I shrugged. “It’s for Jude, he won’t mind.”
Together we iced the cake when it cooled enough. Alright, I let her do most of the icing, but only because she did it so much better than I did.
Once all sides of the cake were covered in icing I grabbed the bag of gummy bears and sprinkled them on top, as well as sticking some to the sides.
And that folks, was how you made a gummy bear cake.
Lucinda appraised our handy work with a small smile. “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, if this doesn’t work then I don’t know what else would.”
“Thank you so much for helping me with this, Lucinda,” I hugged her.
Patting my back, she said, “It was no problem at all.” Stepping back, she looked over my disheveled appearance, cake batter and icing covered my clothes and I felt something sticky on my cheek. “You better clean up and get out of here.”
I’d brought a change of clothes with me so I wouldn’t have to go home.
I cleaned up in the bathroom, wiping icing from cheek and freshening my makeup. I swiped on some mascara and put a red gloss on my lips. I fluffed my hair and changed into shorts and a t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but that wasn’t me, and I knew no pretty dress would erase what I had done. Only I could do that with my words—and the gummy bear cake of course.
“Thank you, again!” I called to Lucinda as I dashed out of the bathroom.
“I hope it goes well.” She turned on one of the beaters as she started making cupcakes for the morning crowd that would be arriving soon. I couldn’t believe she’d offered to come in before opening time to help me. I really liked her, and Bryce too. I’d lucked out with this job.
I grabbed the cake up—which was fixed in a glass cake platter—and went out to my car. I prayed to the cake gods that nothing messed it up and it would make it to Jude in one piece. Even if he said he never wanted to see me again he should at least get to enjoy the cake. Although, with my fiery personality it was more likely I’d try to throw it at him.
I drove to Jude’s townhouse, my heart thundering in my chest and my blood roaring in my ears. I was about two seconds away from breaking out in an all body nervous sweat. I was terrified to see him after twelve days apart. But I was even more terrified of living my life without him.
Jude was my future and I wasn’t going to let my pride ruin that. It was time to stop running and hiding from my feelings. I had to accept them and give Jude my whole heart. Not part, not half. All of it.
No more holding back.
I was going to lay it all out there.
I parked on the street in front of the townhouse and turned off my car.
“You can do this, Tatum,” I chanted quietly to myself. “Get out of the car and get your man back.”
Repeating this mantra in my head I grabbed the cake and forced my stiff body out of the car.
I stepped onto the walkway and up the steps. I adjusted my hold on the cake so I could ring the doorbell.
I held my breath when I heard footsteps approaching. I lowered my head, not ready to face him.
The door swung open and I heard a gasp of, “Tatum?”
It wasn’t the voice I longed to hear. My head rose slowly and my eyes connected with Dylan’s.
His face darkened and he glared at me. I flinched. I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction from him, but he was Jude’s best friend so of course he was mad at me.
“Why are you here?” He snapped, moving his body so that it was clear I wasn’t invited inside.
My palms grew sweaty against the glass cake holder.
“I-I came to apologize.” I stuttered, flicking hair from my eyes.
He narrowed his eyes. “Apologize? It’s a bit late for that,” he growled. “Don’t you think?”
Tears pricked my eyes but I dammed them back. Squaring my shoulders I held my head high. “I understand if he doesn’t want to see me, or if he’s moved on,” I swallowed the lump in my throat that my words had created, “but I need to see him. I have to let him know how sorry I am for overreacting. I should’ve listened to him and—”
Dylan cut me off with a heavy sigh and his eyes softened. “He’s not here.”