Page 159 of A Curse On Black Lake
The Spirits don’t respond. In fact, they’ve been quiet since I woke up.
He chuckles. “What do you mean? Sully’s Saloon has food.”
“And foodborne illnesses,” I mutter.
He laughs. “That’s why I’m going to make you dinner. I’ll run to the store, find some cheap wine, and we’ll put some Eden Ranch steaks on the grill, and something else I find.”
“Tonight?” I ask him.
He grins. “Yep, tonight. I don’t want to wait.”
I snort and can’t help myself pressing my mouth to his. “Yes,” I mumble against his lips.
He chuckles and kisses me again, deeper this time.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
He frowns. “For what?”
“For saving me.”
“I’ll always save you, Eliana, regardless of how you feel about me.”
Tears prick the back of my eyes, and I blink them away, kissing him again, pushing the full burden of loving him through our kiss, knowing I’ll lose him.
Chapter fifty
Eliana
Killiandidn’tgivemea choice, placing me in the truck and driving into town. He doesn’t want to leave me alone, which I can understand. I’m a little afraid to be by myself, purely out of fear I’ll go into a trance again, walk into the lake, and drown without knowing it. So I didn’t fight him.
We did the bare minimum of our chores today since we were so late. He kept checking on me as if I’d been sick with the flu. I kept reassuring him, but he still doesn’t believe me. Luckily, we worked quickly, and the rest can be pushed later. I don’t even want tothinkabout the apothecary. I already hate myself enough as it is. I feel like a human punching bag at this point.
The vision, or dream, whatever it was, keeps replaying in my head on repeat, making my stomach churn.
Killian keeps his eyes on the road, and I reach across the armrest for his hand. He’s the only thing that calms my soul. My heart remembers what it’s supposed to do around him.
He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles, and puts it on his thigh with his hand resting on top.
I wish I knew the timing of all of this, but I don’t. So I have to look at every minute with him as my last. I have to treat it like the gift it is and hold it close.
We get to Delilah’s, and I drop off the soap I’ve had since Hazel was murdered in my backyard and find Killian in one of the aisles grabbing potatoes, and other odds and ends for our dinner.
He carries the basket to the register, and I don’t bother noticing if people are looking at me. None of it matters.
When we get home, Killian sets the bags in the kitchen and turns around with a grin on his face.
“What?” I ask, shifting on my feet.
“So … I want to treat this like a proper date, like we don’t already live together,” he says.
“Okay…” I trail off as a smile builds on my face. “I’ve never been on a date before,” I tell him, biting down on my lower lip.
He chuckles. “I don’t know why I like that so much, but I do.”
My face feels hot. “Should I go get ready?”
He nods. “Yeah,” he says, out of breath, like he’s been running.
