Page 19 of Becoming Cinderella

He hurries down the sidewalk and I can’t believe this change of plans. I slowly close the door behind me and walk back to the kitchen, feeling like I’m in a daze. How did this night that was supposed to go so perfectly, end up taking such a nose dive?

I slide down the side of the kitchen island until I’m sitting on the floor. I don’t have the motivation to move, even though I should have grabbed a Dr. Pepper to help drown my sorrows. Tears begin to prick my eyes and I take a few deep breaths to try to keep them from pooling any further. It’s okay. I will be okay. This is just one night. I can try again.

But even as I’m trying to convince myself of this, my heart feels like it has permanently sunk to the bottom of my stomach.

My phone lights up next to me, but I don’t pick it up. Instead I stare absently across the kitchen. Maybe I’m overreacting about the whole thing, but that doesn’t lessen the sting. I want to be mad at him for asking me to still make the cookies, to offer to pay me to make them even. But right now I’m not mad, I’m only disappointed.

I glance up at the counter above me and see the bowl, still full with the ingredients, next to the bag he brought. Am I a push over for agreeing to this or am I just being nice? Where is the line between the two?

My phone lights up next to me again and I pick it up this time, seeing I have a couple messages from Liam.

Liam: How’s it going?

Part of me doesn’t want to respond, to let him know it isn’t going at all.

Liam: Good I hope?

His second message says after I hadn’t responded.

No Liam, not that good.

Carter: He canceled last minute. Still making the cookies for him though.

Liam’s response comes fast.

Liam: What? Why?

Carter: Let’s say soccer is more important and I’m an idiot who can’t say no to him.

Maybe I’m not an idiot, but I feel like one now. Mainly for getting my hopes up.

After a few minutes of him not texting me back I reach above me to place my phone on the counter when Rylee comes into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” She leans over the counter to look down at me.

“Oh good, you’re here. Can you grab me a Dr. Pepper?” I point towards the fridge.

She opens her mouth before closing it, instead grabbing one of the many Dr. Peppers I have my mom keep a stock of. She hands it to me without a word before leaving the kitchen. I can’t help think of those scenes in movies when a character numbs their broken heart by consuming bottles of alcohol. I suddenly feel I can relate as I treat my Dr. Pepper as my own glass of numbing alcohol.

I stay on the kitchen floor and am almost finished with my soda when the doorbell rings. I don’t move though. What’s the point? It’s not for me.

When the doorbell rings again, I decide no one else is going to get it because they think it is for me. Maybe Jared felt bad and came back? With this thought I pick up my pace as I make my way to the door, stepping back in surprise when I open it.

“Liam? What are you doing here?”

He gives me a one shouldered shrug. “You said you were still going to make the cookies and I didn’t want you to have to do it alone.”

I might cry. I don’t thankfully, but I could because this is insanely thoughtful and right now the smallest gesture can release the tears I have been trying to hold back. I step aside to let him in, closing the door behind him before leading him to the kitchen.

“Oh good, you haven’t started yet.” He looks at the bowl of ingredients before turning to me. He must see the disappointment in my face because he bends slightly at the knees to meet my eyes better. “Hey, everything will be fine. One failed attempt isn’t going to make or break this thing, okay?

I can’t meet his eyes but I manage to nod my head.

He goes to the island as he pulls out the ingredients from the bowl before pulling out the same ingredients from Jared’s bag.

“Alright, you’re the boss. What’s first?”

I grab a recipe book from the cupboard above the fridge and open it to the deserts section, scanning the pages for chocolate chip cookies.

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