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For hours, I baked macarons. Grady filmed the entire painstaking process as I watched YouTube videos explaining the jargon Emma used in her recipe. After the first batch was finished, we tested the shells to ensure they were like Emma’s, and then I continued. Anne and Maddie made the icings while I worked on the shells, and I couldn’t help but enjoy the baking process. It was…oddly satisfying.
“If Emma needed proof that I love her, this is it,” I said when I knew Grady was filming me. He gave me a thumbs-up and motioned me to continue. “This is the hardest thing I have ever baked.”
When all the shells were finished, the girls made them into cute little sandwiches. And even though I knew they were best twenty-four hours after they were baked, I couldn’t help myself from giving one a try today. Grady filmed me as I bit into one and confirmed they were just like Emma’s. In fact, they might have been better, but I would never say that on camera.
Now I just needed Emma to see the footage from today, along with what I planned on doing next.
29
Emma
“I’m so happy to see you, Emmie,” Scarlett said, pulling me in for a hug as soon as I got out of the driver’s car. She stood on the street next to her apartment building, waiting for me. The driver retrieved my luggage and stood off to the side, waiting for us to part.
I nodded, feeling better now that I was with my sister. There were no tears yet, which was impressive for me. I pulled back. “Thanks for letting me come so last minute. I know that’s really inconvenient.” I grabbed my bag from the driver and was about to pull out my wallet to tip him, but he walked away before I could.
“It’s not a problem at all. I’m just glad you’re here.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the building.
A large figure stepped out of the shadows on the face of the building, and my steps faltered as I looked up at the huge man. He was at least six-foot-five, and he was built like a freight train. The man was huge, and my mind instantly took a turn for the worse. Not only was the man I had fallen for betraying me, but I was also about to be murdered in New York City.
Life just couldn’t get any better, could it?
“I’m fine, Nik. We’re just going to walk to the elevator and go to my apartment. You can go back home now.” Scarlett waved at the huge man, and relief flooded through my veins. She knew him and he wasn’t going to kill me. Hopefully.
“I’ll walk you two up,” Nik said. Scar was already shaking her head and I wondered who this man was to her.
“No, Nik. Nothing is going to happen to me between now and the time I reach my front door.” She pulled me to the front door of the building and he took another step towards us, annoyance on his face.
“Allison, you—”
“Seriously, Nik. I’m fine.” She cut him off, yanking on my arm.
We finally made it through the doorway and I looked over my shoulder to see the Nik guy shaking his head as he watched us retreat.
She basically hauled me through the building to the elevator and pushed the button four times in her impatience. The way she kept looking at the front of the building had me wondering if he was indeed a killer.
“Scarlett, who was that?” I asked as soon as the elevator closed around us.
“He’s my boss,” she groaned, rolling her eyes. When she didn’t elaborate more, I pressed her.
“Why is he so protective? And why did he call you Allison?” I’d only been here for a few minutes and was already wondering how I’d missed so much in Scarlett’s life. The thought saddened me because, obviously, I was too busy to call her enough.
“It’s a long story,” She replied as the elevator opened to the seventh floor, where we walked off. Scarlett pulled out her keys once we made it to the end of the hall. Shoving the key into the lock quickly, she looked over her shoulder again before opening the door.
“Are you worried about him following you?” I asked, and she just laughed.
“Yeah, and he would lock me in my apartment so that nothing could ever happen to me. He’d probably choose to stand outside the door to fend off anypotentially threatening beings.” She air quoted as if they were his words and not hers. I raised a brow, waiting for an explanation, but she just waved me off.
Once we were settled and my bag was in her guest bedroom, I joined Scarlett on the couch, where she had a tray of snacks waiting for me. Scarlett was usually a very anti-sugar-eating person, so I was shocked to see fruit snacks, cookies, sodas, and candy boxes. Her arms were open to me and I easily sank into her embrace. I was the oldest, but Scarlett was easily the most maternal and always had been. She had even taken care of me like this when we were young. Always the comforter, always the protector.
It was soothing just to be with her.
“What happened?” She whispered, playing with my hair.
I took a deep breath, which ended up being a shaky, ragged inhale. Tears swarmed my eyes quickly, and I wasn’t going to try to keep them down anymore.
“Last night, Liam told me he wanted us to be together again. After weeks of him always being there for me and helping me in ways, I can’t ever repay him for. He helped me fill all of my orders. Helped me bake everything. Weeks of his time. And I was falling for him the whole time. And falling for the trick.” The words came out a blubbery mess, but Scarlett listened intently and gave me the time I needed to say them.
“What trick?” She asked.
