Chapter 12:

The alarm rings, filling the kitchen with an uncomfortable sound. They're ready.

I smile as I open the oven before I get out the muffins which were baking in it. The smell is just mouthwatering!

The white kitchen with it's black marble working plates is overloaded with pastries: Muffins, Pies, Cakes, Brownies, cupcakes... I even tried some international pastries like baklava and éclairs.

All these different pastries fill the kitchen in a wonderfull smell. I smile and mentally tap my shoulder, yeah it really does look all good.

I look at the watch in the kitchen, it's seven in the morning. I really did a lot this night...

"Woah, Gabi!" I hear Ryan's voice and turn around to face him. His bright blue eyes are filled with wonder. "What is all this?"

"I baked... Pastries." I say with a smile on my lips.

His eyes slowly wander over the different pastries. "I... I can see that."

"Help yourself!"

Ryan frowns at me, before he gets one of the freshly baked muffins with blueberries this time. I made some with chocolate, with raspberries, raisins and cranberries as well.

"Try it." I encourage him. Maybe they're bad. I haven't tried one yet, because I was so busy with making more.

Ryan bites into the muffin and I feel the anxiety vanishing as I see his relaxed face. They're good.

"Are they okay?" I ask him, still a little unsure.

"Okay? This muffin is heaven on earth, Gabriella!" he says, really impressed by my baking abilities. I hardly knew I had them to be honest.

"Good." I am pleased with my work. "Coffee?"

Ryan nodds and I get out a cup before I pour hot coffee in it. "But why did you bake? You never baked, Gabs. I didn't even know you could bake so well, Gabriella!"

I flush. "Thanks."

"But you... I mean, why so much?" he says a little shocked by the amount I baked.

I shrugg, "I just baked."

"And this has nothing to do with you oversleeping at Troy's last night?"

I bite my lip.

Ryan shakes his head, "You know, usually people bake this much when there's a funeral..."

I shrugg.

"Are you buring him or something?"

I shrugg, "I don't know. I don't care about him. I am done with him."

Ryan raises an eyebrow at me, "Done with him, you say?"

I nodd, "Yes. I am done with him. Totally."

"A little... rushed don't you think?"

Rushed?! Rushed?! No, it is not rushed. Not after the last two months, which I spent somewhere between getting over him and being still his. Now, at least I know where I am. I am over him. Absolutely over him. So over him that I can bake pastries! And very good pastries!

I ignore his statement, "You know, Lucas was right. I had to see Troy one last time to really say goodbye to him. It was, of course and as always, not the goodbye I wanted, but... it was a goodbye after all."

Ryan nodds, taking a sip of his coffee. "And what are you going to do now? Now, that you're... free of him, I may say."

"I'm glad that you ask." I say smiling, before I get a cup of tea from the counter. I take a sip of it. Damn it, it's already cold. "I'm flying over to Spain."

"S-Spain?" Ryan asks me shocked. "Is this some new kind of form of fleeing?"

I shake my head, "I need a break. From work. From London... It'll only be a couple of days."

"Just you?"

"Just me and the vineyards in Spain. I booked myself a room in a spa. For three days. I need to relax. I mean, Lucas is right, I can't continue working the nights through."

"Sounds actually pretty healthy and so not like you."

I frown back at him, "Why? Because I am actually not fleeing this time?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Well, I'm not." I say and brush through my dark brown locks. "And I have to get ready for work now."

"Speaking of work, I'm going to fly over to Cannes tomorrow."

"Perfect, I'll be flying to Spain the day after. So, we see each other before I leave then."

"It's for a photoshoot, so I won't be long. Who knows, maybe I'll be back the same night."

I nodd, "Thanks for informing me." I say smiling. "I'm going to get a shower now. Eat more muffins. Or try the apple pie!" I yell before I walk into my bedroom.

On my way to the bathroom, I strip out of my clothes. As the hot water splashes against my skin, I feel my body relax for the first time since yesterday. All the tension in my muscles seem to disappear as I wash my body with bodywash. Suddenly, I feel dizzy and I grab the faucet in order to not fall in the slippery shower.

I should have eaten at least a muffin. I haven't eaten the whole night in which I've baked the pastries. A couple of moments later the dizziness has disappeared and I continue with my shower.


"Good morning, everyone!" I say grinning as I walk into the studio.

"Wow, you're in a good mood. Why's that?" Jules, our secretary, asks me.

I place a box filled with muffins and cake slices on her desk, "I baked this morning."

"Does baking make you always feel so happy?" Jules asks as she opens the box. "Muffins! You baked muffins!"

I return her foolish grin. "According to Ryan they're actually pretty good. So, you should eat them before the others get their hands on it."

The blonde smiles at me, "Kelsi wants to see you, by the way."

I nodd, "Is she free?"

Jules checks Kelsi's scheduele on her iMac and scans her appointments for the day, "Yep. You can storm in."

"But I'm taking a muffin with me." I say, taking a muffin out of the box before I make my way to Kelsi's office.

