84. Alice

ALICE

I ’m going to hyperventilate.

This is too much.

Drake reaches across the table and shakes my hand.

Drake doesn’t do it for me anymore. Michael is the only one with the keys to my gift box now, but everyone in the world finds Drake attractive.

I think I’m supposed to say something, ask something, but all I can do is smile at Drake.

Michael moves his hand to the center of my back, and I let go of Drake’s hand.

“What are you making for today’s challenge?” Michael asks.

Drake smiles that lopsided smile he’s famous for. “Lemon and ginger cake.”

As he starts to talk about the ingredients, I let myself remember all the episodes of Second Bite that I’ve watched over and over again.

I know how to do this.

I know how this is supposed to go.

And as we move on, I get into the swing of it.

I ask the questions.

Hum at hopefully the right times.

And do my best not to scrunch my nose when Colby tells us he’s making a tomato cake.

Michael seems to know what it is and is excited about trying it, but I think it sounds disgusting.

We talk to Zelle, and I have to stop myself from leaning down and resting my chin on her work top because her talking voice is just as pretty as her singing voice, and I could listen to her all day.

Not to mention, she’s just as pretty in person. I know the trolls online are always making comments about her weight, but I just think it’s awesome to see such a successful artist who’s my size.

“Good luck,” Michael tells Zelle, then I swear he grumbles as Joey leads us to the final contestant.

I try so hard to keep my smile normal, but seriously, how can I? I’m about to meet Amber Addison!

The queen of soap operas.

The master of the instant cry.

The woman who was basically my babysitter after school for years.

We stop before her, and I’m beaming like a fool.

But Amber doesn’t look at me. “Hello, Michael.”

My smile dims.

Michael. Only his close friends and family call him that.

“Hello.” Michael’s tone is sharp and causes me to look up at him.

If someone didn’t know him well, maybe they wouldn’t catch the difference. But I can hear it. He’s tense.

Joey clears his throat, familiar enough with Michael’s habits.

Trying to remain unaffected by whatever is happening, I hold my hand out to Amber. “Hi, it’s so great to meet you.”

Her beautifully crafted eyebrows lift as she turns her head to look at me.

She takes my hand, not saying anything.

“I’m a big fan,” I tell her honestly. “I’ve been watching you on Dawns of Agony since I was a kid.”

Amber narrows her eyes. “That’s nice.”

Her tone is icy, and I worry that what I said came off as insulting when I meant it as a compliment.

She drops my hand and turns to Michael. “I’m going to make an orange spice cake. It might be cheating since it’s the recipe you taught me, but at least I know you’ll like it.”

The recipe you taught me.

Is this bitch implying what I think she’s implying?

“So, uh, I take it you two know each other?” Joey asks the question that’s thudding inside my skull.

Amber lets out something that I would have called a tinkling laugh a moment ago, but to me she sounds like a braying donkey. “I mean, if dating counts as knowing each other.”

Dating.

She dated Michael?

How?

How could I not know that?

“When was that?” Joey asks, sounding as stunned by this information as I am.

“Oh, probably back when this one was a kid.” She waves a hand in my direction.

This. Old. Bitch.

“Isn’t that right, Michael?” Amber reaches out like she’s going to touch Michael’s arm.

And hand to the cookie gods, I swear time slows around me.

I can hear every heartbeat.

I can feel her exhaled breath as she chuckles.

And I summon lightning through the ceiling. It zaps Amber, and she lights up like a cartoon x-ray. Her full skeleton on display. Her heart nothing but a pile of chewed-on chicken bones.

A large palm grips the back of my neck just as I start to lean forward.

Michael tightens his fingers, keeping me from lunging at this hag.

Teeth clenched, I glance up at him.

His mouth is flat, but his eyes are on fire. And I see he’s put his other hand in his pants pocket, keeping it out of Amber’s reach.

The knowledge settles me. Just a little.

“Welp.” Joey claps once. “Good luck with your cake.”

Fuck this lady and her cake. I want to shove those oranges up her nose.

Michael uses his hold on my neck to steer me away from the source of my fury.

Away from Amber fucking Addison.