Spinning Out of Control

Epilogue.

I absentmindedly tap my fingers on the counter as I scan my eyes over each cake carefully, releasing a loud sigh for the fifth time in thirty seconds. "Who knew picking a wedding cake would be so difficult?" I groan to myself, chewing at the fingers I had placed by my mouth nervously.

The employee of the cake shop who was assisting me rolls his eyes. "Ma'am, it's just cake. Vanilla or chocolate. Whipped or churned frosting. It's not hard."

I glare up at him. "Are you getting married in a few weeks?"

He shakes his head. "No ma'am."

"No wedding, no opinion," I tell him, pointing a finger in his direction. He stays silent, just going back to playing some game on his phone. I knew I was being a nuisance, but doing this by myself was harder than I had anticipated. If only Alex hadn't called in to do that last minute interview, he would've helped me decide by now. I groan again. "I don't know!" I throw my arms up in the air.

The worker rolls his eyes once again. "What does your future husband like?" I drum my fingers against my cheek as I process his question. I puff my lips out.

"He likes any dessert I put in front of him," I reply. "That man has a bottomless pit for a stomach."

Just thinking about him again put another silly smile on my face. I glance at my phone, seeing he finally responded to my text message. I open my phone, my smile widening into a grin as I read it.

I'll try to dip out soon so I can come join you. And make sure if you pick a cake before I get there that it is anything but lemon. Love you xo

I laugh. "Just kidding," I tell that cake shop worker. "He wants anything but lemon."

He sighs, shaking his head. I could've sworn I heard him mutter "Couples" but I was distracted by the sound of the shop's door opening. I don't turn around, keeping my gaze on the cakes in front of me. All of them looked delicious, with thick frosting and beautifully decorated, but this is like picking which doughnut to buy from Krispy Kreme. It's difficult as fuck.

"'Scuse me," the worker says to me, getting to his feet to go over and assist the person who just walked in. I huff out, resting my chin in my hand as I look to the chocolate cake with the chocolate frosting. "Can I eat you?" I ask it with a slight whine. "Fuck."

Suddenly, I hear a voice I hadn't heard in five months.

"Hey, I was just wondering if I could get a dozen cupcakes?"

I freeze on the stool I was perched atop, slowly turning my head to glance over at the checkout counter. And standing there, in glittery heels and a white strapless top to show off her tanned-to-perfection skin, was Jasmine.

"Sure thing," the worker told her. "Flavor and frosting?"

"White with chocolate frosting."

I couldn't stop staring. She looked...good. I didn't think she would go downhill just because her and Alex broke up, but she looked almost too good. Like her life had prospered since her and Alex split. I felt my mouth go dry. Once again, I felt second place to her even though I got what I wanted. Fuck her and her naturally gorgeous looks.

I didn't know what to do. Do I talk to her? Call her name? Ignore her? Fuck, fuck, fuck. Seriously, I might just run out screaming if one of us doesn't do something...

Suddenly, her head was turning and she was catching my eye.

I stay locked, frozen, not knowing what to do. We both do that awkward wave thing where we put up a hand and shake it back and forth once before putting our hands back down. Then she was giving a small smile and walking over, tucking her perfect hair behind her perfect ear while I tried to force my motionless face muscles push up an unappealing smile.

A few moments later she was sitting in the stool beside me. We sat in an uncomfortable silence before she finally clears her throat. She looks over at me and gives another small smile. "Hey, Ravyn," she says cheerfully. I could tell there was note of falseness to it.

I try to smile back. "Hey, Jasmine."

Once again, we fall quiet. She looks around the cake shop, her eyes scanning briefly over the cakes displayed in front of me. My eyes widen upon remembering why I was here.

Shit.

"What, uh, what have you been up to lately?" she asks, seeming genuine.

I look away from her, nipping at my bottom lip. "We—I put Emma in a daycare," I tell her. "It's been easier because looking after while planning the wed—my work schedule was such a hassle." I curse myself for almost slipping up not once, but twice.

Jasmine scrunches her brows. "You got a job?"

