Chapter 3

I sat there stunned, my mouth falling open without thinking.

The warm oatmeal slid down my throat, faintly sweet in a way I almost didn't catch.

My heart was hammering so hard I could hear it in my ears. No way was I looking Christopher in the eye.

What the hell was he doing?

"How's it taste?" His voice was right there, close enough that I could hear the smile in it.

"Good," I stammered. "It's good."

"Then have some more." He scooped up another spoonful and held it out to me.

I was losing my mind.

The doorbell rang just as the tension between us had stretched past the point of bearable.

I could have kissed whoever was on the other side. I jumped up and nearly tripped over myself getting to the door.

Rachel stood on the other side, arms loaded with snack bags, her face lit up with the nosiest expression I'd ever seen.

"Spill it. Right now. What happened last night? My brother didn't try anything weird, did he?"

Before I could answer, Rachel spotted Christopher behind me.

Her eyes went wide with shock. "Wait. Chris? You actually came? And you're wearing my, no, that's Anna's apron?"

Rachel pushed past me and circled Christopher twice, studying him like he was some rare specimen.

Her voice dripped with amazement as she spoke. "This is unbelievable. My brother, the guy who's never touched a spatula in his life, actually cooked something. Anna, what kind of spell did you put on him?"

I forced an awkward smile, completely at a loss for words.

Christopher, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm as he untied the apron and slipped back into his usual composed demeanor.

"Just passing by," he said simply.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I'm stupid? You live on the east side of town, and Anna lives on the west. You'd have to cross the entire city to 'pass by' here."

She leaned in close to my ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think he's into you. When I sent him that screenshot of your messages last night, he didn't say a word. He just bolted out the door, and it freaked me out."

My stomach dropped.

So Rachel really was behind this.

"Don't even start!" I pinched her arm, fuming. "You nearly got me killed."

"Oh, come on. You just got dumped, so I thought I'd give you something fun to focus on." Rachel grinned shamelessly. "Besides, my brother's a total catch. You should be thanking me."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What kind of logic was that?

Rachel's arrival at least broke the tension between Christopher and me.

She immediately launched into a heated rant about Lucas' public announcement from last night, then declared with righteous fury that we absolutely had to teach that cheating bastard and his home-wrecker a lesson.

"Anna, didn't you sign up for that Rising Star Baking Competition? It's next weekend! You have to compete and win the whole thing so those two cheaters will choke on their regret!"

The Rising Star Competition was one of the most prestigious baking competitions in the country, and I had registered for it months ago.

My day job was working as an apprentice at a dessert shop, but on the side, I ran an anonymous food account called Sugar that had gained a modest following in the baking community.

I had entered the competition under my Sugar alias.

But after Lucas' betrayal, I couldn't muster the energy to care about it anymore.

"Forget it. I'm not in the mood," I said, shaking my head.

"No way!" Rachel's tone left no room for argument. "You have to go. This isn't just about you anymore. It's about proving yourself.

"Picture it. You're standing on that winner's podium with the trophy, and Lucas, that blind idiot, is watching from the audience, drowning in regret!"

The image Rachel painted was admittedly tempting.

I had to admit she was getting to me.

"But what if I mess it up?" I couldn't shake the doubt creeping in.

"Mess it up?" Rachel slapped her palm against her chest. "No way. I've got your back. I'll be your hype woman, your cheerleader, your whole support system."

She whipped around to face Christopher, who'd been silent this whole time. "Right, Chris?"

Christopher set down his coffee and locked eyes with me. His gaze held absolute certainty. "You can do it."

Charles' simple words cut through my doubt better than a hundred pep talks from Rachel ever could.

I looked at him, warmth spreading through my chest.

"Okay. I'll go." I clenched my fists, steadying myself.

"That's my girl!" Rachel snapped her fingers. "To celebrate Anna's fresh start, we're doing lunch at that place Lucas posted on Instagram yesterday."

I blinked. "Why would we go there?"

"To run into them, obviously, and shove your glow-up right in their smug faces!" Rachel's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Picture it! You walk in with my gorgeous brother on your arm, and Lucas turns green with jealousy. It'll be perfect."

The idea had a certain appeal, I had to admit.

I glanced at Christopher. "Would that be too much trouble for you?"

"Not at all." His tone remained casual. "I have a client meeting in that area anyway."

Well, when he put it that way, how could I refuse?

An hour later, I slipped into the dress I'd been saving for a special occasion and applied subtle but polished makeup. Rachel, Christopher, and I arrived at Skyline Bistro, a restaurant perched on the top floor of downtown's tallest building.

The views stretched endlessly across the city, and the prices matched the altitude.

I'd only seen this place in food magazines before.

We had barely settled into our reserved seats when a familiar, grating voice cut through the air.

"Well, look who it is. Anna, right? Didn't expect to see you in a place like this."

I turned around. Of course, it was Lucas and Bella.

Lucas wore a sharply tailored suit, his hair slicked back with enough product to reflect the restaurant's ambient lighting. When his eyes landed on me, they gleamed with contempt and smug satisfaction.

Bella clung to his arm with practiced intimacy, her expression designed to provoke.

"Lucas, don't be like that," Bella purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Maybe she won the lottery or something."

"You're right," Lucas said, his smile widening. "Though the minimum spend here would probably cover her takeout budget for a year."

Fury surged through me. My hands itched to flip the table.

Rachel was even more fired up than I was. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to tear into them right there.

I grabbed her arm and took a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm.

Getting worked up over people like this wasn't worth it.

So I forced a smile and turned to Lucas. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not the one picking up the check tonight. My boyfriend is."

I tilted my chin toward Christopher's end of the table.

He'd been leaning back in his chair the whole time, gazing out the window like none of this had anything to do with him.

It wasn't until the word boyfriend left my lips that he slowly turned his head.

Lucas and Bella both followed my gaze, and the moment their eyes landed on Christopher, I watched the smugness drain right out of their faces.