Five Ways to Fall Out of Love by Emily Martin

Author:Emily Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Published: 2021-01-21T21:51:07+00:00

18

The next day Reese recruits my help making a batch of cupcakes for the school bake sale, which raises funds for prom and is apparently mandatory for all the cheerleaders. We end up at my house again, mainly because I feel bad subjecting her family to the doll’s shrill crying.

“So, how’s it going with your bundle of joy?” she asks as she looks down at its spot on top of the kitchen table.

I groan and duck down to grab the mixer from the bottom cupboards. “At least it’s finally quiet,” I say as I straighten again. “I swear that thing is programmed to be most annoying right after school gets out.”

“Man, I’m so glad I didn’t take this class.” She rocks its plastic carrier. “She is kind of cute, though. Wait—is it a she?”

“It’s a doll.”

“What’s her name, though?”

I scowl. “She doesn’t have a name.”

“I always named my dolls growing up. My favorite was Alexandra, because she had this wire in her hair so you could curl it or braid it and it would stay. Anyway. You should give her a name!”

I open a drawer and pull out the measuring cups. “Can we just focus on the cupcakes, please?”

She holds a hand up in surrender. “Fine.”

“Sorry. But the thing was wailing for like, half an hour before you got here, and I can’t listen to it again.”

Reese stifles a grin and glances down at the doll once more. “Some powerful birth control right here.”

I snort a laugh. “No kidding. I had to bring it on my date last night, so I can attest that’s true.”

“And how is Holland?” she asks as she sidles up next to me.

“He’s good...” I bite my lip and line up the measuring cups in order of size. “He sort of said the L word last night.”

Reese’s eyes go wide and she smacks her hand on the counter. “What? Why didn’t you tell me this at lunch? Oh my god—what did you say?”

I make a face that’s somewhere between a smile and a grimace. “That it was too soon.”

“That’s probably the most on-brand thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Well, it was! But he was good about it.” I turn and lean against the counter. “He didn’t seem to expect me to say it back yet.”

“Yet,” Reese repeats, like she’s reading way too much into that single syllable. She smiles at me for another moment. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” I spin back around to face the counter, more than ready for a change in subject. “But we should seriously get going on this.”

“Okay, okay. So what’re we making?”

I open my laptop to show her the recipes I’ve earmarked. “Up to you. I think we have the ingredients for any of these.”

While she looks through the options, I go to grab ingredients out of the pantry. Flour, sugar, baking soda, vanilla extract. All the basics. I unload everything onto the counter next to Reese. “So what’d you decide?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead she tilts the screen toward me. “What is

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.