Page 73 of Taste of Forever
“Oh, really?” Amy’s black eyes, surrounding her blue irises, widened with interest. “What kind of soup?”
“Chicken noodle.” I peered into the pot on the stove with zero idea of what I should be looking for.
“Aw, one of the classics,” Amy cooed. “Have you made it before?”
“I’ve never cooked anything before.”
Amy made an odd little squeak of noise, then pressed her palms to her heart, looking at Tavia with an odd expression.
Tavia snorted. “Please don’t swoon.”
“I can’t help it. He’s beingsooosweet.”
“I just want her to feel better. How do I know when it’s ready for the next stuff?”
“Oh, let me help!” Amy ran to my side, standing on tiptoes to look inside the pot. “You’ve got the aromatics, good. Grab a spoon and give that a stir. Then we need to add some salt.”
Amy gave me no-nonsense instructions for the rest of the dish, which I appreciated. A half hour later, I dumped dry noodles into the pot and stirred them in.
“Let that simmer for about fifteen minutes, and you’ll be done.” She flicked a dishtowel over her shoulder and crossed her arms, beaming at me. The tips of her diminutive fangs showed through her smile. “Congratulations on cooking your first dish, Laith.”
“Will you taste it when it’s done?” I asked. “I’ve never had it so I won’t be able to judge if it’s good or not.”
“Sure, but I know it’ll taste great. Everything I told you to do was exactly how I’ve made soup in Sapien for years. It was always a hit.” Her expression shifted slightly. “You’re already taking great care of her, Laith. She’s lucky to have you.”
“Thanks for saying that, but it doesn’t feel like it.” I turned back to the soup, watching the condensation form on the pot lid. “She could have died. I know I wasn’t directly responsible for that, but I keep wondering what more I could have done to keep her safe.”
All the chicken noodle soup in the world couldn’t make up for what she had been through.
Chapter 20
Heather
Inever realized how much my entire body could hurt until I started waking up right then. It hurt to breathe, hurt to move my eyelids. It hurt to moan in pain because my throat and mouth were so dried out and sore.
“Hey,” a soft male voice said. “Welcome back. Take it slow. I’ve got water here when you’re ready.”
It didn’t sound like Justin. A doctor, maybe? Was I in a hospital? It sure felt like I’d been hit by a semi truck.
There was something about the warmth in that voice that soothed me.
“Where…” That one word was all I could croak out. I still didn’t have the strength to lift my eyelids yet.
“You’re safe, Science Barbie. That’s all that matters.”
That nickname sparked connections in my mind, a verbal trigger waking up memories, feelings, and lighting up the threads between all of them.
“…Laith?”
“No need to sound so disappointed.”
I didn’t have the strength to laugh, but a rush of joy and relief coursed through me at the dry wit in his voice. My instincts knewthis person was safe, even if my head was still a little fuzzy at connecting the dots.
“Can you sit up just a little? You must be thirsty and I don’t want to waterboard you.”
“Give me…a sec.”
“Yup. Go as slow as you need.”
