This Summer

Beginning of Summer

Emily's POV

Cookies

That's all I see. Cookies of every kind, of every color, of every flavor, lay across the countertops of my mom's bakery. There are so many types, from your classic chocolate chip to crazy, exotic, out of this world types, such as one of my personal favorites- the marshmello delight.

Their aroma overpowered every other scent in the kitchen. The cookies are made with such precision and skill that just draws you in to them, captivating you to take one and embark on the journey that will lead you straight to heaven.

I stare at every single cookie in the kitchen lined up in order for them to be delivered out to the front of the bakery. My eyes landed on the white chocolate and marshmello cookie in particular, calling out to me to just take a bite. My mind is clouded with desire, making me believe I can grab one in a way without my mother noticing, overpowering me to try.

I make my way over to the tray of cookies and cakes, making sure to be as diligent, humming softly as my eyes rake over the cookie that has taken over my senses . My hand moved ever so slowly to grab it.

"Emily, don't you even think about it". My mother said in a warning tone.

Her back is to me, facing the cupcakes that she is currently designing. I curse and wonder how she even sees me.

She's not even facing me, for crying out loud.

"Ma joulie mama. I even made them" I whine loudly and annoyingly, knowing fully well she hates it when I do this.

"Em, you know today is giving the customers a free cookie in honor of them returning to this bakery. We need the cookies to be enough so we can give all the customers". She says, stressing out all the words, reminding me of the misery I'm currently in.

"But I deserve at least one. I made them and I had just graduated from that torturous establishment called high school." I made my way over to her and wrapped my arms around her body. "Please, just one, it really won't make a difference."

"Okay, just one."

I give her a quick kiss on her cheek, squealing and jumping like a kid on Christmas day from joy. I quickly rush back over to the counter where the tray is placed, grabbing the cookie I've been eyeing since making them. I take the cookie to my nose, sniffing it before losing all patience and devouring it like a maniac.

"At least eat like a lady em" My mom says, scolding me for eating in the most inhumane way.

"Don't blame me ma." I moaned, taking another bite.

"Est-ce bein?" She smiles sweetly at me

"Beyond heavenly." I say, absent-mindedly, too focused on the cookie I'm devouring.

She doesn't say anything further, and goes back to finishing her work before the customers start arriving.

She does this special give-away cookie thing every year when i come back from New York. We bake cookies for every single person that enters our bakery even if they don't buy anything. Our bakery fills up in no time whenever we put the open sign on the door. The whole town loves our bakery because of how good our pastries are - the tarts, cakes, cupcakes, bread loaves, literally everything we make.

Ever since I can remember, my mother loved to bake and me too, but not as passionately as her. I have never seen a day that went by and she didn't bake. If she didn't, it would probably be a curse or something. My mom decided to name the bakery le paradise d'emilie, Emily's haven, saying I was her inspiration to start a bakery in the first place. I learned all about baking from my mother, spending every summer with her in the kitchen teaching me.

Before graduating, I stayed with my aunt and cousins in New York, attending high school. I ended my school year earlier. Well, because let's face it, I'm not your best student. And before you jump to any conclusions, I was not failing, more like being disturbed by every teacher for either coming very late, missing class or just not paying any attention at all. The cause - books. What can I say myself and books go way back. Like way way back. Now, literature's my passion.

Reading books has always been more than a hobby for me, it's like a way of life. Just like the saying 'a reader lives many lives', reading makes me feel like I'm living their life and it's always fun imagining your life in different ways. After summer, I always leave everything behind to come back to my home- Rochefort-en-Terre, France. It's my mother's and I hometown. Although, unlike my mother, I don't mind leaving it, she can't. And I completely get it, it's the most beautiful town on this planet, especially in summer. But unfortunately, there are no good colleges here.

Another reason why I don't mind leaving is because of my father, who left me and my mother while I was still little. I don't really remember him. Whenever I try, all I see are hazy images of him. When I ask my mom about it, she always dismisses or changes the topic. All she ever says is that he was a very horrible man and it's good he is out of our lives, so I always drop the topic. Don't get me wrong. Of course, I wanna know who he is and what happened between him and mom, but I never push my mom for details.

I hate to see my mom sad or mad whenever I remind her of him. She didn't leave me. Everyone has a choice and she chose to stay, which is why I love her more than anything and never push the topic further when she tells me to drop it.

"Mark, what are you doing here?" My mother's voice took me out of my thoughts.

