Page 17 of Pike
“Exactly,” I shot back and took an angry bite of my sandwich.
“You don’t sleep, the exercise will help.”
“I sleep.”
“Not enough,” he shot back angrily, but it wasn’t the kind of anger I was used to. It wasn’t dangerous, at least not physically. It was dangerous to my head and my heart because it was born of frustration. Maybe even because he cared.
Gemma’s spoon clanked in her empty bowl. “Thank you for lunch, Mommy. It was very good.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
She smiled at me and then Pike, before she jumped from her chair and escaped to the corner she commandeered for her play space.
I watched her settle on the pile of pillows Pike had constructed for her, Mandi clutched in one arm and the tablet filled with books in the other. Her lips tugged at the corners as she got lost in stories she knew by heart. I watched her out of love but also to avoid the heavy gaze I felt on me.
“Chloe.” His voice was low and tight, frustrated but the anger was gone.
Slowly I turned to him and regretted it instantly. His gaze was filled with something that looked a lot like concern. “Yes?”
“It’s not my place to say, but without sleep you won’t be at your best.”
I bristled but he reached across the table and laid a gentle hand on my forearm.
“Your reaction time will be slowerifyou need to react. You might start seeing things or people who aren’t there. Headaches. Irritable. This is already a stressful situation, lack of sleep won’t make it better.” His gaze held so much sincerity that I had to look away.
“I’ll think about it.”
He nodded, satisfied with that answer. “I’ll be around when you make up your mind.”
His easy acceptance shocked me. I wasn’t used to my opinion, my thoughts being respected, which was a sad reality. “Thank you.”
His lips pulled into a real smile that hit me in ways I found surprising. The look in his eyes softened but there was an unexpected heat in his gaze that made me uncomfortable in a way I hadn’t felt since the day I met Marcus.
“I promise that I will think about it,” I said. I doubt that I’d think about much else until I made a decision.
“Good.” He stood and gathered the empty dishes.
“You don’t have to do that.”
He frowned. “You cooked and I don’t have anything to do right now.” He stopped. “Unless you have a specific way you like to do things?”
I shook my head. “If someone else is doing it, they get to choose how it’s done. Thanks.”
Pike shook his head. “Thanks for lunch. It was delicious.”
“You don’t get a lot of home-cooked meals?” I was sure he had women lining up to cook for him, probably naked.
He shrugged as he washed the dishes. “The club girls cook but nothing this good. I might put on a few pounds before we leave here.”
His words were a necessary reminder of why we were here. This mountain cabin was far away from my troubles, making it easy to forget, which was dangerous. “Do you think that’s going to happen?”
He turned with a frown. “You don’t?”
I shrugged. “No offense but I’m not sure. I’ve lived like this for years and every time I think it’s over, it’s not.”
Understanding flashed in his eyes. “I don’t have an exact timeline, but I do know that keeping busy, like say, self-defense lessons, will make the time go faster.”
Somehow his words teased a laugh out of me. “Real subtle.”
