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4

10 Years Ago

“ B rooke, you are making a mess! Your brother and his guest are going to be home any minute and I don’t want it to look like a bag of flour exploded in my kitchen.”

I take out the batch of cupcakes from the oven and replace it with a fresh one. Closing the oven door, I say, “I am almost done, Mom! I am trying to make cupcakes from scratch and it’s taking me a little longer than expected! Besides, I’m sure whatever girl Bradley has decided to bring home for Thanksgiving won’t care that the kitchen is dirty…she’s probably too busy fawning over him to notice.” I stir the batter vigorously, annoyed that I am feeling rushed.

“I don’t really fawn over Bradley. He’s not my type.”

I slow my stirring and look over at the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my life. He is wearing a backwards hat and a black full-zip hoodie and dark sweats. He has the most perfect hazel eyes and knee-weakening smile. His wavy, dark brown hair peeks out of the sides of his hat and he has the smallest amount of stubble on his jawline. My body feels tingly all over. I mean, I’ve had crushes on guys before where I get cute, innocent little butterflies–but these butterflies are not so innocent and are flapping wildly in my stomach. My mouth becomes dry and I feel like the breath has been knocked out of me. He is about as tall as my brother, yet seems so much larger.

“You must be Tristan! Bradley has told me so much about you!” My mom’s voice snaps me out of my trance. I put down the bowl and wash my hands in the sink. I must be scrubbing really hard because Bradley comes up to me and asks, “Hey little sis, are you okay? You’re super flushed and you haven’t even said hi to your big bro!”

I grab a hand towel and take a deep breath before turning to my brother. He gives me a huge bear hug and then decides to do the thing I hate from us growing up. In front of his friend from college. Correction: hot friend from college. He puts me in a headlock and messes up my hair.

“Ugh Bradley, why are you the absolute worst?” I push him away and slowly make my way around the island to greet this hunk of a man standing a mere two feet from me.

“Hi! Um, I’m Brooke. Bradley’s little sister.”

His large hand grabs mine and he says, smiling, “Nice to meet you, Brooke. I’m Tristan.”

Okay, those butterflies are traveling all over my body. My name coming out of his mouth is pure magic.

“You have a little…” His finger wipes the bridge of my nose and my eyes flutter at the sudden touch. “...flour.”

I instinctively wipe my nose after he returns his hand to his jacket pocket. Perfect Brooke.

“Woah, B, are you opening your own bakery or something?”

“That is the dream. One day. These are the first cupcakes that I have made from scratch. No help from Betty Crocker. All Brooke Beckett. Do you want to try one and tell me what you think?”

“Duh. How about you, Tristan, do you want to try one?”

“Sure.” Tristan moves a little closer to the island as I hand him a chocolate cupcake.

“I even made the frosting from scratch,” I say, beaming at my efforts.

Bradley takes a bite and my smile fades when his face looks like he just ate a vomit flavored Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean. “Ugh, Brooke. What the hell? This is the most disgusting cupcake I’ve ever had. It tastes like salt.”

“What? No way! You are just being a dick.” My ears become really hot. Why is he trying to embarrass me in front of his hot friend? I take what is left of the cupcake out of Bradley’s hand.

“Taste for yourself.”

“Fine, I will.” I take a bite and my heart sinks, but I’m too proud to spit it out. Shit…

I look over the recipe and reread the ingredient lists with the measurements. My eyes dart to the measuring spoon labeled tablespoon that I have laying on the counter. I was supposed to do 1 teaspoon, not 1 tablespoon. My eyes must’ve tricked me. I was so excited to get my first batch into the oven that I didn’t taste my batter at all. Probably rule #1 in baking. Always test out your batter. I so would be eliminated from The Great British Baking Show .

“Oh my God. I am mortified! I’m so sorry, Bradley.” I turn to Tristan, prepared to snipe the disgusting cupcake out of his hand, but it is nowhere to be found. His mouth is full of the cupcake and he starts licking the frosting, which thankfully did not have any salt in it except for the salted butter, off his fingers. I am transfixed on those fingers and my mouth becomes dry again, but I am sure some of that dryness is from the ungodly amount of salt that just went into my body. How is Tristan not throwing it up right now?

