Page 31 of Clonely You

I don’t think I could choke down a bite. “Oh, I normally don’t eat breakfast?—”

“Nonsense. I am going to make you a meal. Today is a big day.” He puts his hands on my shoulders and firmly but gently pushes me into the nearest chair. “Relax. It will be ready soon.”

Oh sure. Just relax. I manage a small smile and watch as he heads into the kitchen.

My smile fades when he immediately pulls everything out of the fridge and begins to pick through it. He sniffs some of the fresh vegetables and the leaves fall off the roots as he does. He ignores it, and I watch as another flutters to the counter. He puts the vegetables back and grabs a packet of noodles, giving me a confident look before ripping it open with a mighty tear.

Noodles go flying.

“Whoops.” He gives me a sheepish grin. “Sorry about that.” He scoops up the dried noodles that fell on the counter and tosses them into the bowl, but there are remnants everywhere. On the counters, on the floor, in the sink…

Aithar continues, and I’ve never seen him make such a mess. Every other time he’s been in my kitchen, he’s been very careful with how he handles my things. He cleans the dishes the moment he dirties them and he’s a tidy worker. Not today. I watch in horror as he grabs a bundle of greens and begins to chop them haphazardly. “Aithar!”

“Yes, my heart?”

“What are you doing?”

“Making a morning meal for you.”

“But…” I watch as he cracks an egg and only half of it makes it into the bowl, the rest puddling on the counter. “You’re making a mess.”

“Am I? I had no idea. It’s fine.” He beams at me and waves the knife in my direction, bits of cut leaves flying as he does. “Just sit right there and let me handle things.”

“Are-are you doing this on purpose?”

Aithar tries to give me an innocent look, but he’s a terrible liar. “I would never.”

“You shit! You are! Absolutely!” I jump to my feet.

“And it’s going to be fine,” he reassures me. He tosses the cutlery down onto the now-dirty counter and comes to my side, putting his hands on my shoulders again and gently steering me back into my seat. “Now sit and let me take care of you.”

“But—”

“Sit.”

I thump to my seat, and he smiles at me and presses a kiss atop my head. Then he returns to the kitchen, where he continues to make a horrific mess. By the time he’s done, he produces one very nice-looking omelet…and the counters and the floors are a disaster. I swear he dirtied every dish, too.

“I made you a human dish,” he tells me proudly. “This is one Ruth-Ann taught me. Tell me if you like it?”

I glance over at the filthy kitchen.

“It can wait. The world will not end if there is a mess on the counter. Eat.”

Reluctantly, I take a forkful of omelet and taste it. Delicious. “It’s good. Thank you.”

Aithar beams as if I’ve given him the biggest compliment ever. “Keep eating.”

“You’ll clean up while I do?” I ask hopefully, taking another forkful.

He shakes his head, remaining seated across from me. “No. We can clean it up later.”

My eye twitches. “It bothers me.”

“I know. But it’s not urgent and it’s harming nothing, so it can wait.” He folds his hands and gives me an easy look. “Do you think it will rain today? It feels as if it will, but the weather reports do not call for any precipitation.”

He’s seriously going to ask me about the rain? He’s going to make small talk right now? When I’m practically vibrating with tension? But I guess he is…and there’s nothing for me to do but eat and try to relax. I take another reluctant mouthful, and it really is delicious. He’s cooked the eggs perfectly, so they’re not runny but not rubbery either. I keep eating while he chatters on about the weather and what the others are up to. Ruth-Ann apparently has beef with a local baker, and Salvotor has abandoned them to run someone’s farm while they’re traveling. Dopekh is not taking this well and he’s moping hard, so the others are trying to cheer him up. He tells me a story of playing cards and everyone else was cheating to let Dopekh win every hand. By the time I’m done eating, I’m laughing at his tales and in a better mood. I’ve even forgotten the mess on the counter.

Until I look over, that is.

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