Page 24 of Own

I glanced down at my coffee. “It’s not starving myself, it’s just…” A sigh escaped me. “I don’t have an eating disorder.”

“Are you sure?” The blunt question jerked my head back up. “No judgment here.”

“Areyousure aboutthat?” Because it sounded like judgment to me.

That rare, faint smile returned. “I’m certain that you need to eat. That each person needs a standard number of calories per day to survive. The more you undercut those, the more likely it is you will lose energy, and muscle mass. It can also affect yourinternal organs and more. If you continue to do so, even if you are aware of how it affects your health because you’re compelled by some drive to do so—what would you call it?”

Between the silence ballooned, filled with all the things he wasn’t saying and I wasn’t arguing. I didn’t have an eating disorder. I didn’t.

Except…

“If I eat something will you let this topic go?” Wow that came out petulant. This time, I raised a hand before he could say anything. Eyes closed, I clamped down on the irritation at being called out because I could seewhyhe was doing it.

Goddammit, he was even beingniceabout it.

“Sorry,” I said, as I opened my eyes and met his gaze. “I didn’t mean to snap.”

“I can handle you,” he murmured, but went quiet when I glared again.

“Maybe you can. The point is—you are making a good argument for me to eat, so, I’ll eat something because I am hungry. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stuff myself with sugar.”

“I wouldn’t presume,” he said, the corners of his mouth curving upward again.

“Oh yes, you would,” I said, wrinkling my nose.

“Not as long as you do eat.” He motioned to the boxes. “Help yourself. Pretty sure a couple of those were stuffed breakfast sandwiches. So if you don’t want to go for the sweet, go for the savory.”

With that, he toed off his shoes then picked up the box she’d packed for Goblin. The smell coming off those was downright divine. Meat pies.

Goblin was already sitting up and looking eager. Bones took the time to feed Goblin and let me pick out what I wanted. I did get a breakfast sandwich, and I chose a raspberry tart looking pastry with cream cheese. It was small, terribly sweet, but small.

I told myself I’d only eat itafterthe breakfast sandwich if I was still hungry. Once I moved over to a chair and sat to eat, Bones helped himself. He carried almost a full box over and tucked right into it.

“How long are we going to stay here?”

“At least another day,” he told me, after wiping his mouth. “We’re holding here to give them time to catch up.”

My head snapped up. “Really?”

He nodded. “If we have no word by tomorrow, we move again.”

My heart sank.

“There’s a plan, Grace,” he said almost gently. “They know where I’m going and where I’d take you.”

That… helped. “Why can’t we call them?”

“Because we don’t know their status. If they aren’t secure and I call, it could endanger them.”

Oh.

I took another bite of the sandwich. It definitely helped to fill my growling stomach. “You think they’re all right then?”

Because I needed that hope.

“I think they’ll get the job done, then we’ll rendezvous.”

While the answer evaded some, it said wewouldsee them again, notif.

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