C.A.K.E

“What are we going to do?” Arden asks.

Eli rests his hands on the edge of the vanity, hanging his head over the sink. He curls his fingers into fists so tight, that his knuckles begin to glow a pearly white.

He shakes his head, then slams his fists against the quartz vanity. Arden flinches at the sound of his hands hitting the slab of stone. Eli lifts his head and stares at the mirror. His eyes are hooded marbles of ice.

Arden places her hand on Elliott's shoulder, keeping her focus on the reflection of the distant man in the mirror. He doesn't acknowledge her touch. The growing tension in his jaw drains the anger from her, making room for another emotion.

“Eli?”

Elliott rushes past her, out the bathroom. He grabs his keys and heads for the front door.

Arden follows him, pleading for him to talk to her. Still no answer. He steps onto the elevator with a scowl painted on his comforting features.

“Elliott, wait.” She reaches for his hand. But he slips out her grip. So she steps onto the elevator with him.

She asks where he's going. Again, he stares straight ahead. He's moving like a robot on autopilot. A shutdown like this doesn't happen often. But when it does, he's colder than an Alaskan winter. Jamming the stop button with her index finger, she brings the elevator to a halt.

“I understand that you're upset.” Arden steps in front of him and lifts his chin. “But you'd better talk to me.”

“You know where I'm going, Arden.” He places his hands at her waist and moves her aside. Then he starts the elevator on its way again.

She does know where he's going. But just as he reminded her not too long ago, that woman isn't worth the jail time.

“I want to throttle her just as much as you do. But we're not going to be much help to Rowan and Teagan if we're both behind bars.”

Elliott stares back at her like he's trying to process what she just said. The elevator stops on the ground floor. Its doors open, revealing the underground parking garage that's accessible only to residents. He pauses on the threshold, leaning his back against the pocket where the elevator doors disappeared.

“You're right.” He nods at her. “You should go back upstairs.”

He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans and starts a very determined walk toward his car. Arden chases after him. Her eyes travel down to his bare feet. Their reddened state, and his apparent oblivion to the cold concrete floor, quickens her own feet.

“Elliott,” she screams after him. Her voice hits the bare concrete walls, before bouncing back to her ears.

He keeps walking, even seeming to speed up into more of a trot. He unlocks his sedan and reaches for the door handle. Arden places herself between him and the car, pushing the driver's side door closed again with her back.

A silent standoff ensues. His eyes stare down into hers, neither breaking the trance. Another minute or so passes, before he attempts to move her aside. He places a hand on her waist, exerting a gentle pressure against her weight. She doesn't budge.

He sighs and scratches at the forming stubble along his jawline.

“Arden, please. Get out of my way.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “I'm not going to let you do something stupid.”

“She has been using drugs around our kids. Letting that anorexic piece of shit model shoot up in the same house where our kids sleep.” His voice drops to a darker tone, one that Ardi doesn't recognize. “Nothing is more stupid than that.”

She takes a breath. “No disagreement here.”

“Then, please . . . move,” he says through gritted teeth. Tears pool on the brims of his eyes, making them glisten like a moonlit lake.

“No, Elliott.”

Arden places a hand on either side of his face. The tears in his eyes win the battle against the rims of his eyes. Hot, salty rivers begin to paint his face, marking her hands as well. She uses her thumbs to wipe away his heated tears.

Arden's mobile begins to ring, making them both flinch. The device announces her brother's name, then begins playing the Ghostbusters theme song. She lets it ring, ultimately sending her sibling to voicemail.

She relaxes a bit as she watches the hint of a smile spreading across Eli's lips. He folds his hands around hers.

“Does he know that's your ringtone for him?”

She shakes her head, and they both ease into a small laugh. As it fades into a shared sigh, Arden leans up and places her arms around his neck. He pulls her closer, letting his arms settle at her waist.

Arden tilts her head and kisses Elliott. The softness of her lips melds into him, imparting a calm as easy as a low country breeze. She pulls back and rests her forehead against his.

“She's not going to change us, Eli,” she whispers, staring up at him. “Ro and Tea deserve better than that.”

He nods. She feels his hand tighten into a fist against her back. As he stares off in the direction of the other parked cars that surround them, she smooths her hands down his shoulders over and over.

After a few seconds, he turns back to her. His eyes have returned to their usual vibrant blue. The tension in his muscles has relaxed. She breathes. He's back.

He hugs her close, resting his head in the crook of her neck. Then he pulls back and kisses her forehead. “Let's go.”

Eli taps the lock button on his car's key fob and intertwines his fingers with Arden's. The couple takes the elevator up to the lobby. They find Adam standing at the concierge desk about to place another call to his sister.

“You two suddenly forget how to answer your phones?” Adam asks, coming towards them.

“Sorry.” Eli glances at Arden. “We were in the middle of something.”

