Page 23 of Destined Mate

That sounded nice. Maybe if we’d had that, I could’ve gotten answers and wouldn’t be in the situation I was in now.

He walked over with two plates. One held two grilled cheese sandwiches, while the other had four. He handed me the one with two and set the other plate on the dark-brown wooden coffee table that was a few feet in front of the couch. “Would you like some water?”

“Please.” Unable to wait, I grabbed one of the sandwiches and took a huge bite. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten something without meat, but I almost moaned. It wassogood.

When Bodey came back with two glasses of water, he stared at me with a huge smile.

My mouth went dry. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No, you just remind me of someone I used to know.” He sat down beside me, opened one of the bottles, and handed it to me. “You resemble her and even have the same reaction to grilled cheese. I have no idea why I made them. I haven’t had one since…” He trailed off, pain etched on his face.

He had his own trauma, and of course, it was over a girl.

“Sorry.” I put my sandwich down. “I don’t have to eat them.”

“Don’t be silly.” He snatched a sandwich from his plate and took a big bite. “I made these for a reason.” However, his irises had darkened. Whatever memory I’d triggered still haunted him.

We ate in silence, but the entire time, he glanced my way, watching me. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the girl he was remembering or because he wanted answers. Either way, not talking was the best solution for both of us.

He somehow ate his four sandwiches faster than I did my two, and when I took my last bite, he stood. “Let’s get you upstairs so you can get some good rest. You can have a room all to yourself.”

Now that I had a full belly and was hydrated, my eyes wanted to shut again. “That sounds great.”

He jogged through the kitchen to where he’d set my bag in the mudroom and returned. “Want me to carry you? We’re going upstairs.”

A part of me wanted to say yes, but a larger part of me hated that I’d even considered accepting. “No, I’ll be fine. I’ll take it slowly.”

“If you change your mind, just say the word.” He nodded toward the hallway on the right. “It’s down the hall there, past the patio and to the left.”

Great, he was going to follow me.

I took my time climbing to my feet. Each movement felt like something was stabbing me, but I managed to get up. My vision blurred, but I blinked it clear and slowly moved toward the stairs.

As he’d described, we passed another covered patio area, this one with a round table and two seats, and then a large mahogany staircase appeared on the left, just before a massive living room. I wanted to check out the space, but I needed sleep, so I limped up the stairs.

Like the rest of the house, the walls were painted a light beige, and when I reached the landing, Bodey instructed me to turn right. I walked past a covered deck with three Adirondack chairs, and he guided me to a bedroom on the right.

When he placed a hand on the small of my back, tingles sprouted up my spine. I stepped into the room and surveyed my surroundings, noting the dark-mahogany king-size bed with a matching dresser and two nightstands. One of the nightstands held a trendy black metal lamp, while the other had a clock. To my left was a huge closet, and two doorways on opposite sides led to different decks. The huge one next to the closet had a swing and two rocking chairs.

“If you head down to the hallway across from the stairs, the bathroom is the first door on your left.” He set my bag on the gray comforter and gestured at the closet across from us. “When you’re feeling better, you can hang your stuff in there. This is your room while you’re here.” He walked over and shut the blinds on the doors that led to the decks, blocking out most of the sunlight.

I’d never met anyone as kind as him, and the way my chest expanded almost hurt. “Thank you.” I couldn’t risk saying more. I might fall apart.

“Get some rest.” He removed his phone from his back pocket. “What’s your number? I’ll send you a text so you can reach me. I have to attend a meeting.”

Without hesitation, I spouted off the number, and within a second, my phone dinged.

“There.” He headed to the door. “Text me if you need anything. I’ll be back later, but hopefully, you’ll sleep while I’m gone.”

When he shut my door, I could barely keep my eyes open. Luckily, he’d put my bag on the bed. I changed into some shorts and a comfy shirt and crawled on top of the comforter, not wanting to get under the covers. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out cold.

* * *

Something rattled,stirring me from my sleep. Then a scratching noise came from right outside the smaller deck to my left.

My heart quickened as everything filtered back into my mind.

The scratching noise was at my door—as if someone wanted inside.

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