I nod, grinning. "Yeah. I'm working part-time at the publishing company on 7th street."

She smiles. "That's great, Ravyn. It really is."

I felt myself falter. She seemed so...sincere and genuine. It was amazing. I felt like I was talking to an old girlfriend. "What about you?" I ask. "What have you been up to? I thought you were going to stay in New York?"

She shrugs. "I was. But...I, uhm, I met someone."

I smile. "You did?"

She nods, another grin stretching at her lips. My own got bigger seeing the spark in her eyes that I always knew mine had when I thought of Alex. "His name is Jonathan. He's this chef. He was in New York for some convention and he lives only a few hours out of Baltimore. It's long distance right now, but...man. I don't have a word for him."

I couldn't help but squeal like a teenage girl. "Oh my God! Is he cute?"

She laughs, bouncing up and down lightly. "So cute! He has these eyes that are so blue I feel like I'm swimming whenever I look at him!"

I giggle, shaking my head. "God, he sounds amazing, Jasmine."

She nods, sighing as she ceases her laughing. "Well, I shouldn't be the only one celebrating." She wiggles her eyebrows at my left hand that was touching her arm. I blush a fierce red and pull my hand away quickly.

Jasmine smiles. "I heard Alex's mom talking about it. I passed by her in the store."

My face just goes redder. "Oh. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" she asks incredulously. "You love him. He loves you. You guys are meant to be together. I was jealous and I had a reason to be, because I thought he would leave me for you. Which I see was the right thing. He never loved me as much as he loved you." She smirks a bit. "I was too clouded by my jealousy to see that he clearly wanted to be with you and not me. And I actually wanted to be the one to apologize for how I acted last summer. I was awful and—"

"I completely understanding," I smile. "I would've done the same thing."

"Thanks, Ravyn."

I smile and lean in to give her a hug. We both awkwardly wait before we just laugh and embrace. She was so skinny, but I squeeze her nonetheless. She giggles a bit before pulling back, wiping an absent tear off her face. "I'll see you around okay?"

"Actually, come to the wedding," I smile. "It's on December 27th. Come?"

She grins. "I'll see if I can make it with Jonathan." She waves. "Bye."

I watch her leave before turning back around, looking over the cakes. It felt like years that I'd been staring at them again before I felt arms curl around my waist and lips touching my head. My heart pounds as I turn to look up at my fiance.

"Hey cutie," he grins, kissing my head again before taking the stool beside me. "You still haven't picked a cake? It's been like two hours!"

I shake my head. "I needed your help for this. Chocolate or vanilla?"

"Chocolate," Alex says, sticking his tongue out. "Duh. That's a given."

I laugh. "You're a dork." I lean up and give him a kiss on the lips. "Fine. We'll go with chocolate. That was easy. I spent a good chunk of my day in here, damn it." He chuckles and grabs my hand, twisting the engagement ring on my finger. I watch him as he does so.

"We're gonna be married in a few weeks," he murmurs, grinning at my hand.

I grin as well. "Yeah. It's scary."

"Is it?"

"It is."

He frowns a bit then nods. "It is," he agrees. "We're growing up."

I stick my tongue out. "Let's pretend like you didn't say that."

He laughs out loud, using my hand to pull me into him as he kisses my mouth once more. "Hmmm. It's a good scared and a bad scared."

"You don't need to be scared," I mumble against his neck.

"Why?"

"Because when you wake up the morning of our wedding," I tell him, looking straight up into his eyes. "I'll be sleeping there, right next to you."
♠ ♠ ♠
And it's over. I really loved rewriting this because it's a HUGE difference from the first draft. My writing has for sure improved and I am proud. And I changed the epilogue, if any of you read the first draft, you can tell it's definitely different. Thank you so much for reading! I love you all. There will, unfortunately, be no sequel. I don't like doing sequels when a story ends happily because there isn't a whole lot to build off of. I know, that makes me a bad writer, but I also don't like to create more drama between a couple that ended up together.

Anyway, thank you all for reading! The story was a huge success and I couldn't have asked for better readers :)

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