Page 54 of Romeo

My dad used to tell me it’s cheaper than therapy.Which I’ve had plenty of in my lifetime.

“Mushrooms ready?”I ask.

“All done.”He offers me the cutting board, so I slide the mushrooms down into the butter.

“Great.Can you slice the onion too?”

“Sure thing, chef,” he replies with a grin that makes my insides melt a bit.How is he so unbelievably handsome?But it’s more than that too.There’s this light within Riley, a life that starkly contrasts with how haunted I feel.Like he’s a happy home near the shore, and I’m a haunted castle hidden away amidst a forest no one ventures into.

As he cuts the onion, I keep an eye on the mushrooms.

“Here you go.”He holds up the cutting board again, presenting perfectly diced onions.

I laugh when I note how his eyes are a bit red from the scent of the onion.“Not too shabby, Hunt.”

“Thanks.”He smiles, and for just a moment, the rest of my darkness vanishes, leaving only me and him and this peaceful moment.

I force my attention away and take the cutting board, sliding the onions into the butter.Then, a few minutes later, I add fresh minced garlic that I’d prepped earlier.As soon as that’s cooked, I move on to removing everything from the pot and placing it onto the plate alongside the beef.

“You never answered me.”

“What do you mean?”I ask as I pour some beef broth into the pot.My replacement for the red wine I won’t even allow around me for cooking.I add a splash of balsamic vinegar, another addition to help deepen the flavor since I don’t use wine.

Riley crosses his arms and leans back against the counter.“Do you want to talk about what he said?”

Oh.And here I thought we’d changed the subject.“Anyone ever tell you that you don’t let things go?”

“All the time,” he replies.“Ask Elliot.”

“I might just do that,” I reply with a slight smile.“There’s not much to talk about.He said what he said, I listened, and now I’m in the kitchen, which is as close to my happy place as I can get.”

“I can appreciate that.”

“When I was little, I wanted to be a veterinarian.Anything to work with animals.”I smile.“But from the first time I cooked alongside my dad, IknewI wanted to open a restaurant.It just felt so right, cooking and serving others delicious food that would bring smiles to their faces.”

“Really?That’s great.”

I shrug.“It would have been.”

“Why can’t it be great now?”

“Odie’s been in charge of our grandfather’s accounts for years.And with him gone, well, I just know that I’ll never get Odie to give me access to enough funds to get me started.My credit is basically nonexistent, so a loan is out of the question.Maybe one day I’ll go work in one.If I can get them to hire me.”

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t.And as far as Odie goes, he can’t control you any more than you let him, Jules.Don’t let him.”

“It’s not just about that.I made my choices, and I know I need to live in the consequences of those choices.”

“That’s not true.Not even a little.If it were, then I’d be damned too.So would each of my brothers and every single human being on this planet.Once you’ve repented, that part of you dies, Jules.And you become reborn.You get to move past those mistakes and bury them in the dirt where they belong.”

“Repented?You preaching to me, Mr.Hunt?”

“Hardly.I’m only telling you that there’s another door you can walk through.And it’s a whole lot better on this side.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I reply, hoping it closes this particular conversation before I end up confessing to him that I don’t feel worth saving.That there’s not even a shred of hope left within me and the only reason I’m still breathing is because my grandfather wouldn’t let me die.

“Good.And if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here, and I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”

Honestly?I could see that.As much as I don’t want to admit it, there’s this charm to Riley.This calm that makes one feel safe enough to open up and spill all of their secrets.Unfortunately, mine would drown us both.

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