out with telling her that I love her.

“Ooh!” says Elizabeth, grabbing my thigh. “It’s diorama time!”

I bring my attention back to the TV screen. It is, indeed, diorama time. And as we construct our haunted small towns, I can’t help but feel so proud of Elizabeth. She reallydiddo an amazing job.

Soon, it’s time for the winner to be announced on the show. Elizabeth’s surprise and joy on screen is priceless. Then the show is over, and Elizabeth’s mom is raving about how wonderful and entertaining it was.

---