“Bro? Did you just eat all of that?” Bradley asks still with a disgusted tone.

After he is done licking the last bit of frosting from his index finger, Tristan licks his lips and says, “It wasn’t too bad. I bet you will get better the more you practice. Just like with anything. Practice makes perfect.” He playfully raises his eyebrow and smirks at me.

He is so sweet for even taking more than one bite of my cupcake, let alone finishing the whole thing, frosting and all. Maybe he thinks I’m cute too. My heart feels like it is going to leap out of my chest. To focus on something other than my raging hormones right now, I throw the bowl that has the remaining batter into the sink and turn the water on full blast. “So what movie did you want to watch tonight?”

“I was thinking about the new G.I. Joe movie?”

Oh great, just what I need: to be in the same room with one of the hottest guys I’ve ever met while watching Channing Tatum fight bad guys in all his muscular glory. Cool cool cool. As if I wasn’t flustered enough. But I have to save face and pretend I am totally fine with it. “Sure. Just, um, let me clean up and throw away the rest of these disgusting cupcakes. Again, sorry.”

After I clean up the kitchen and return it to my mother’s immaculate standards, I head toward the hall bathroom. When I go in and look in the mirror, I see this horrific mess looking back at me. Oh good lord, I cannot believe I met Tristan like this. Flour is all over my face and a little in my hair. I wet a washcloth and wipe away any flour that I see. I quickly put some more deodorant on and brush my teeth. I put on a single swipe of mascara and lipgloss and tousle my hair a bit.

My oversized Cheap Trick t-shirt hangs off my shoulder and exposes my bralette. Not too bad, Brooke. Maybe you have a shot with this guy. He did eat your disgusting cupcake after all. And he did look at you with that dangerous smirk of his.

I hear some murmuring outside in the hall so I lean my ear against the door. It’s Bradley and Tristan. My stomach flips when I hear Tristan’s laugh. Is it crazy that I am already falling for someone and we barely even met?

“Dude, seriously, I think my sister has a little crush on you.” Shit, is it that obvious? I loathe that Bradley has to be connected with this guy and he isn’t just some random person I met at school or something.

“How do you figure that?” Tristan says. He sounds serious.

“Because I know my sister. She’s always worn her heart on her sleeve. You wouldn’t try anything with her, right?” Dammit Bradley, can you not cock block me right now?

There is a pause. “No way, man. I mean, no offense, but she’s not nearly hot enough for me. You know how I like them. Blonde and busty. Your sister is neither of those things. Plus, she’s your little sister. I would never. Bro code all the way man.”

I hear a distant “Oh good” from my brother and suddenly that excitement I was feeling fifteen seconds ago is replaced with absolute dread and disgust. Did I really imagine him flirting with me in the kitchen? Was he just being nice because I’m Bradley’s silly, unattractive younger sister? I can’t believe I am so stupid for feeling these feelings so fast. Every single hockey player that I have met has been a complete douche. Tristan is just the icing on top. They all have one type and that’s not me. Sure, they may be the easiest pool of guys to choose from because they hang out with my brother and we go watch Bradley play so inevitably I am going to run into his teammates. But all of them are the same. I sigh and wipe away a rogue tear that escaped my eye. No one deserves your tears, Brooke. Especially not a guy you just met.

I go out to the living room and plop on the love seat, completely avoiding any eye contact with Tristan or Bradley. I cross my arms. “Okay, are we going to start this stupid movie or what?”

“Geez what’s the matter with you? Are you on your period or something?” Bradley throws some popcorn at me.

My eyes grow wide. I grab a pillow and throw it at Bradley, “What the hell, Bradley!?”

“What? It’s a legit question. You were baking chocolate cupcakes and now you seem all pissed off. Just checking.”

Tristan is pursing his lips to keep from laughing. Guys are jerks. And Tristan Lawson is certainly not the exception.

“Just start the movie,” I say through my teeth. I grab another pillow and drape my hair over it. The only good thing about this whole night is I get to watch Channing Tatum on our TV for a couple of hours and completely ignore the asshole who I am not “hot” enough for.