Page 82 of Lunar Diamonds
I dropped my hand, wondering if those bolts would ever slide open. If this wasn’t some futile?—
Enough negativity!
“Let’s go,” I told Drake, hurrying away from the door.
As we checked out a glass conservatory on the northern corner of the mansion, an idea hit me. “Cookies.”
“Sorry?”
“For Erin. To cheer her up.”
He cocked his head. “You want to bake her cookies?”
“Do you think she’d like them?”
“I don’t know.”
If she didn’t, I’d go back to the drawing board. I just wanted to do something to let her know her years of serving this house hadn’t gone unnoticed. And certainly wouldn’t, moving forward.
“Follow me,” I said.
Chapter 22
DRAKE
Inever expected to be helping The Moon bake chocolate chip cookies at two in the morning, yet here we were, deep in cookie land.
They smelled wonderful. Riley made the cookie dough from scratch since the mansion was well stocked in just about everything.
Impressive.
“My mum’s recipe,” he said.
“Do you bake a lot?”
“Only cookies, and only chocolate chip. I have no aspirations to be a baker.”
“I can barely fry an egg.”
He giggled, the sound an audible balm.
I really enjoyed his company, his energy bright and soothing, leaving my troubles at the door. He seemed to turn the darkness down.
Riley pulled the first batch out of the oven. “Want to try?”
“I’ll never turn down sugar.”
“A man after my own heart.” His cheeks were flushed from the heat from the oven.
Adorable.
I bit into a warm cookie. Soft yet crispy, the chocolate nice and gooey. Pure heaven.
“Are they okay?” he wondered, chewing his lip.
I closed my eyes, enjoying the happiness on my tastebuds, considering my good luck. Riley didn’t hate me, and I saw a real chance to prove myself to him and this house.
Thank Hecate for Riley’s kindness. Most people would hate me, refuse to engage, reject me. And I’d take it. A lifetime of being unwanted steeled you against disappointment.
