Callie Reeves is a perfectionist. She has control over everything from her friends to her grades, the cheerleading squad she captains and anyone inbetween - even when it comes to dating.
After creating a list of rules to keep her no-strings attache...
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"Stupid cast." I mutter, tossing the knife on the chopping board when the beef looks like a slaughtered mess.
I managed to make a meatloaf - because it's what I'm most confident in cooking - that would've tasted delicious, if it didn't look like shit. I mixed the mince, breadcrumbs, egg, tomato sauce, even chopped the damn onion with one hand and it ends up like this.
Annoyed at the outcome I rip the tape keeping the plastic bag over my cast off and discard it on the counter. I didn't want it to smell like meatloaf or any food I was cooking, even if it comes off tomorrow.
The doorbell rings and I pivot to check on the vegetables boiling, hearing it ring again. I take the pot and empty them into the coliander in the sink, turning the stove off before going to get the door.
Glancing down at my dress I exhale with relief that nothing got on it before opening the door. Except it isn't Sam.
Summer barges in carrying a piece of paper, oblivious as she walks through the house. "Okay so we need to finalize the guestlist so people know by tomorrow about your birthday. I was thinking that we could make it a Facebook event but keep it private to avoid sending out invitations."
"Now isn't a good time." I follow after her, rounding the kitchen island counter while she stops at the end.
"Why? You're only making dinner,"She scrunches up her nose when she looks at the chopping board. "What is that? It looks like dog food."
Dog food. Lovely. I can feel tears pricking at the corner of my eyes that it doesn't look perfect. Summer glances around the kitchen, inhaling sharply after a moment.
"There's two plates. You're dressed up. Plus you're about to cry," Summer notes what she sees and almost grins. "Is this a date?"
"It was meant to be but I messed it up."
"How did you mess it up?" She pockets the list and seems to be more focused on taking in everything.
I blink multiple times as I stare at the ceiling to avoid crying. Although when I look back down at the meatloaf everything gets blurry.
"This was meant to be perfect - I had it all planned out and now it's dog food," I gesture to the meat and cover my mouth with the back of my hand. Unwillingly the tears fall and I lose all grip on reality. "I just wanted it to be perfect for him and it's not because I ruined it."
Summer doesn't respond and I wipe my eyes, cursing under my breathe at the mascara that smudges on the back of my hand. I look up, realizing her eyes are elsewhere until they drop to the floor. That's when I notice what she was looking at.
"Why would you think you ruined it?" Sam asks softly, a small bouquet of flowers lowering to his side. He walks in and reaches my side, slinking his arm around me. "It's not the end of the world, Callie."
