Page 95 of The Marriage Narrative
Zinnia walked to her new bed—stiffly, but she made it—and sat. “So. What’s a normal Saturday for you?”
“Meal planning and—”
“No.”
“—grocery shopping. What’s wrong with that?”
“You’re so boringly efficient,” she teased. “I know, I know, it’s so you don’t have to think about it later.”
“It’s better than working so long I forget to eat and turn into a hangry goblin.”
“Hey, my goblin dinners are creative and resourceful. Some of my best work.”
He crossed his arms, peering down at her. She defiantly stared back, heart in her throat. Jokingly wanting to have a psychic bond with him was going to backfire any day now. He’d see and judge her for all the things she wasn’t supposed to be feeling about him.
“Have you eaten today?” he asked.
“That’s irrelevant.”
“You didn’t because you were anxious about coming here.”
“Get out of my head! There’s nothing for you in there!”
His laughter sounded like music as he held out his hand. “Let’s go to the store. You can show me all your favorite goblin groceries.”
When he wasn’t stealing sports cars, Jordan was a perfectly safe driver. He took them to his usual grocery store—a definitely overpriced and borderline classist affair. Some growing-up-rich habits never went bankrupt.
“Ooh!” She held up a bag of chips and tossed them in the cart.
“That noise you just made is exactly why you’re not supposed to go shopping on an empty stomach.”
She watched him add them to the list on his phone anyway. “Says who?”
“Everyone.”
“That doesn’t matter as much as balance.” They’d already cleared the produce, meat, and frozen food sections and were heading to the cereal and snacks aisle. “Can I see?”
He passed her his phone. She skimmed through it and added her usual goblin staples that weren’t sold there. Off-brand rice and marshmallow treat bars were often her sole reason for living during her period. Not having them at the Zaffre estate had been cold-turkey torture. She hit the back button and said, “Wow, you really do make lists for everything—I have my ownfolder?”
“Stop going through my phone without permission,” he said while reading the ingredients on a box of protein bars.
She raised an eyebrow. “May I?”
“Of course.”
Zinnia snickered. She didn’tactuallywant to go snooping, because there could be anything in there, like messages taking full advantage of their Open Door clause.
There’d been no one else at the Zaffre estate. He had options now, websites and apps full of them, not to mention someone like him could walk up to anyone, smile, say a cute little joke, and get their contact info likethat.
Her stomach clenched thinking about that reality. It was better if she didn’t know. They didn’t have to shareeverything.
Zinnia carefully slid his phone into his front pocket and pressed in as close as she dared while watching his face. She was still feeling her way through what kind of touching was allowed between them now. Affection was second nature to Jordan.Thoughtful pats, hugs, and reassuring squeezes were freely given to anyone who needed them.
But she didn’t want to be seen asanyoneto him.
“Do you think you’d eat these?” he asked.
“Probably not.”
