Page 30 of Bound By Darkness

“Well, that’s good. I’d hate it if you fell for me.” He said as he poured himself another.

I glared at him before sitting on the wooden stool that rocked back and forth slightly on the white tile.

“Can I help you?”

“No thanks,” I said as I folded my hands on the kitchen counter. My leg bounced slightly as I stared at him.

His hands pressed against the counter as he leaned forward. “Normally, I love it when ladies stare at me, but you’re quite impassive.”

“Same for you.”

The pitcher clinked against the hard surface matching the tones of the wind chimes outside. “What are you doing?” he asked.

I looked at my nails. “Oh. I’m waiting to see if you mess up.”

“Mess up?” His silver eyes darted to mine as he raised the cup to his slightly parted lips. “You’ll be here for a long time, half-breed.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Okay. I’ll call you Thalia.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Half-breed it is,” he muttered through the glass before taking a sip.

“No,” I answered again before a sigh left my lips.

Glancing around the empty kitchen, I tapped my foot against the wooden island. “Have you seen Gwen?”

“Nope.”

My brows furrowed. “Really. You haven’t seen your mother?”

“Nope,” he repeated. “Why do you need her anyway?”

“We’re supposed to be making dessert.”

His face remained apathetic, but a hint of mischief shone in his silver eyes. “You’re… making dessert?”

“I’m pleasant toward normal people.”

He set the cup on the counter. “And I’m not?”

“Well, seeing as how you lack a heart… absolutely.”

“Whose lacking a heart?” Gwen said as she walked in from the porch, her apron stocked full of fresh-picked strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. She dumped them onto the counter, wiping her red-stained hands as she tossed glances between us.

“Thalia mentioned how she’s learning to grow a heart once more. It shrunk during prison life.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Gwen answered, grabbing bowls underneath the bottom cabinets.

Ivan smirked as a dimple appeared on the left cheek.

My lips pulled into a taut line as I stared at him. The cheeky—“Ivan explained how small his heart is and wishes to apologize for the agony he’s been causing me.”

“Mhm,” Gwen answered as she lugged sugar and flour jars onto the counter. “It’s nice to see you both getting along.”

“I figured if we’re going to work together, we might as well act like it,” I answered. The corners of my lips tugged upward as I grabbed the apron Gwen tossed in my direction.

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