Page 144 of Eternal
“Thank you, partner,” I say.
She shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “Hope you like it.”
“Anything that comes from you is already a winner in my book.”
I drop my gaze first, stabbing my fork into the food and then I eat it. The first bite isheaven.
I exhale slowly, shaking my head. “Okay. You win.”
She grins, like she knew she would. “Told you.”
I don’t want to walk away from this. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
I dig again into the food, and it’s better than my first bite. The flavors hit me, rich and bold, like nothing I’ve tasted in a long time. It’s not just food; it’s something deeper. It feels like...home. And I’m not sure how to deal with that feeling.
The rice is perfect, the lamb is delicious, and the sauce is incredible.
I glance up at her, mouth half-full, “This... is seriously good. You didn’t sneak anything weird in there, did you? No poison?”
She laughs softly. God, I love that sound. It makes everything feel warmer. “So cautious,” she says. “It’s still hot, though. Careful, or the poison won’t even have time to kick in.”
I lean back in my chair, grinning like an idiot. “I’d eat whatever you gave me if it meant hearing you laugh again.”
She raises an eyebrow, a small smile playing on her lips. “Would you? That’s good to know. I’ve got a few... experiments I’ve been dying to try.”
I laugh, more genuinely this time. “This is good. Really good. You might have a future in this cooking thing. I might even let you make me dinner more often.”
“You’ll have to beg for it.”
I nearly choke on my next bite, catching myself right on time. But damn, if she only knew... I’d beg for anything.
I lean forward, lowering my voice, dragging it out with that mock-serious tone I know gets to her. “You really think you can make me beg, huh?”
She doesn’t flinch, she tilts her head, sizing me up, the sly smile creeping back on her face. “Oh, I know I can.”
She’s beautiful in a way that feels unfair, the kind of beauty that gets people into trouble, that makes them stay when they should run.
She shouldn’t look like this, not with the way the soft light catches against her skin, not with the way her hair falls over her shoulder, not with the way she smells like something sweet and familiar, like comfort, like she doesn’t belong in my world.
And she doesn’t.
She’s insane for letting me sit here, letting me in. She should’ve shut the door in my face, should’ve listened to whatever instinct told her that I don’t belong. But she didn’t.
I hold her gaze, surprised at how much fun I’m having with this. It’s not like me, at least not with anyone else. But here I am, trying to crack her smile, make her laugh. It’s...nice.
She looks away, down at her plate. Her smile fades a little, and there’s something softer in her expression. Then, without warning, she says, “I haven’t had someone to cook for in a while.”
The words hit me hard. I swallow, trying to hide the tightness in my chest. “I haven’t had someone cook for me inforever,” I say, and it’s true. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.
She meets my eyes for a small moment, like she’s waiting for me to say more. Waiting for me to...understand. And for some reason, I do. “It’s warm. And comforting too.”
“Been a while since you had something like this?” she asks, keeping it soft, but there’s something deeper in her voice.
“Yeah.”
It’s not the moment to think about the team. I thought I healed from it. I really thought I did. But they were the only ones making dinners feel like home, and it's been so long.
“Well, you’re eating something good and warm tonight. Might have to make this a regular thing.”
