Page 21 of Orlando
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HE TRIED TO PICK UPas many things as he could, considering he was at the small store by the apartment and on foot.He had no idea what Liam liked, which made everything more complicated.Was his mate allergic to anything?Was he vegetarian?Was hevegan?Orlando had no idea what he’d do if that was the case, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to find out.He didn’t care if Liam was vegan, but it would make an already complicated situation even more complicated, which wasn’t something either of them needed right now.Orlando felt like he was going to break at the next thing that went wrong.Still, in case Liam was vegan, Orlando picked up a few packages of tofu.He had no idea what else he could get, and he hoped that Liam would have told him if he had a special diet or hated eating something.
Orlando was even more nervous by the time he left the grocery store carrying too many bags.He kept his eyes and ears open, glancing around as he moved down the sidewalk.He wouldn’t put it past the council to send someone else if they found out what had happened, but he hoped they wouldn’t.Cynthia didn’t have to report to them just yet.Orlando needed some time to get to them and convince them they were making a mistake.
He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he couldn’t.
He wasn’t going to consider that option yet.He had to believe that eventually, he’d find a way to make someone see there was a mistake, and they’d leave his mate alone.Liam didn’t deserve any of this.He didn’t deserve to be hunted and have to fight for his life.Unfortunately, that was what he had to do at the moment, and Orlando hoped it wouldn’t ruin their chances of being together.
He’d never really thought about meeting his mate when he’d decided he wanted to be a council assassin.Maybe he should have.It was clear that Liam was horrified by the fact that professional assassins existed and that the council used them, and there was no way he was happy with Orlando having almost been one.He was still in Orlando’s apartment, allowing him to protect him, but it was clear he didn’t want anything to do with him at the moment.
Orlando didn’t blame him.He’d known that many people would be horrified by what he wanted to do for a living when he’d made his decision to start the program, but maybe if he’d known that his mate would be one of those people, he wouldn’t have signed that contract.
It was too late now.He had to deal with the consequences of his actions, and if Liam ended up hating him for that, there was nothing he could do about it.He hoped that spending some time together would show Liam that he wasn’t a monster, but even if Liam kept his distance, Orlando would protect him.He would never forgive himself if something happened to his mate.
Nothing would happen to Liam.
Orlando walked back into the apartment cautiously.He half expected Liam to be gone, but everything was as he’d left it.He didn’t know what was happening in the bedroom, but the door was still closed.
He sighed and went to the kitchen.He started putting away the groceries when he heard a door creaking.He tensed, even though he recognized the creak—or maybe because of it.
When he glanced at the bedroom door, he saw that it was slightly open.Parsley was peeking out, his head cocked to the side as if he was trying to understand what to make of Orlando.The poor cat had to be all over the place.He’d been taken from his home and plopped into an apartment he didn’t know for who knew how long.He couldn’t understand an explanation even though Orlando was sure he’d heard Liam whisper one to him.It had been sweet.
“I’m back from the store,” he called out, knowing Liam would hear him.“I freaked out a bit because I didn’t know if there was anything you didn’t eat or you were allergic to, so I hope that what I got will be fine.You’re not vegetarian, are you?I grabbed some tofu just in case, but I have no idea what to do with it.If you want to eat it, you’re going to have to cook it.”
There was no answer.Orlando didn’t know what to do anymore.Should he go to the door and knock?Should he leave Liam alone and stop talking to him?Should he let his mate hide for as long as he needed?
Orlando wasn’t going to push.If Liam needed space, that was what he’d give his mate.He just wished it didn’t make him feel so alone.
None of this was his fault.None of this was Liam’s fault, either.They’d met at the worst moment they could have met, but Orlando was glad for that.If he hadn’t been there, Liam would be gone, and it wasn’t an option he wanted to consider.
He’d almost lost his mate.He would do whatever was in his power to keep Liam alive, even if Liam never talked to him again.
* * * *
LIAM KNEW HE WASN’Tacting right, but he needed a moment.So many things had happened today that he needed to wrap his mind around that it made him want to scream, but instead of doing that and making a fool of himself, he sat on the edge of the mattress and stared at the wall.
He could hear Orlando.It would’ve been impossible for him not to hear his mate.
Hismate.He was human, but he had a mate.He had a mate who was going to protect him from a professional killer, a mate who’d gone grocery shopping and had done his best to pick things Liam would eat.It was incredibly sweet, and it made Liam want to get up and leave the bedroom to see what Orlando had bought.At the same time, Liam felt frozen.
He was mostly fine with the mate thing, even though he was uneasy with the fact that Orlando had wanted to kill people for a living.Liam liked to think that Orlando couldn’t be a bad person if he was Liam’s mate, but was that the case?He was sure that everyone felt the same, but bad people had mates, too.
Liam prayed Orlando wasn’t one of those people.
He hadn’t struck Liam as one.Not only had he saved Liam’s life, but he’d tried not to hurt Cynthia as he did so.If he was trained, it probably would’ve been easier for him to kill her, but he clearly hadn’t wanted to do that.He’d told Liam that he’d left the program and that he hadn’t become an assassin, so maybe he hadn’t killed anyone yet.
That made Liam feel a little bit better.Whatever had happened in that program, it had been enough for Orlando to change his mind.He’d decided he didn’t want to work for the council anymore.He hadn’t become an assassin.
Liam didn’t have a choice.He’d have to trust his mate.Hewantedto trust Orlando.
Movement caught his attention.He turned, smiling when he saw that Parsley was stepping out of the bedroom.He’d been complaining, so Liam had opened the door.Parsley was still here, but it was clear that he was interested in the rest of the apartment.It had to be weird for him to be here.Liam couldn’t imagine how confusing all of this was for him.
He glanced around the room.There was only one bedroom in the apartment, so he knew this had to be Orlando’s, but there wasn’t much to see.There were no personal objects, although the dresser and closet were filled with clothes.It seemed like Orlando hadn’t been living here long, which made Liam curious.There was no way for him to ask his questions if he stayed in the bedroom, though.
Orlando was still talking.It was clear he was nervous and filling the silence, which was endearing and made Liam smile.Orlando had been so competent when he’d fought Cynthia that Liam hadn’t expected him to react like this to everything else.It made Orlando feel more human, though, pushing him away from the idea Liam had of professional killers.It was a good thing.
He got to his feet.Orlando was babbling about what kind of vegetables he’d picked, and Liam wanted him to stop being so nervous.He also didn’t want to stay in this bedroom for the rest of the day.It was almost lunchtime, and he already had enough of being stuck in his own head.
