Page 54 of The Persistence of Thornes
I bristle at the sight of those. I’ve never been the jealous type, but the unbridled feeling rises up inside me anyway. I shove it down, way down, and smile.
“This looks delicious.”
“I thought you’d be in sooner,” she remarks, eating up the space between us with careful steps.
My shoulders sag. “There was an accident. It slowed traffic down.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Do you want to shower before you eat? I can plate our food while you do that.” She looks down at her toes, wiggling them against the hardwood floor.
I splay my hands on the counter. “You haven’t eaten because you were waiting for me?” There’s no hiding my disbelief or my hope. “Why?”
She shrugs her slender shoulders and drags her eyes up to mine. They’re wide, doe-like, and swimming with uncertainty. “Because I wanted to.”
Fuck if that doesn’t feel like a shot straight to my heart. She waited because shewantsto eat dinner with me? My mind runs with that, reading into the statement a little too deeply and pulling meaning from it—that she wants to spend time with me—that may only be wishful thinking.
“A shower would be nice.”
“Okay.” She blesses me with the tiniest of smiles. “I’ll get this ready.”
I take the quickest shower of my life, then change into a pair of sleep pants and a sweatshirt. I’ve never minded dressing up for work, but nothing beats the feeling of slipping into comfortable clothes at the end of the day.
On the way back, I pop my head into the twins’ room. They’re watching TV with the door open, sprawled out, lanky limbs everywhere. “Hey, guys.”
As if the movement was choreographed, they glance over, heads tilted at the same angle.
“Hey.” Casen waves.
“Good to have you back, landlord.” Quinn chortles.
“Landlord.” I stifle a snort and shake my head. “You’re funny.”
With a rap of my knuckles on the doorframe, I step back out into the hallway and let them get back to their movie. They have school in the morning, and it’s getting late, but in the few days they’ve been here, I’ve already learned that there’s really no controlling a teen’s bedtime. I guess I can look forward to that experience with Seda.
Downstairs, Halle has set our food out on the dining room table. Our plates are on opposite sides, directly across from each other, and she’s filled two glasses with ice water. She’s even gone through the trouble of lighting a few candles.
It’s … romantic.
So much so that my steps come up short and my heart trips over itself.
Am I dreaming? Worse, am I dead?
“Don’t look so shocked,” she laughs.
Fuck if I don’t fall in love with that sound. I didn’t know it was possible to feel such deep emotion for a person’s laugh, but hers is so rare that I can’t help but treasure it.
“They’re just candles. Don’t overthink it.”
Right. Just candles.
I ease into the seat across from her, taking her in. Her face is bare of any makeup. Her hair is mostly dry now, the ends curling slightly.
Lips puckered and attention fixed on her fork as she twists it in her noodles, she says, “I met Salem today. Like actually met her, not just in passing. She brought cupcakes.”
“You finally met her, huh?” Though I force a smile, nerves assault my stomach.
Salem has been itching to meet Halle, especially since she knows Ilikeher. It’s thanks to sheer luck only that she hasn’t until now.
“How’d that go?”
