Page 123 of Fraud
His gaze met mine, that same fear mixing with a fresh new wave of panic. “I should call him.”
His hand reached for his pocket but found nothing. He turned in a rush, taking off for the bedroom. I heard him stumble into the bathroom, the noisy fan coming to life as he flipped on the light.
I followed slowly behind, unsure if I was supposed to or not.
I found him leaning forward on the bathroom counter, his phone to his ear.
“He’s not answering.”
Taking a hesitant step forward, I placed my arms around him and felt his muscles relax slightly. “Maybe he had to go back home?”
His eyes met mine in the mirror. I could see doubt in those baby blues.
But he just nodded and said, “Yeah, maybe.”
Neither of us believed that.
I helped him finish up in the bathroom after that, noting the way he continued to check his cell phone every half hour. When the shower was put back together, we ventured into the kitchen and finished preparing dinner.
Killian had made a pot roast, something my mother had made nearly every week when I was growing up. The smell coming from the Crock-Pot brought a mixture of joy and pain as we each scooped individual helpings for ourselves.
All day, I’d been worried about that note and how it would affect me.
Me.
Not Killian.
Just me and my new perfect life.
And, since that moment, when I’d stood in front of him and handed that note over, the only thing Killian had done was take care of me.
That was all he ever did.
He moved silently to the coffee table in the living room, but I stayed in the kitchen. Grabbing two pieces of plain bread, I quickly popped them in the toaster.
Waiting for bread to toast was like watching nail polish dry.
It took forever when you were in a hurry.
Fortunately, after snagging the butter and a few other things from the fridge, time was up. With the tips of my fingers, I gingerly snatched the toast and headed out of the kitchen.
And straight for the dining room.
It took a few seconds for him to notice my detour.
“Are you serious?” he asked the moment he saw me set my plate down on the forbidden table.
I simply nodded.
A wide grin spread across his face.
“Are you sure you don’t want cereal for this occasion?”
I laughed. “Maybe next time. Tonight, I thought we’d share another family favorite.”
“Okay.”
He didn’t waste any time. Jumping up from the floor, he joined me at the table, opposite me. I placed a piece of toast next to him, and the mate was left for me.
