Page 48 of Capturing Ava
Chase had left after breakfast, but I never felt sad when he would leave. I had Gage, Damon and Miles to keep me entertained, here I was never alone. Although I suspected they were instructed to watch me at all times, lest I try to escape. Honestly, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. I think if I had left I would miss them, miss him.
Skipping down the steps with a smile, I bump into Damon. He looks up at me and gives me a gentle smile back. “Where are you rushing off to in a hurry?” He asks.
“Oh, you’ve all been so kind to me.” He shakes his head to pass off any heartfelt words that may pass my lips. “I thought I would make dinner for everyone.”
“You can cook?” He squints his eyes at me.
“Everyone can cook, Damon. Don’t worry, I will not poison you.” I wink. “I just want to say thank you for allowing me to stay with you.”
“Stay with us?” A loud laugh erupts from his throat. “You came here as a prisoner because my psycho brother wouldn’t let you go.”
“Minor details.” I smile. “I still want to express my gratitude.”
“You are a strange girl.” He shakes his head. “Come on then, Chase went out. Guess we are cooking.”
“Hey, I said I was cooking.”
“Fine, I will watch.” Yeah, still didn’t trust that I wouldn’t try to run away. I was right, he was coming with me not for company, but so I didn’t escape.
We walk to the kitchen in silence and it is oddly unnerving having someone watch me. I know, strange considering Chase had been stalking me, which after a while had comforted me. I shake my head. Imagine being comforted by a stalker watching your every move. I start by slicing the sides of the chicken breast fillet and stuffing them with cheese, then wrapping them in bacon, holding them together with small cocktail sticks and placing them in a pan, ready to cook for later.
Damon watches my every move, but I’m not sure if it’s from interest in how I prep the meal or if he still doesn’t trust that I won’t run away. It’s odd because silence would unnerve me but having him sitting there just watching, it was peaceful.
“You know, you’re not what I expected.” He breaks the silence.
“No?” I cock a brow. “What is it you expected?”
“I’m not sure.” He rubs his chin as if he’s deep in thought. “I guess we all just thought you were a thief.”
“Well, that’s what I was. Just a thief. Nothing more.”
“That’s not how my brother sees you.”
“I’m not sure what your brother sees. He has a strange outlook on everything.”
“Don’t we all.” He smiles while lifting the cup to his lips to take a sip of coffee. Looking at his hand, I see the faded line of where a ring should be. “Your married?” I ask.
He lets out a discontented groan. “Once upon a time, maybe.”
“Oh,” I go back to pouring heavy cream and cheese into the pan for the sauce that will drip across the chicken. “Well, everything happens for a reason, or that’s the lie we tell ourselves.”
“Yeah,” He smirks. “What was the reason for you stumbling across my brother that night?”
I think back to that night and I knew it was no accident I had bumped into him. I knew where he would sit; I knew what he would look like. The only thing they did not give me was his name, and he hadn’t given that either. Meeting Chase was never an accident. It was all pre-planned by Nikoli. A means to an end, a pawn in his sick game and I was the one carrying out the hit—on his bank account, of course.
No, meeting Chase wasn’t an accident. I had thought back to the night many times over the years. It could have been anyone that night, but it was him. Did I believe that fate had thrown us together so that I got one last shot at redeeming my earlier mistakes? Well, I liked to think so.
“Your brother saved me that night,” I mumble. “Which makes what I did to him even worse.” I stir the sauce and add herbs for flavour. “I never forgot what he did, though. I never thought I would see him again.” I let out a sigh. “It seems fate had other ideas.”
“I don’t believe in fate. We make our own destiny.”
“I like that.” I smile.
“Yeah,” He smirks. “I guess your way of thinking is cool, too. At least if it goes wrong, you can just blame the planets or the moon or whatever it is those hippy girls do these days.”
“Hippy girls.” I let out a laugh. “It’s not strange to believe in something you can’t see, Damon.”
“Maybe, but if you can’t see it, how could you know it exists.”
