Page 24 of Dryad, Try Again
The sweetest. “He sure is.” I approach them and touch Aunt Hannah’s shoulder. “But he’s probably stayed too long. I should get started on dinner.”
“Lovely. Kovi would you like to stay?”
“I make a mean chicken noodle soup,” he says with a smile. “It’s the only thing I can make.”
“You’re not cooking for us, you already helped with lunch,” I say.
“It’s no problem. We can cook together, and it could be fun!”A man who likes helping with chores?My heart is ready to get down on one knee and propose.
“Honey, he offered.” She lightly pats my arm. “That sounds delicious.”
“It does.” I bite my lip and look around. “But I don’t want to keep sapping up your time.”
“It’s not a problem. We can study while cooking, you can review concepts while I chop the celery.” He stands up and wipes his palms on his jeans. “If you don’t mind me sticking around.”
That isdefinitelynot the problem. “I would love to cook with you.” We share a smile, then I glance at Aunt Hannah.
She nods and picks up the remote. “I’ll entertain myself while you boys prepare a meal and study. Go on, shoo!” I know a wing-woman when I see one, but cooking with Kovi sounds heavenly.
The next thirtyminutes are a blur of chopping vegetables and chatting about environmental sci. He clarifies a lot of my misconceptions about trees and the forest biome. I didn’t know cooking and studying could go hand in hand, but Kovi, as usual, changes my perspective on everything I thought I knew. Ouringredients come together with ease, and the warmth in my chest has nothing to do with the stove.
The soup smells delectable, and once we’re finished, Aunt Hannah joins us at the wooden kitchen table. She chats with us all about my younger years, and I’m not even embarrassed anymore. Kovi asks about how I got into my major, and I tell him about how my construction gig made me want to study about the environment. When Aunt Hannah asks, Kovi talks about his childhood, leaving out the fact that he’s a monster—he probably wants to avoid questions about his species and powers.
At no point does the conversation lull or become awkward. I don’t remember the last time I smiled this much.
An hour later,Aunt Hannah has taken her meds and is headed to bed. I put away the dishes and clean up around the house. Twenty minutes later, I find Kovi on the couch, quietly reading, and I join him. The whole scene feels so intimate. After an entire day being domestic with him, the magnetic pull he has on me grows stronger.
Yes, I’m still scared of tree monsters, but I want Kovi.
“All good?” he asks, putting away his books.
“Yeah. I trust she’ll be back to her strong, typical self tomorrow.” I tap my hands on my lap. The two feet between us feels like miles of distance. “Thank you. For spending the day with me.”
“It was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing!” We both sit upright at my forceful words. “You walked all the way here to bring me back my books. You hung out with Aunt Hannah and cooked for me, an almost stranger.”
“I thought we were friends.”
“We are.” My shoulders relax as I sink into the couch and gaze at his handsome face. He’s generosity and kindness wrapped in six feet of dark skin and muscled frame. “I didn’t have many friends before this year.”
“Not even in high school?”
“I was too busy working.” I stare at the floor as my memories surface. “No one wanted to befriend the poor ginger kid with no parents.”
“No,” he says, gravely.
“Yes. With Mom long gone and Dad drinking himself to death, I had to grow up real quick. Aunt Hannah is the only person who supported me and insisted I go to university.” I turn to see Kovi’s eyes shimmering with sympathy. “She’s the only person I have.”
“Tanner. I’m so sorry to hear that. If there’s anything I can—”
I sit up and smile. “Dude, you’ve done so much already! I didn’t mean to bring your mood down to the underground world.” We both chuckle, and I look down at his hand, inches from mine. “I’m touched that you would even listen to my weird life story.”
“We all have our battles to fight. If talking about it helps, then I’m happy to be an ear.”
I nod. “Kovi, no one’s ever helped me out this much before.”
“You deserve it.” I glance at him. He’s so handsome with his chiseled jawline and stubbled face. The sincerity in his brown eyes is undeniable. “Life can be one trauma after another. There’s no shame in asking for help sometimes.”
