Page 54 of Rectify

“Come in. Make yourself feel at home.” Spinning on my heels, I hold each out by the neck and inspect the labels as I prepare to walk the kitchen.

“Sasha.” Low and demanding, his voice transports me back to us in my bedroom, all tangled up in one another.

I turn to find him right behind me. I squeak out a weak, “Yes.”

Without any warning, fingers tip up my mouth to meet his. There’s no hesitation, no indecision, no walking around eggshells for Jay, he just takes what he wants and I’ve never been more grateful to give up control and let him lead.

Every kiss with him is different, like he’s driven by the moods of the moon, every time is a new Jay, each one more addictive than the one before.

The timer on my oven, chooses this moment to go off, forcing us apart.

“Shit,” I murmur.

With Jay on my heels, I head on over to the kitchen, and check on the chicken. Deciding to leave it in there for a little bit longer, I adjust the timer and check on the sauce.

An arm snakes around my waist while a finger dips into the pan. He licks the sauce off his finger, humming in appreciation.

“That tastes really good.”

Tilting my head toward him, I scrunch up my face. “You sound surprised.”

“No,” he says with a throaty chuckle. “I had no doubt you could cook. It’s just been a while since I ate something this good.”

“You don’t cook?”

“I do. Probably, not as good as you, but I have managed to keep Lily and I alive and poison free all this time.” He uncurls his arm from around me, giving me room to get back to what I was doing. “And now I let Max cook, because it makes her feel like she’s contributing or something like that.”

“How’s she doing?” I pick up the white wine he brought, and lift it up in question.

He nods at the bottle. “I’m just kind of letting her go through the motions, hoping she’s on her feet before I have to leave.”

Giving him my back I reach for two wine glasses. “Any idea when that’s happening?”

He doesn’t answer until I turn around. The question sits heavy between us, the storm in his eyes returning.

“I need to get back to work soon.”

I swallow the snarky retort that wants to call him out on his vague answer and pour the wine in the glasses. “What do you do for work?”

“I own my own security company.”

I perk up at his answer, and try not to let his earlier avoidance ruin my mood. It shouldn’t matter anyway. “That’s great.”

“It’s been really good. Probably one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.”

I hand him a glass of wine. “I’m glad you got yourself out of all that other shit.”

“I would’ve ended up like Leroy if I stayed around.”

The harsh reality of his statement, is proof of how far he’s come, how much he’s changed. How different his life would’ve been if he lived here, and sadness that there’s more to his brother’s death than I know.

“What made you leave?” The timer goes off just as I finish my question. “Hold that thought. Let me get everything set up and you can tell me about it.”

“Let me help you.”

I dart around grabbing plates, cutlery, and serviettes, and hand them to him. I put the pieces of cooked chicken breast on a platter, and then pour the Alfredo sauce across all of them. The heat makes the delicious garlic and cheese smell waft throughout the whole kitchen.

Happy with the presentation, I take it out to the table, and place it in the centre.

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