"It's nice to see you as well, Adele". Mark said, placing a kiss on my mom's hand.

Mark has been my boyfriend since eleventh grade. He's my best friend, my first kiss, my first date, my first dance..and you get the point. He was my first everything except for one thing I couldn't give him. After eleventh grade, we were inseparable. He went with me everywhere. He studies with me, takes me to dinner, buys lunch for me after school. He even tried to learn how to bake, but gave up after failing miserably and almost literally destroying the kitchen in our bakery. Since then he has been banned from baking by my mother. To my mom he is the best guy for a girl which is why she fantasizes like a girl in high school that he will propose to me during college.

She treats he like her son because he showers her with gifts and compliments anything to make her a middle aged woman swoon like crazy. Although I do like the idea of them being close and on good terms. He loves me and always makes sure to show it. He's always there for me whenever I need him and that's why I'm still with him. Not the best reason to be with a boy but what can I say.

"Hey babe." He snakes his arms around my waist, pulling me to him. "I really missed you".

He leans in to plant a gentle kiss on my lips.

"You realize you saw me just a few hours ago, right?" I chuckle softly and gently push him away.

"Mmm... Is that vanilla I taste?" He completely ignores my words and licks his lips.

"Mark dear, since it's your first time here, let em give you a little tour." My mom momentarily raises her eyes to look at Mark before going back to focus on her work.

"Yes, I would love that." He takes a seat on a stool by the window, "I was hoping Emily would take me tomorrow."

"Ugh, Mark I told you I'm very busy tomorrow. I really can't do tomorrow." I shake my head. "I have a lot of errands to run, I'm sorry."

"What errands, em?" My mother questions, looking at me for an answer.

"Umm.. just a few things that need to be taken care of" I mutter in a soft voice.

Okay the real reason I don't wanna take Mark out to show him around is because Mr.Osborne called and told me he got a stack of new books that I'll love. I mean how can I say no besides Mark hates book so It wouldn't work out.

"You can help my mom here I'm sure she'll appreciate the help." I giggle as I walk towards my mom to help her.

"Or you could just rest tomorrow Mark, you just had a really long flight." My mother rushes to say, not wanting Mark to somehow destroy her prized possession.

Mark is originally from New Jersey. When growing up girls never really paid any attention to him but that changed the second we got into high school, he developed muscles from all the sports his parents made him play. I've always admired the way he looks from his 6'1 frame to his blonde hair and light blue orbs. He looked very handsome.

It took Mark two weeks of convincing his parents to let him go to France with me rather than go back to New Jersey to be with his family. He said he wanted a simple vacation, away from all the family drama. He also said he didn't believe it was right to be separated from me for three whole months. Sometimes his affection towards me startles me but also softens my heart as well.

"Please, can't you go some other day? I really want to spend some time with you."

"I do too, Mark, but I can't. I'll make it up to you though I promise."

"You're going to have to finish whatever 'errands' you have", She said while making air quotes on 'errands'."Early because we have some guests coming over today." My mom reminds me.

"Ugh, I totally forgot and why do I have to be here to see them."

Whenever my foot lands in that library there's no going home until it's late at night. I can spend hours maybe even a day in the library. But before you judge me as a crazed reader I don't spend all those hours just reading. I always make sure to help Mr.osborne out with labelling, organizing, or cleaning books.

"Are they staying with you guys."Mark asks.

"Yes they are."

"Why can't they stay in a hotel or something."

My mom's eyebrows knit together, "Maria is my best friend. She has been with me through thick and thin. Besides she needs a quiet place for a her son to adjust from everyone. I can't let her stay in a hotel when my house is able to accommodate her and her son. I don't see why they can't stay with us." She finishes her endless rant with a huff, looking at both me and Mark.

"Well easy for you to say, he's going to be staying in my room." I huff in annoyance and grab two more cookies, stuffing them both in my mouth.

"Wait, what." Mark's eyes widen in surprise.

My mother pretends as if she didn't see me take another cookie and instead focuses her attention to Mark, trying to comfort him, "You refused to stay in Emily's room because you thinks it's better to stay in different rooms. And he won't be staying in her room, Emily's room is divided into two and is separated by a door because it's too big for her." My mother explains, " he will stay in one half and Emily in the other so don't worry, they will be separated by a door."

"No way." Mark stands to his feet, and for the first time since we started dating I see jealousy overtake him. And my heart flutters because he never gets jealous.

"I'll stay with Emily in that room."

