Cookie Lovers

I can see the "biscuits to warm your heart" sign.

I want to punch you for stealing half of my customers. People come by my table in the competition and praise the biscuits I baked with so much love and affection.

Next to me, River laughs, catching my attention.

It's so annoying that I roll my eyes every time I see him talking to someone. I already know that person will fall in love with River.

Not like falling in love but with his magnetic personality that nobody can resist.

Well, except me.

I can resist River's charms with that hoarse voice. His disheveled hair and charm that can enchant even Queen Elizabeth.

When I notice that he is approaching me with a box of biscuits. I cannot disguise my displeasure.

He opens the smile he knows I hate. Because River knows I can't stand him and he can't stand me in the same measure.

He loves to tease me. We compete all the time, we take pleasure in each other's failure. It's like fuel for us. It keeps us focused on what we want: to win at all costs.

"I couldn't help but bring my new success to make you feel the taste of winning". He hands me the white biscuit box with the design of a bitten biscuit and a big pink bow.

"Throw it away. I don't want your biscuits ". He opened a smile with my words.

"Sophie, believe me, they're divine."

"Go to hell." I said, River bows his eyebrows without leaving a smile on his lips.

"I've been there but my biscuits have saved me." He blinks his eyes in my direction.

"Don't you have something more important to do?" I asked.

"I want to see your angry face when you eat them ". River points to the biscuit box.

"You're such a idiot." He smiles.

"That's the best thing you can say?". He asked

"I will see your disappointment when I win the annual biscuit contest". I affirm.

River's laughter invades the space we're in.

"All that confidence, huh? It won't save you." He rushes to say. "You'll lose like last year."

The mere mention of last year's contest squeezes my heart. My head wasn't in the competition. My biscuits were able to express how I felt: helpless.

I can still taste the burning sugar crust in my mouth. A taste I never want to feel again.

It seems inevitable not to think of Charlotte, my sister, my eyes are burning at the thought of her.

"Are you alright?". He asks.

"I'm fine." My voice comes out harshly. Something I didn't expect.

River ignores the fact that I was unkind to him. He's used to it.

"You don't sound good."

I sigh trying to ignore the emotions that come like a wave. Trying to knock everything down along the way."Why do you care?" I scream.

River's eyes widen and he twists his mouth like he's trying to hold on to his words. In his eyes I see sorrow.

Every time I've directed my hatred at him I've never had such a reaction.

It squeezes my heart, to see that I had struck him with all my pain.

I try to open my lips to say something but nothing comes out. River had turned away from the competition.

That's how I know I made a mistake. Big mistake.

"Where's he going?" June asks as he approaches. I raise my shoulders.

"I couldn't care less."My words are harsh.

"Do you still have this gratuitous hatred?" I can see the disappointment in her words.

"He tried to kill me". I say it as if it justifies every trick in the past to hurt each other.

"He didn't know you were allergic to nuts." June tries to defend him.

She always tries to defend River. If June wasn't a lesbian I'd suspect she has a crush on River.

But again, River enchants everyone.

"I almost died." She laughs.

"You know, Sophie, all that hatred means love must be overwhelming."

An expression of disgust sets in my mind.

River and I

Me and River.

Nothing good can come of it.

"Nice try." I said, smiling.

The nominees for the final were announce. It's no surprise that River and I are competing for the finals. River didn't come back in the competition and that's how I know I should at least apologize. For the first time he tried to be nice. He left our feud aside because he noticed I wasn't okay.

That means River Reed has a heart underneath that beautiful, athletic body.

So instead of going straight home I go to River's downtown flat. He opens the door in his pajamas, shirtless and barefoot. His mouth opens in surprise as he sees me in front of him.

I feel my cheeks warming up and I hug my body trying to escape from all the embarrassment.

I don't know what to say.

" Hi ". I can't deal with his questioning look in my direction.

"Hi". He answers by opening the door and letting me into his flat.

I examine the place noting that the walls are black. There are several pictures scattered around the house and his kitchen is huge.

"I liked the decor". I said to break the ice.

"Thank you. What are you doing here?". He goes straight to the point. He's not exactly being friendly.

"There's something wrong with my biscuits." I open my purse by taking out the cookie jar that I have separated. It's the only excuse I've come up with to go to his place.

