Page 59 of Breaking Point
“I don’t know, I panicked,” I lie.
The truth is I can’t shut my mouth when it comes to Bella. I want Bella, and I can’t explain why to people because I myself don’t understand why I’m so drawn to her.
Kieran’s head is in the fridge as he calls over his shoulder, “Well, pull up the candidates Lucy sent over. I’m sure there’s a good one in there.”
“Not one that is her,” I mumble under my breath.
Moving to the couch, I flop down as I bring up my laptop with the dozens—yes,dozens—of candidates Lucy has been trying to shove down my throat. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything wrong with any of these women. They’re beautiful, and I’m sure they have a lovely personality, but I doubt any of them can make me feel like I can breathe again when they walk into a room.
Besides Kieran, when anyone looks at me they stare with a mix of pity and sadness because they can’t see past what I did. Bella, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air because she just exists around me. Completely and wholly herself—that is, when she isn’t ignoring me.
Kieran plops down beside me with a blueberry muffin in his hand.
“Where did you get that?”
He shrugs around a mouthful. “In the fridge.” He points at my screen. “Pull it up. The first one looks stunning.”
Ignoring him, I shove the laptop at him as I quickly stand and make my way to the fridge. Sure enough, sitting amongst my shelves is another load of home-cooked meals, along with a muffin that has a small handwritten note leaning against it.
Don’t tell your nutritionist. Something tells me he isn’t opposed to screaming at women.
I couldn’t hold back my grin even if I tried.
This is the second time Bella has meal-prepped for me, and somehow, she also foresaw I can tolerate three days of meal-prepped food before I get sick of it. Every time, there is only enough for three days.
My chest aches, but not from sadness. It’s from the sudden warmth that’s overflowing me. She has no idea what she’s doing to my heart.
I haven’t been able to stomach eating anything another chef has prepared for me, and yet, when I smell Bella’s food, instead of acid on my tongue and nausea in my stomach, I get hungry—ravished, even.
Quickly snatching a blueberry muffin, I slide the note she left me into my pocket.
“This one’s pretty good!”
I roll my eyes as I find Kieran wholly concentrated on the “resumes” Lucy sent over.
“We’re not shopping, Kieran, and pick your tongue up off the floor. You’re drooling all over my couch.”
“Ha ha, very funny. I know we’re not shopping. We’re interviewing the woman that’s going to save your career.”
Jesus, when he puts it like that…
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Grimacing, I turn to him. “Don’t you think it’s slightly…objectifying?”
He shakes his head. “They know it’s a PR relationship, although they don’t know with whom I’m guessing. Otherwise, it would be all over the media.”
Biting into the muffin, all thoughts scatter to the wind as blueberry explodes along my tongue. Groaning in delight and satisfaction, I swear I feel my eyes roll to the back of my head. “Fuck, she’s a good cook,” I mutter around the next mouthful I shove in.
Kieran side-eyes me. “Bella cooked these?”
I don’t deign him with a verbal response. I don’t want to open my mouth for anything but this muffin, so instead I nod.
Kieran cocks his head, turning to face me with a scrutinizing look.
“Don’t ruin my moment with a good muffin. You know they’re my kryptonite.”
“Exactly, so how did she know?”
That makes me pause. “Lucky guess, I suppose?”