"Je suis desole, mon cher." My mother apologizes, "But his bags are already set in the room, and I told you it would be better to share a room together."

"I told you we would be separated by a door, but you didn't listen and insisted on staying in a separate room. So don't blame me." I shrug.

"Why didn't you just agree when she asked you?" My mom shoots him a skeptical look, clearly not understanding why he would give up staying with his girlfriend.

"Because it's the right thing to do" He says confidently.

I try my best to resist the urge to roll my eyes at his answer but fail incredibly, turning my head to look at the tray of cupcakes next to me to distract myself from whatever he's about to say next.

"I want her to feel comfortable with me around, okay? Sometimes a person needs to stay in...let's say comfort." He says as he pours himself a glass of water.

My mother and I exchange glances both fighting the urge to burst out in laughter at his words.

Mom purses her lips clearly fighting hard the laugh that was gurgling in her throat."You don't have to worry about him. He's got a lot on his plate especially with him being out of juvie--."

Mark spits out the water he was drinking interrupting my mom.

"Did you just say juvie?."

Mom just looks at him and nods nonchalantly.

"And he is going to be staying in Emily's room? Not happening."

"He was framed for something he didn't do, that is what Maria says, and I completely believe her." My mom's reply comes out immediately without any hesitation.

"Well this is going to be interesting." I blurt out.

"Interesting?" Mark practically screams,"He may have killed someone for all we know, and he is going to be staying in your room."

"Well not exactly my room. But this will give us a chance to to get to know him and why he went to juvie, don't you think?" I turn my head to look at my mom and mark.

"Have you finally lost it Emily? This isn't one of our books, this is real life. Now you are to steer clear of him." He warns me, "When he gets here i'll tell him I want to switch rooms."

"You know that's not very nice. And I don't think I want that anymore." I tease him, "I think i'm going to like him."

"Em, I promise if you argue with me on this, I'll-"

It really is so cute to see rage and jealousy radiating off of him, I have literally been waiting for this moment, and I decide to end his rant by kissing him.

His lips immediately catch up to mine and he moves aggressively that it adds more heat to the moment. It was absolutely incredible and I wish for all of our kisses to be just like this from now on. His arms circle my waist tightly keeping my body close to his.

"You will not engage in any activities with him, alright?" He whispers against my lips, and I see in his eyes something I've never seen- want and maybe even need for me.

"You can't boss me around, sorry." I smile and pull away from him.

"Of course I can, Adele, I can right?" He turns to my mom for support.

"She's a free woman, Mark. Plus she has to take him around town too, because Maria doesn't know anything about this town." Before Mark had the chance to get worked up, my mom continues, "He's only going to be spending six weeks here to refresh his mind, then he'll be out of your hair. both of yours."

"I'll be staying for six weeks, too. And if he ruins my time with Emily then i'll kill him."

"Well the customers are coming in now, i'll go serve them, oh and Em," Mom turns to me,"When you are done, come and help me."

"Okay mom."

Once she is out of sight, my hands fly around his neck and I pull him close to me,"You know.." I trail off tracing his bottom lip with my finger, "you look really hot when you're jealous."

"I am not jealous, Emily." He defends himself.

"Oh really?"

He nods.

"Well, i'll start planning where I will be taking him to, where we will go when we--"

He clasps his hand over my mouth muffling all the rest of my sentence.

"This isn't funny, Emily." He frowns, "I don't like the idea of you spending time with a criminal."

"You heard what mom said, he didn't do it. Besides innocent until proven guilty."

"Maria is just trying to cover up for her son. Obviously she wouldn't tell us what he did."

"Possibly, but it doesn' matter anyway. Now stop pouting like a fish." I smile sweetly at him.

"Very funny, I'm not a fish."

"Could've fooled me." I chuckle at him.

"I love you, Em." He says, looking adoringly at me.

I lean in closer, giving him a peck on his lips in response, I then lean back to look at him in the eyes.

"I really should go and help my mom."

"Okay then." He kisses the top of my head before letting me go to help my mom.

He constantly looks at me with hope filling his eyes, but I can never say those words back to him. I do love Mark but I just can't say it.

Maybe one day I'll be able to say the words he so desperately wants to hear. But until then I'm not going to say what I don't mean. So I guess we are just going to have to wait.

Translations

Ma joulie maman: My pretty mother.

Est-ce bein: Is it good.

Je suis desole, mon cher: I am sorry, my dear.