"Let me taste it". He takes a bite and bows his eyebrows. "What's wrong?".

His question catches me off guard. I waited for River to tell me how soft or how strong the taste of cinnamon is.

"There's something missing." He studies me for a few seconds and doesn't say a word.

I'm starting to get nervous. What am I doing? Am I going crazy that I care about River Reed?

"They're perfect." He assures me, looking hard at me.

"I was thinking about adding vanilla." He takes another cookie and eats slowly.

"Vanilla will intensify the flavor too much. It would be great on a cake or cupcake". He releases the air slowly. "Did you taste my biscuits?"

"Yes." My voice came out like a whisper, I have no idea why that happened. Maybe it's the way he looked at me with his eyes glowing and I didn't feel like punching him. I felt like lining up in his arms.

What's wrong with me today?

"What do they taste like?" A smirk is born on his lips and I want to do two things: punch him and kiss him in the same measure.

"Success". I admit it.

River laughed.

He approached me closing the space between us.

"We should work together". His voice came out like a whisper giving me the chills.

"What?". I whisper.

"We should join forces to win the competition. We're good apart, but imagine if we were together." His look makes me warm.

Where are these feelings coming from? How come I never noticed that River has all these tattoos all over his chest?

"Not a good idea." I refuse to think about us.

There is no us.

"Come with me." He waves his hands so I follow him to the kitchen.

There's a bunch of ingredients spread out on the counter like he's ready to test some recipes. River puts an apron on me and does the same.

"I'll prove to you that we both make sense." He said soothing. "Let's put our recipes together."

His lemon cracker with ginger is a killer. I've tried copying the recipe many times but it lacks that special touch of River.

"I'll do it for the pleasure of showing you that it won't work." River laughs as if I made a joke.

"Go." He assures me. "You know why? After all, we're like a lighted flame."

I swallow dry with his words.

River starts by separating the lemon juice while I follow his instructions. I can't stop hating the fact that he gets sexier baking biscuits.

In a few moments his hands rest on mine and we are kneading the dough together. Our gazes meet and I almost beg him to kiss me to know if his lips will taste like cinnamon as his scent.

When the biscuits are in the oven we laugh in relief and wait for the first batch.

"It's the first time I didn't want to kill you". He comments.

"I knew the nut biscuits were an attempt to send me to heave. River laughs.

" That's definitely not the way I want to kill you." He gives me a naughty look and my cheeks get hot.

I lose the air for a few seconds.

"Oh". That's all I can say. Now I want to run away and pretend I never heard those words.

"I like you, Sophie." He takes one step in my direction and my eyes go wide.

"No". I shake my head. "We hate each other."

"I don't hate you. That was the only way to get your attention". He admitted it.

"What?"

"I admit that things got out of hand. The only thing I ever wanted to win was your heart."

I blink my eyes without believing his words.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I tried but you always disliked me".

I bit my lips.

"I know you feel the same, Sophie. I see how you look at me when you think I'm not paying attention."

River touches my cheeks gently.

My mouth gets dry in anticipation of what might happen next.

We stare at each other for a few seconds and my heart is beating so hard I bet River is listening.

"I don't want to fight anymore. He said smiling afterwards.

"That 's okay."

"I'll kiss you, Sophie." He warns me.

River leans in my direction and our lips touch. A sensation grows from my tummy and spreads to my heart. All this time, I thought it was hate.

It was something completely different: love.

He tastes better than I imagined: cinnamon and honey. An aphrodisiac taste that I will never tire of. I hate the fact that he kisses so well.

“ That makes me wonder. Why did it take you so long, River Reed, to win my heart?”.

“Cause i’m a fool”. He admitted while putting our cookies on the counter.

He always belonged to you. I wanted to tell him but these words seem too much at the moment.

"I like you too". I whispered to him, only him.

We taste our cookies and they’re bomb. So good that my heart melts at every bite.

The next date we hold hands while waiting for the big results. June it's by our side waiting with us.

"And the winners are River Reed and Sophie Kent". I hug River so tight that he beg me to let him breathe.

And then he kissed me.

This time we won something more important: our love.

Nothing can compare to our little love bubble.