THE SURPRISE PARTY Sierra and Alexa removed the cake from the box, careful not to touch it and damage the cream.  “This looks so delicious,” Alexa commented, Sierra ordered it from a well-known bakery in downtown San Francisco and she too was quite pleased with the outcome.  “She’s going to love it.” The blush pink and peach roses were soft in contrast to the shards of white chocolate that stuck out between them, the vanilla sponge was filled with raspberries and white chocolate ganache and covered in a pink ombre ganache.  It was exactly as Alexa described, feminine with an edge. 

IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH   The phone buzzed beneath her, making her groan out loud. She called in sick to work early that morning, so it wouldn’t be them looking for her. She didn’t bother peeling her eyes open when she answered the call.    “Hello?” She grumbled, suddenly feeling bile rise in her throat.    “Sierra, are you okay?” Roman’s concerned voice was clear through the phone, but before she could answer or cut the call, her mouth felt wet. Abandoning the call, she raced to the guest bathroom and threw herself in front of the toilet before the contents of her stomach spewed back out.    She felt her head pound and her stomach burned

THE TRUTH   A soft thud woke Sierra up from her sleep, she felt a lot stronger than earlier so she decided to check if Roman was okay, pushing open her door, she stopped short when she saw his muscled back facing the door from his position at the window, he had his phone against his ear and a hand in his hair, she wondered if it was a work emergency since he seemed frustrated, but before she could take another step, his harsh voice stopped her.    “No. Stop this shit, I’m warning you, Caralynn, if you ever call me again I will make sure you live to regret it. I made myself clear last night, I love Sierra and you have made things difficult enough for me, I won’t tolerate anymore. I’m not the same naive person I used to be. This conversation is over!” He whisper yelled, his voice hard with finality.