Romance Collision ✔

ღChapter Fifteen: A Small Flashback

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Eve made her way down the long hallway leading all the way to the back door of the Barry household. She made this walk a thousand times since she moved into the large guest house the Barry's had in the backyard. It was just enough for her and her mother.

They would have settled for something smaller, but Mrs. Barry insisted that her best friend have a comfortable home. It was also because Mrs. Barry loved Eve. She would take Eve's long dark curls and wrap them around her fingers and just play with her hair. 

Eve didn't mind. She secretly enjoyed the soft touches to her head. It always made her sleepy though. Eve just liked that her mom didn't have to struggle about rent anymore, even though her mother would still work double shifts at Mrs. Barry store after Eve's mom no longer was the maid.

The sunlight had almost blinded Eve when she pushed open the back door. She noticed the shiny red bucket on the patio porch rail with a large plant sticking out of it. With few tiny white and pink flowers, the plant was centered, but lopsided in the soil that came up to the top of the bucket. The shiny metal had reflected the sun's rays directly at Eve's eyes. She turned her head, blinking multiple times before shaking her head and carried on down the steps of the porch.

Passing the shrubs Mr. Barry always made Caleb trim, the tiny thin branches scraped lightly at her olive skin. Eve grimaced, shaking the pain from her hand and noted to trim them herself when she'd get the chance. Caleb didn't do a very good job with never really being at home; and when he was, chores was the last thing he wanted to do. 

As she reached the door which led into her kitchen, Eve was curious to what her mother was baking today.

Eve always came home and her mother, Riley, would be baking. She was a wonderful baker. She had one part of her kitchen set up just for that specific hobby. Eve would usually help organize the bowls, measuring cups and spoons, the cake mixes, and other necessities for baking into each cupboard labeled with what was inside.

Eve's mother knew how to bake everything and anything. Eve loved to just sit and watch her mother get lost in her little bakery world. She'd be covered in flour and frosting by the time she was done, but Eve loved when her mom would present the delicious masterpiece. Her favorite dish she'd make for Eve was pumpkin pie.

Eve's mouth watered at the sight of it every single time. Luckily for Eve, she was now in sports, so it wouldn't be too difficult to keep off the weight after eating the entire pie as she always did.

"Mom?"

Taking a deep breath, Eve closed her eyes and smiled at the wonderful scent coming from the oven nearby. Eve closed the door behind her and dropped her bag on the stool at the counter. She noticed the crumbs on the counter in two different spots and smiled to herself.

'Gerbils,' She thought to herself, knowing the Barry twins had been here. 

Eve walked over to pour herself a glass of milk before she could grab a cookie from the glass plate on the counter. There was only three left and figured the Barry Twins indulged in more cookies than they should have.

After grabbing a glass of milk, Eve walked over to the island and examined each cookie. She was deciding which would taste the best. The way she'd decide was by the amount of crumbs surrounding each cookie. The more crumbs, the softer; which were the ones to avoid. She liked the really crunchy ones.

Eve reached for the middle cookie, turning it over in her hand before pulling it towards her mouth. Before it touched her lips, someone shouted, "Don't eat that, Eve!"