“Oh God, I know what that means.” Adam makes a face.

“We weren't ...” Arden tries to explain. But Adam puts his hands to his ears and begins humming. She tries to pull one of his hands away from his head. He resists, accenting his humming with defiant grunts. “Oh grow up, Adam.”

He shakes his head and starts for the door. “You two are freaks. I'll be in the car.”

She rolls her eyes at her brother's back, as he exits the building. Sometimes, it astounds her that he's the older child. No wonder her parents tried a second time.

“You sure he's older than you?”

“I'm not even sure we're related. I think he followed my mother home from the grocery store one day.”

“That must be it.” Eli chuckles and takes her hand again. The smile fades from his face, while he plays with her fingers.

“You okay?” She takes his other hand.

“Yeah.” He nods, staring down at their feet. “Think I might take the kids to see my parents for a little while this afternoon.”

“Sounds good.” She pushes a thick lock of honeyed curls away from his face. “Then maybe we could all meet at Dad's place for dinner tonight.”

“Good,” he whispers, still transfixed by the floor.

“Hey, we'll figure this out.” She lifts his head and locks eyes with him. “With your parents and my father behind us, all of Alabama will burn before Melinda gets anywhere near our children again.”

“I know.” He pulls her in close and kisses the crown of her head. “See you tonight.”

Eli agrees to meet her at the Mitchell estate with the twins and his parents. They share another quick kiss and whisper I love you, before parting ways. Arden glances over her shoulder, as she makes her way out to Adam. Elliott waves at her, before stepping onto the elevator. Sighing, she steps through the lobby's revolving door.

“Everything okay?” Adam opens the car door for her.

“It's fine. Why?”

“Well, you're sporting the I don't give a fuck hair bun. Eli looks like he could spar with Satan right about now and win.” He smirks at her. “Wanna try lying to me again, Elmer?”

She purses her lips and looks away from him. “I'll tell you in the car.”

Adam helps her into his Porsche Cayenne and jogs around to the driver's side. While he tries his best to navigate the downtown streets, she relates the night's insanity to him. He listens without much interruption, throwing in a whispered remark here and there.

“You call the police?”

“No.”

“And why not?”

“I don't want to have their mother arrested.” She stares out the window at the silent structures passing by in a blur of stone and mortar. “We'll handle this as quietly as possible.”

“Melinda doesn't deserve your discretion.”

“But Ro and Tea do. This arrangement has been hard enough on them. The last thing they need is to find a TMZ article about their absentee mother's drug abuse.” She chews the inside of her cheek, then shakes her head. “I will not make them a headline.”

Adam sighs and then brings the car to a stop behind Arden's Audi S7.

“I swear, little sis. You some kind of saint. Any other woman would have taken a razor blade to Melinda's crazy ass a long time ago.”

“I've murdered her in my dreams plenty of

over her to grab the flashlight and his semi-automatic

the front and back seats of the sedan. He starts the vehicle's engine and even goes

way over to where he's standing holding open the door of the sedan for her. Arden gives him

“Thank you.”

nothing. You know

even tighter and plants a kiss on her cheek as well. Then he takes one more look in the backseat before he lets her settle into the

back into the truck in her side-view mirror. She waits for Adam to flash his headlights, then they both pull away from the curb. They wave to each other at a stoplight, going their separate ways. Adam heads for his

the car in her designated space in the far corner of the lot. Instead of going inside to begin her usual hectic day, she sits frozen in her

time illuminated on the center console. It's 4:30 in the morning. Her father is often up by five every day. Though he's essentially retired, he wakes every morning to greet the sun like he

his customary cup of coffee in less

Montgomery, keeping careful watch of her speedometer. Forty miles later, she's coasting up the tree-lined drive

of the house managers, Ivana, appears in the doorway of the three-story house. Before Arden can reach for the handle, Ivana opens the driver's door and extends

Her dark hair is in the same effortless fishtail braid she's been wearing for years, a style that complements

you doing here so early? ...Is something wrong?” The older woman's brow

assures her

since Arden was six years old.

promise.” Arden squeezes Ivana's hands. “I just

The strength of her Russian accent lingers in

they were younger, Adam and Arden would often play pranks on her

“I guess not.”

sighs. “Your father's

into the house. She

tater tot.” A booming voice greets Arden, as she steps into the large oak-paneled

he is, she walks over to his desk. He stands and pulls her into a hug. She allows herself

Daddy,” she says, her voice muffled by his

her at arm's length. “You came

“I need some advice.”

“About Melinda?”

“How did you...?”

