Page 55 of Battered Moves

I want to say something when Chase tugs on my arm.

“We can give her one more night,” he says quietly, and I nod in agreement.

“All right,” I respond.

Liv stands up and moves past us, saying goodbye to each of us with a kiss.

“See you tomorrow,” she whispers in my ear.

With that, she’s gone, leaving us all feeling worried.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

Liv

I let out a groan as I survey the chaos I’ve created in the kitchenette. I took a little detour to a grocery store to buy some balloons and everything I needed to make cupcakes. Despite our agreement not to go anywhere alone anymore, it was broad daylight and the store was crowded, so I didn’t worry too much. Frank’s update about Liam still being locked away provided me with some sense of security, although my heart ached for Madeline. I always liked her. Yes, she could be entitled at times, but she also had a gentle side.

Glancing at the clock, I realize it’s already eight pm. I’m relieved that I’ve packed all my stuff already, but I know the cupcakes I’m attempting to make are going to end in a disaster, so I decide to reach out to Gunner.

Are you any good at baking?

Depends on what we’re baking…

Please come over? *pout emoji*

Not a minute later, there’s a knock on the door, and I rush to open it, relieved to see him standing there. Leaning with his forearm on the doorframe, he looks down at me. He’s dressed in black sweatpants and a tight black shirt, which perfectly complements my own attire of black sweatpants and our koi shirt.

“Hey, Casper,” Gunner greets me, flipping my nose. “You’ve got a little bit of flour on your face.” He chuckles, gently nudging me inside and closing the door behind him.

I catch sight of myself in the mirror on the back of the door and burst into laughter. My face is completely covered in white flour, creating quite the mess. Gunner laughs wholeheartedly upon seeing the state the kitchenette is in.

“Holy shit, what exploded?” he jokes.

I quickly make my way to the bathroom to clean my face. Returning to Gunner, I pout at him.

“I definitely need some help,” I admit, and he smirks.

“I gathered that,” he teases, moving to the sink to wash his hands. “So, what are we making?”

“Chase’s birthday is tomorrow, and I wanted to bake him some cupcakes. Since he likes coconut ice cream, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with vanilla cupcakes with coconut frosting,” I say, and Gunner chuckles.

“And you thought baking them instead of buying them would be a good idea because…?” He trails off teasingly.

“I genuinely thought baking couldn’t be that hard,” I admit, biting my lip.

He laughs again. “You’re adorable, but let’s get you out of the kitchen,” he says. “I fear for the kitchen utensils.”

I try to protest, but he doesn’t budge, instead gently pushing me over to my bed.

“Stay here,” he instructs, pointing a finger at me, and I obediently sit down with my legs crossed. He glances around the room. “Where’s the recipe?”

I point to my laptop on the desk, and he walks over to it. He scans the instructions before gathering the necessary ingredients, then he skillfully begins mixing everything together. I watch in awe as he effortlessly navigates the kitchen, turning the potential disaster into something promising.

“You’re good at everything, aren’t you?” I ask him, half in admiration and half in jest.

“No, but if I wanted to have a birthday cake, I had to make it myself,” he says, a hint of sadness in his voice.My heart hurts for him.

“Not anymore,” I vow. He glances around at the chaos in the kitchen and then back at me.

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