Page 140 of The Catch

He raises both eyebrows. "Should I be worried?"

"We'll see," I say with a grin.

Chapter 45

Saint

We make it home.

"Are you worried?" Ames asks in a playful way.

"Let's say I'm… curious."

She lets out a delighted giggle. I follow her to the kitchen. Yeah, I'm curious. And a bit suspicious.

As a well-trained chef, she marks every container she ever puts in the fridge. She takes two plastic boxes out, the kind where restaurants put ingredients and the results of food prep. It's a Tuesday, and those have been there for a couple of days. The blue marker on masking tape reads,Wednesday Dinner Prep.

I didn't question it. Now I wish I had.

She opens one of the white containers to reveal a… pie. Carefully, she places it on the kitchen island.

It's beautifully decorated. The sides are naked, but detailed meringue work tops it in waves and peaks. She must have used a torch, because different tones of caramel and gold brush every edge. Chocolate shavings rest in the folds, with touches of edible gold on them.

"And now for the final touch…" she says.

Ames opens another container, this one smaller. Out of it comes a chocolate sail type of decoration, which she digs into the meringue. Gold lettering work stands out on its surface.

FUCK FU-DATING

Breaking up with Breakup Pies

Belatedly, I realize my mouth hangs open. I snap it closed.

She laughs. "Don't think I didn't notice you stopped baking."

"I didn't want to put any ideas in your mind."

"But you love baking."

"I came close to burning every recipe, just in case."

"What about this instead?" She pushes the pie closer to me.

I cock my head. "We decided we're not fu-dating."

She nods. "We're not fu-dating. We're dating. Properly. Nothing else matters. Not that we only meant to be roommates for a few months, or that it's only been a few months since my last break up."

"Because that one was your last break up."

"I'll have you acknowledge that we had our last break up at the same time. Remember how you had broken up with someone the morning I came here?"

I laugh and round the kitchen island.

I lick my bottom lip and lift her face with a finger on her chin. "I guess you're right."

"It's only that we found what we were looking for with each other."

"Nothing matters as much as that."