The gathering was only a few days away. And Celeste was busy in the kitchen with the homemade snacks.
She had made snacks at last month's gathering. And it turned out her food was quite popular. As a result, she was asked to do it again for the pack, which she was glad about. Nothing relaxed her more than working in the kitchen and making food.
Besides, she wanted to prepare snacks this time since they were going to celebrate Jeremy's first shift. She wanted everything to be perfect.
Celeste had a list in her mind. She could have made the same food as last month. But she didn't want that. This time, she would like to make something she had just learned from the book. Guacamole cups looked like an easy and tasty choice.
Ding! The oven chirped in the fragrance, alluring Celeste to it immediately. She put the glove on and took the plate out. The golden brown told her the cups were just perfect.
She hummed softly to herself as she picked up the cups and let them cool down. Then she moved to the guacamole.
She could buy guacamole in the store, but she would like to make her own. It was not rocket science, anyway. And as one of the ingredients, the cherry tomatoes she harvested in the yard would come in handy.
After the guacamole was made, the cups were cool enough. She stole some guacamole to her mouth and paused to savor it. Well… It was not her favorite sweet flavor, but it tasted good.
She rested a scoop of guacamole on a cup and topped it with a round cherry tomato. She took the guacamole cup in a bite and was impressed by herself when the different flavors collided and mixed in her mouth. She marked it a pass to the gathering. Too bad Jeremy wasn't here, or he would probably have swallowed the whole plate.
Celeste dropped onto the sofa, very glad that she could finally get some rest. She grabbed her phone from the table. Her eyes widened when a dozen unanswered calls popped on her screen. She had muted her phone, so she didn't hear a scream from her phone. She looked at the caller's name and frowned. Jeremy?
She checked the name again. Yes, her dumb-ass twin brother had called her more than a dozen times. She was suddenly a little annoyed at herself for being too busy to even check her phone. But that feeling was soon washed away by some strange wave of victory.
The jerk had been running away from her for about two weeks, and now he was ready to talk? He was not shying away from her anymore? Celeste smirked. Probably Jeremy had just realized what a coward he had been.
Just as she was wondering what she was going to do with all the unanswered calls, Jeremy called her again.
As smug as she was, she didn't know what Jeremy wanted. Also, it occurred to her that she hadn't figured out whether she was ready to talk to him. After all, not long ago, he had just pinned her against the floor.
Celeste worried her lips, her finger hovering over the answer button.
In the back of her mind, she even wondered if this was a ransom call because the alien who kidnapped Jeremy's brain had finally grown impatient and decided to get some fun.
She took a deep breath and counted to three. Her finger hit the answer button, and then…
By some movie-quality coincidence, Jeremy hung up. Right before the phone was connected…
Celeste's eyes twitched. She didn't know what to make of that. She even wondered if the asshole did that to her on purpose. She glared at her phone in vain.
So… Should she call him back? She hesitated again.
She huffed and tore her eyes from the screen. When her gaze landed on the guacamole cups on the table, her hand reached forward automatically to grab one.
She decided to have a guacamole cup break first.
Jeremy had called her more than a dozen times, and she was certain the man would call again. She tried to take her time enjoying the food, but her eyes kept coming back to the phone. Not once did he call her during the break.
Celeste pursed her lips and waited for a minute. When nothing happened, she decided to take another break.
When her second break was over, the phone was still silent. Celeste frowned and checked if her reception was okay. To her relief, it was annoyingly perfect.
She decided to give Jeremy one last chance. She waited for five good minutes, and her phone was determinedly silent.
"Damn!" Her patient had run out. She smashed her finger on Jeremy's number and slammed the phone on her ear.
That was when her reason whispered in her other ear that she actually had no fucking idea of what to say to Jeremy. She wanted to hang up instantly.
And of course, that was when the phone made a noise that told her it was connected.
Her reason was true. She didn't know what to say … at all. She was an idiot.
She held her breath and waited for the man to talk.
Silence.
Knitting her brows, she tore the phone from her ear and checked the screen. Yes, it was connected. And it was not muted.
Obviously, Jeremy was an idiot, too.
Celeste put the phone back to her ear.
"Uh… Celeste?" The man's voice finally sounded in her ear.
Celeste rolled her eyes. "Or who do you think you're talking to?"