“Adam called me.”

have

leather sofa and sits down with her. “What's your head telling

file for sole custody of the

and Tea were younger. But a legal

a deep breath. “So

themselves emancipated.” Warren continues his point before Arden has a chance to become alarmed. “That

of the law.” Ardi looks down

Doesn't mean we have to stop being

his shoulder. “Where did

you've been my little tater tot.” He scratches his

for me.” She smiles

seed of doubt in Arden's gut voices itself again. “Do you think this whole

gentle rub. “Harrison will have the papers drawn up by the end of

the subject. They spend another

women in Birmingham. Not to mention, making things more difficult at home for her Uncle Sebastian. Hillary is impossible enough without feeling slighted. So Arden will suck it up for the sake of

left them much opportunity to see each other. He's like the younger brother who she never wished she had. But much

said Scott's bringing

to have Hillary Nolan for a mother-in-law.”

smothering a laugh. “Be nice,

the

“You need to get to work young lady. A bakery doesn't run

the front of the house. As she's stepping out the front door, Ardi tells her father she'll see

kisses her forehead.

will.” She stands on her tiptoes to kiss

the manicured road, and out of the front gates. She takes advantage of the car's voice command and requests that it play an old Snoop Dogg track. Turning up

an hour later, Arden is pulling up to the bakery. It's almost seven. She's lost some valuable prep time. But her mood brightens a bit when she spots her employees'

for the delivery. She unlocks the back entrance of the bakery, propping the door open for the man. As package after package is unloaded from the truck and into her

them are even gift wrapped in dark navy paper with bows of silver ribbon. By the time the man is done

She opens it to find a pair of crystal earrings. A coy smile lights on her face. It gets wider with every package she opens. Something made

the phone and notices that there are several messages waiting for her. Arden grabs a pen and notepad,

the woman's theme and colors, she makes a quick sketch. She jots down the woman's information and files the drawing, before skipping to

the faint sound of someone breathing. Then a symphony of baritone sounds and syllables kisses her ears. Arden recognizes the utterance as her name

herself against the wall. It's him. The man who has invaded her subconscious, making her

and date received of the next one in the lineup. Again, nothing but silence. Nothing but him screaming his feelings at

ears. It's too loud. His longing for her is loud enough to drown out the entire world. She closes her

as if they knew

runs smack into Joseph. The baking sheets he was carrying

she bends to help him retrieve the fallen trays. “I have been running this operation by myself for over two

“running this operation,” alone, it's Nadia. Joe might crack an egg every once in a while. But he won't do the time-consuming baking required to keep this business running. Plus, he has a tendency to call her bitch a

Joe. But I've been digging my way out your momma's fat rolls all morning.” She smirks at him. “That ain't no easy task. You know

at her, then continues his walk

“Ain't enough penicillin or tequila on God's green

even have the time to turn you out.” Joe pats his coiffed hair with one hand and stacks the cookie sheets

this morning.”

Warren Mitchell just loves social calls at the crack of dawn.” He folds his arms across his chest

is in town.” Arden lets the words

in place for her to take a seat. “Just hold

“Joe, I haven't even told you what's going on

shoulder, while he raids his private stash of liquor that

you also know I

back at her. “But just saying that bitch's name is enough to

shot of vodka. She refuses to

a firm nod of her

both.” He downs the shot and pours himself another. Once he's properly hydrated, he pulls up another

top of them. He rests his

she considers whether airing her issues at work is the best thing to do. But Joseph has been with

begins relaying the last twenty-four hours. She details everything from the twins' escape

that, her little boyfriend used our bathroom to shoot up.” Arden shakes her head and sighs. “I

one ratchet

definitely Eli's

gon' do?”

now, I'm going to get started on the coffee cake, and the dough for the croissants.” Arden finds her apron and slips it over her head.

checks. When the rent is due, I'll

rolls her eyes and laughs. “Joe, get out

the heat of the kitchen to perform a small miracle. They open

six different types of bread. They even get the bakery's desserts and lunch items prepared on time. Arden is putting the finishing touches on an anniversary cake by

that divide the kitchen

to take a breath. The rush is starting to

God,” Arden mutters, spinning the revolving cake stand to study her work. “Never thought I'd be happy to hear business was

Nadia grabs another tray of pecan sticky buns for the display case and heads for the

to herself. Furrowing her brow, she pipes

I'm

scoots out of the kitchen, leaving Arden

she intends to say to Casper when she feels someone's fingers tracing a trail up her arm. Her breath catches in her throat. The piping bag and the flower nail she's been holding fall onto the counter in what seems like slow

her waist. Then he whispers to her.

“Good morning, love.”

to say yes to a lot of things that she shouldn't even be considering. Refusing to face him, she

her throat and tries again.

out to save her from taking a nosedive onto the floor. Now cradled in his arms, she's forced to look him in the

her, bringing her

her hands over her clothes. “What are

her. But she dodges his touch. He tucks his hands into his pockets

answers, near breathless.

down at his shoes, and

Swarovski fall collection over here.”

jewelry?” He takes her hand and kisses