Page 63 of Cook

I watched him rest for a moment before backing away. I had my memories and imagination of him, and now I had a house to myself.

Chapter 12

Cook

When I woke and pokedmy head out of the room, Maddie was listening to music, and her back faced the bathroom door, allowing me to slip by unnoticed.

I needed a shower, and one that didn’t result in me coming all over the wall. I refused to touch my cock. Yesterday’s memories threatened to overtake me, but I kept the water cold until my dick stood down.

As soon as I had stepped through the front door last night, I’d been on guard, acting like what I thought Maddie needed. The words and movements had felt weird, like I was putting on a show.

A fucking Shakespearean actor, I was not, but I would do it for her.

When I stepped out of the shower, I threw on the sweatpants I’d worn into the bathroom.

Maddie was waiting for me outside when I pulled the door open. Her eyes roamed over my bare chest, and for the first time in my life, I blushed. She eyed my chest and then lower stomach. Finally, she dragged her gaze up to my face. Red splotches covered her cheeks and neck. Cute. My cock jumped up, but I walked on. I couldn’t go there.

Maddie trailed me like a puppy, and when I leaned on the frame of the closet door—the one that used to belong to Mom and the sack of shit, but I now stored my clothes in—she ducked under my armstood in front of me with her chin on her chest. Her hair tumbled around her face.

To keep her from seeing my cockstand, I curled my hand in front of my sweatpants.

“Do you want me to make you breakfast?” she asked, twisting her fingers together in front of herself.

Did I make her nervous? She hadn’t used such a voice before, but maybe this was what Mercer was talking about: the journey. The learning. I had started it by being so firm with her last night. I’d given her what she wanted, or at least as best I could. Now she was answering, following my lead.

“No,” I said. “Go get your camera.”

She scampered into her bedroom—my old bedroom. Her ass wiggled as she bounced away. Before I knew it, I was smiling. It was adorable.

Shewas so cute.

I quickly schooled my face as she met me again in the living room and kitchen.

With the two cameras in her hands, I took her into the darkroom. After I’d turned on the safelight, I shut us both inside. Each breath of hers scorched my skin.

From the cabinet, I pulled out the enlarger, a developing tank, chemical trays, tongs, scissors, the paper, and several other pieces of equipment. I set up the room, walking through the process in my mind. Left to right, I laid the equipment out and prepared to teach her how to take the film through the necessary steps. Finally, I strung a line between nails I’d pounded into the walls and clipped on the clothespins.

“How do you know how to do this?” asked Maddie as I grabbed onto the developer bottle.

“High school,” I said.

She drew her eyebrows together, questioning. Even that was cute. “You did this in high school?”

“I did.” I opened the bottle of developer and poured it in the first tray, then aimed my grill thermometer at the liquid to make sure thetemperature wasn’t wonky. I did the same with the stop bath and fixer. “I liked photography back then, including this process.”

It had taken me months to afford and buy all the supplies, but this room had become my escape from how much life sucked back then. This room and the time I spent with Celt’s family. They were probably the only reason I survived.

“I didn’t get to, um, go.” Maddie shifted her weight between one foot and the other.

“Go?” I asked before the answer struck me. “Sorry. You mean you didn’t go to high school?”

She pinched her lips and shook her head.

Shit! Such a simple thing sent her off into the abyss. I put the bottle down and grasped both sides of her face to stop her.

“Maddie,” I said and waited until she opened her eyes and looked at me. “High school was a black time for me. It’s shitty for a lot of people. If you missed anything, we’ll fix that. Okay?”

She blinked at me with the awe of a child, and I melted a little more.

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