Lemon Cake

Chapter Thirty-Two

The music on the other side of the door was loud so instead of knocking again Tulip decided to text Jasper and hoped his phone was in earshot. As she waited for the verdict she scrolled through the texts that accumulated on her phone while she was working. One was from Will asking her if she'd seen the latest season of The Walking Dead, which she hadn't. The next one was from Niesha asking if she had made it home yet. While she began tapping on the screen informing her friend exactly where she was a lock clicked and the door to loft 214 swung open.

Cool air rushed out of the abode, sending goosebumps on the flesh that the spaghetti-strapped slip dress left bare. Her mocha eyes flicked from the device and instantly matched his bypassing the corded muscles making up his abs before his cotton t-shirt tumbled down his torso. Confusion and surprise battled with frenzy in his eyes and it brought a faint quirk to her glossed lips. She didn't bother to text or call him, texting while driving was a crime or something like that and she wanted to catch him off guard. It was better to get the truth from people if they weren't able to prepare the lies ahead of time.

"Hi," Jasper said, drawing out the word longer than it needed to be. He glanced behind her searching for something or someone. "Um...come in."

Tulip shook her head. "I don't need to. I just came by to get something off my chest." She shivered just a bit not knowing if it was the breeze from his air condition or her angst from the truth she was about to spill. "You want me to forgive you, to move on but I can't until I tell you everything that I went through."

"I—" He started but the shrill cry of kettle yanked his attention and hers. "I need to..." He took a tentative step still holding the door then halted at the apprehension in her sight. The kettle screeched louder, not taking wait for an option. "Come in. Do you like tea?"

Tulip sighed then stepped over the threshold entering the chilly loft. She took in her surroundings as he jogged to the kitchen which was a straight shot from the foyer. The loft was startling white with sleek alabaster floors, pewter stone accents, and granite countertops in the kitchen that was opened like the expansive living room. The silver appliances in the kitchen matched the silver tubing in the ceiling of the industrial modern loft. The leather couch, side chairs, coffee table, and artwork on the wall spruced the living quarters with color. The night sky and twinkling lights from the expansive patio were needed to remind her that it was still night.

"Green, Oolong, Rooibos, Black." He gestured to black canisters on a row in the cabinet next to the stove. "Or do you want a mixture?"

Tulip wasn't a tea person so she went with the one she heard the most about. "Green." He plucked the canister off the shelf then reached from one he didn't offer her and curiosity got to her. "What's that?" She pointed to the mysterious blue canister in front of the mugs.

"Valerian." He said and her eyebrows furrowed as she placed her clutch on the mahogany dining table. He faintly grinned at the inquiry painting her face. "He relaxes me." He dipped the tea bags in the hot water and joined her at the table. "Here."

"Thanks." She softly said, extremely grateful for the warmth of the ceramic mug against her palms that surged up her arms doing its best to alleviate her chill. As he claimed the seat across from her she continued with the thought that led her to his dwelling in the first place. "I wasn't completely honest with you at the cafe."

He nodded after taking a careful sip of the hot liquid. "Okay."

"Um..." She rolled her shoulders back, then lowered her eyes to the mug. "Forgiveness is hard for me, especially about you." She began toying with the string the teabag was attached to feeling the emotions that came with the events she experienced after birthing their child. "My recovery after having Sidney wasn't simple. Not like how they portray it in movies. The bleeding was heavy. My body didn't miraculously snap back and..." She stopped as a tear plopped next to the mug. "My hormones were everywhere but where they needed to be and um..." She wiped her eyes and then looked up at him but more tears fell regardless. "And Brianna had a half bottle of oxy..."