On my way, I notice that my staff is mumbling and staring at me. Is it because of my good mood? I shrugg, I don't care.

Two knocks later against the door, I step in. "You wanted to talk to me?"

My brunette best friend grins at me before she waves me in. She's on the phone, as I notice as I close the door of her office. I sit down across her and wait until she hangs up.

"And?"

"Two things: I'll be flying over to Sweden tomorrow." she says grinning.

"Business or pleasure?"

"Oh... a little bit of both, perhaps." her bright blue eyes are sparkling. "I'll be gone for a few days. Will you be able to run this place without me?"

I shake my head, "I'm leaving for Spain the day after tomorrow myself, remember?"

"Oh... right. Damn it."

"Ask Kevin to do this."

"I will... I will." she says, frowning out of the sudden.

"He won't ruin our image in those few days, Kels."

She looks at me, "This is our baby. I'll kill him if he does anything bad to it."

I grin, she loves our studio as well. "So, what is the second thing?"

"Oh right! The second thing is..." she searchs for a sheet of paper on her desk, "Wait a minute..." she pulls it out of a folder, "This!" she says, grinning, holding the paper in front of my eyes.

I chin falls down. "Black numbers?!" I ask her shocked.

"Yes! We're writting black numbers!" Kelsi nearly screams at me before she pulls me into a hugg.

"Oh my God! We're writting black numbers!" I say, totally shocked.

Wow... "Black numbers..." I whisper. No more debts. "That was fast."

The brunette grins, "Actually, it was really fast. I mean, we're here for only two months and already one of the top studios in Europe! That's all because of you, Gabriella."

I shake my head, "It's our both work. We worked non-stop for the last two months. We need a break."

"Which I'll have in Sweden."

"And me in Spain."

"Speaking of Spain, does this have anything to do with you and Troy?"

I shake my head, "This is not about Troy. Or about anyone else. This is about me. I am doing to for me." Probably the first time I'm doing something for just me. "Listen, I'm going to have my lunchbreak with Lucas today, you want to come with?"

My brunette best friend shakes her head, making her brown locks bounce, "No. You go." she says smiling.


On our way to a little restaurant on my lunchbreak my cellphone rings. I frown at the display as I see the unknown number. I take a deep breath before I pick up.

"Hello?"

"You could have informed me that you've been living in London lately." I hear the icy cold voice of my moth- Victoria on the other line.

"And what reason would I have to inform you?" I ask her back.

"I am your mother for Christ's Sake, Gabriella!"

"You stopped being my mother eleven years ago." I hiss back at her. Really, why is she calling me?!

"A certain Mr. Bolton called me this week." she says, giving me a reason to not hang up.

My heart aches in my chest. Suddenly, I am unable to say anything. My breath is taken away. Just by hearing his last name coming out of another mouth. Damn it, and just like that my happy mood is ruined.

"He wanted to have dinner with me." she says after a short pause. She waits for a response from me, but I am still too shocked. "We met late last week..."

I frown. He was in New York? What was he doing in New York?! And what the fuck was he doing with Victoria?!

Lucas stares at me. He is worried. "Who is it?"

"My... Nevermind." I mouth over to him before we walk into the restaurant.

"Don't you want to know what we talked about?" she asks me on the other line.

"O-of course I do." I say in one breath.

"We talked about you." she says briefly, "About your future." As I say nothing, she continues. "Gabriella, this man has no financial problems. I don't understand why you left him and created this scandal, which nearly ruined my image as well."

Is she serious?!

"He wants you back." she says in one breath. "He told me he loved you."

"I don't understand why he chose to go to you." I say and frown.

"You will." she says shortly. "In the future... you will understand." she says before she hangs up.

I frown at the display. What an odd phonecall. From Victoria. Who never calls me. Never.

"What did she want?" he asks me worried.

"I have no idea." I say, biting my lip. "Did you know that Troy was in New York?"

Lucas shakes his head, "No, he didn't tell me that he flew to the States. Why?"

I shrugg, "But he met my... Victoria. For dinner."

"Who's Victoria?"

"My... She..." I shake my head, "She's the one who gave birth to me."

"So, she's your mom."

"No."

"But you just-"

"It's complicated."

"Nothing is ever easy with you, is it?" he says smirking.

I shake my head, unable to not reflect his smile, "God, I really do need a vacation right now..."

"Spain will be good for your mental health. You need to get away from all this drama... I'd like you to be with Troy, though."

I shake my head, "I told you it's over, Lucas. We've separated. Once and for all."

"You seem... happy about it." he says, looking worried.

I shrugg, "I'm not exactly happy about it but I... I feel reliefed. I feel... free. I think you were right. We needed to say goodbye to each other."

"I was hoping for a "see you soon" rather than a goodbye."

"You can't always get what you want."

I should know.


A new chapter :) What do you guys think of Gabi's baking and her trip to Spain?

Please review!

Xoxo Nic