The Desire Variable | Rewrite

⸻ THIRTY-EIGHT ⸻

The idea has her giggling, even though I'm dead serious, and she shakes her head. "Something tells me not a single one will pass the test."

"Yeah, probably not. Anyhow, let's get on with these cupcakes. Actually, you know what? I think Oli deserves more than cupcakes. We're making your peanut butter cookies, the red velvet cupcakes, and the Snickers brownies. And we're making batches of those for my parents, Tyler—who can't resist your baking—myself, Lex—or else he'll eat my stuff—and you."

"Deedee, that's a lot."

"You bet your sweet ass it is. We'll be baking the entire day." She's too clever not to understand why I'm doing this, so she gives me a teary smile full of appreciation and affection.

"I love you so much, you incredible bitch," she tells me, coming my way to give me an intense hug.

"I love you too, you magnificent skank," I reply, wrapping my arms around her slender frame.

For over three hours, we're thrown back a decade into the past, having fun baking like we used to do in high school. For the occasion, we even put on a playlist from back then, missing those years when everything was so much simpler. Kate is still impressive at all this, and I'm still excellent at assisting her and tasting things. It's honestly the best distraction we could ever have come up with since we're too busy to even give Stefano a thought. From time to time, though, I check my phone to see if I have any news from Oli.

A little after 2 pm, it finally comes. We stop what we're doing, and after wiping my flour-covered hands on my apron, I read the message out loud for Kate. "Hey, Dora. It's done. Everything went smoothly. I removed the copy on his cloud, computer, and a hard drive that was luckily plugged in. I also let him understand a few of us would be watching him, so he better not do anything like this in the future. Tell me if he bothers Kate again, and I'll see what else can be done. Oh, I also turned his computer into an overpriced brick."

We both reread the message, and the tension fades. "Dora?" Kate asks after a few seconds pass, amused.

"It's because I look like her. With the—"

"Yeah, the backpack and the haircut... It's cute. I like it."

"Me too."

It's done. It's really done.

"I can't believe this is finally over," she says, an incredulous smile stretching her pink lips. "Stefano's been harassing me for months, and now it's finally over."

"You should have come to me sooner, babe. I could have helped and supported you."

"I didn't want to bother you. You had so much going on with your job and your new life, and Lex. I didn't—"

"You are more important than any job, Kay. You're my ride-or-die. I need to know these things."

She laughs softly, returning to her piping bag. "Okay, I promise. Next time some asshole breaks my heart, I'll tell you."

"There won't be any more assholes. I'm the one approving the next ones, remember?" I humor. She snorts, refusing the statement with a shake of her head.

About an hour later, we're nearly done with everything. The last batch of Snickers brownies is cooking in the oven, and the dishes are almost finished. We're a mess, with flour and traces of chocolate on our aprons, exhausted by our impressive accomplishment. Never in the past had we baked that many things. Not even for my quinceañera or her sweet sixteen.

I'm still handling the dishes when the doorbell rings, so Kate handles it. I hear voices but can't make out what's being said. However, when the tone rises, I perceive the distress in Kate's voice.