Page 25 of Sustaining
“How do I know I won’t get food poisoning if I eat what you made?”
The smallest moment passes with my lips parted in surprise.
“How do you know you won’t die of basic poisoning from eating what I made? Arsenic moves in mysterious ways, Molly.”
Then it’s her turn to stare outraged at me.
“Oh my fuck. She’s kidding. Kidding is all.” Chaos cuts into the furious woman’s line of sight, giving her the biggest, most charming smile I’ve ever seen from him.
She doesn’t even acknowledge him. Her cutting stare holds on me, her fat bottom lip firming the more she scowls at me.
“It would be a real shame for Bella if someone reported her only daughter to the King of Minden.” Her low words are so quiet I barely hear her, but it rips tension into every inch of the shifter standing before her. “You think I’m an idiot. You think I don’t know? I knew when you were a freak little girl and I know now, Arlow Winters.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I grind out on an even breath.
“Oh, I do. And I’m not the only one talking.” She nods continuously. She looks like there’s so much more she wants to say to me but she wires her jaw shut with a hard snap of her teeth.
Her brown dress twirls as she pivots, and in only a few angry steps, she’s out the door. Chaos comes closer to me, but the front counter separates the two of us, and I’m still glaring at the door where she left.
The sound of my mother’s pleasant voice is heard before I actually see her. She rounds the corner, holding a small white box with a beautiful teal ribbon tied neatly on top.
“I hope you love them. They took hours to make but they’re my best beignets this month, I know it.” Her smile is so genuine it hurts to look at it when she peers up from her rambling.
The quickness it takes for her happiness to dissolve completely hurts even more.
“Someone strolled by outside saying something about needing some negative energy in their life, and Molly ran right out to help,” I mumble mostly to myself.
Chaos gives an astounded look at my pettiness. It gives a coy little wave right back at him.
“She said she forgot her wallet,” the shifter tells my mother, using the sweetest smile to cover his lie.
“Of course.” She nods, lowering the box on the counter and turning away from us. She throws herself right back into her work like she always does when someone’s unnecessarily cruel to her.
So every day. She does this every day.
Chaos would have to offer up a lot of gentle smiles to make up for the number of customers whoforget their walletswhere my mother is concerned.
I loved helping her as a child, but my presence definitely hurt her business. It hurt life.
“This place smells delicious.” Chaos is leaning into the counter. His big forearms rest there, all but jumping over the divider separating him from all the tasty treats behind the shining glass display window on the back wall.
There’s a greedy glint to his eyes, like he’s mentally counting each and every item back there.
“Thank you, Chaos.” Her thin features pull up into a wide smile from his kind remark. The humming song my mother sings to herself is a familiar sound, and it’s one I associate with memories of her.
As talented as she is, the people here don’t appreciate her work like they should.
But, Chaos, Chaos appreciates food like it’s the number one priority in life.
“Take the beignets for you and your friends this morning.” She peers up at him with shining sapphire eyes. and Kain might be my father’s favorite, but I can tell Chaos’ is quickly becoming her favorite.
“No, I couldn’t. What if Misses Stick-Up-Her-Ass comes back?” His gaze keeps darting to the pretty box with the delicious treats inside while he keeps his adamant speech in place about not being able to take them.
His palm lifts, and he distractedly touches the smooth top, brushing along the ribbon.
That man will eat the box whole if it sits in front of him long enough.
“Chaos, we both know Misses Stick-Up-Her-Ass isn’t coming back.” The smile that etches her features is still in place, and I like how quietly happy she seems right now.
