Page 81 of Two Chambered Heart

“He locked me in our room for a few days. I got fed up, so I finally left. Then I was on the streets, which has happened before, but it was just a few days this time. Then you found me. Or I guess… I found you.”

They were sitting very close together now, his left leg and arm pressed against her right leg and arm.

“Seems like you don’t have a very good track record with men,” he murmured, running through the list of all the violations he’d committed against her himself.

“Yeah.” She gave a sardonic laugh through her nose, the puff of air hot on his skin. “Well, it wasn’t just on him. We were a toxic combination, like two drugs that shouldn't be mixed. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m poison too.”

“No, I haven’t noticed that,” he said seriously. His face was so close to hers that he could feel her every breath, the movement from her long lashes fluttering.

Their lips were milometers apart.

It would be so easy. To add himself to the list of fucked up men in her life. Fuck, he was already on that list, if he was being honest with himself.

He almost did it. Almost kissed her. He could swear she leaned in.

Against his better judgement, he was falling for her too quickly. He could see it happening like an out-of-body experience, watching from somewhere high above as he tumbled through space in an uncontrollable descent towards her.

He tore his face away from hers. He couldn’t. It was too dangerous for all of them.

“I’m done here,” he said, standing up from the couch. Her eyes shuttered before he realized the impact his words would have. He softened his voice. “What do you want for dinner?”

She looked at the stupid plastic watch on her wrist. “Oh, Jesus, it’s been all day. I didn’t even realize the time passing.” Neither had he. He’d been so wrapped up in keeping his hands busy while having her in the garage. He was starving.

As if on cue, her stomach grumbled. “I’ll eat anything. All I’ve had to eat today was rabbit food.”

He reached his hand out for her to take. “Let’s go to the grocery store. I can’t eat takeout again.”

“Yes, chef.” She wrapped her fingers in his and he fought his response to the contact, pulling her up from the couch.

He could hear the TV from the front hall as they brought the grocery bags in.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to be watching TV with your head!” Corey yelled out to Kayden, picking up her pace to get to the kitchen. He heard his brother’s hearty laugh and then the sound shut off, Kayden coming to meet them in the kitchen.

“That’s when you’re concussed, which I’m not. It’s just a scratch.” He wrapped her up in his arms and she visibly melted into him.

“How’s your scratch doing?” She brushed Kayden’s hair from his face.

“Healing, getting itchy, which is a good sign.” He kissed her temple. “How’d it go today?”

“Good. Jason is an excellent pet sitter, took me outside, gave me water. He forgot to feed me, though,” she pouted.

“Oh, no, where do I file the complaint for animal cruelty?” he laughed again.

“It’s fine. I already charged him with the cheese tax.” She lifted one bag up, shaking it, before placing it on the counter and pulling out the array of fancy cheeses Jason had chosen at the counter.

It had been an incredible experience to walk through the grocery store after years of ordering online to avoid the noise. He had taken his time to pick the produce he wanted, in peace. The peace had only been disturbed by Corey, who had started whining after he’d spent fifteen minutes picking out the perfect tomatoes for pasta sauce.

Not wanting to waste time with a shower, he washed his hands and face in the kitchen sink. He was starving too, and feeling a little shaky from it. He brought out one of their big pots and put the water to boil, while Kayden and Corey unpacked the rest of the shopping bags.

Connecting his phone to the speakers and putting on some music, he got out the onions and garlic, chopping them up for the sauce. Normally, he would roast the tomatoes first, but he decided to just use a cast iron to speed things up. Then he got to work peeling the shrimp.

The water boiled, and Corey poured the pasta in. Kayden had the sauce going on the stove, breaking the tomatoes up with a spatula.

“I didn’t take you for someone who liked divorced dad rock,” Corey teased as a Creed song came on.

“It has its moments.” Jason smirked at her, catching her humming the words to the song.

He tossed more butter in the pan he was tending to and mixed the shrimp in. His mouth was watering from the glorious smell of the pasta sauce. Kayden pulled the sauce off its burner, and Jason shovelled the shrimp into the saucepan. Corey gave a stir to the pasta and scooped one noodle out on the wooden spoon, blowing on it before giving it a nibble. She looked so fucking cute, Jason couldn’t stop his grin.

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