Page 21 of Hell of a Mess
“Good,” he said, then held the cupcake out to me. “Take a bite.”
Although my earlier response to that had been no, I was willing to do anything this man asked of me. But when I looked at it, an instant jolt of panic hit me. Why was this upsetting me? I shook my head as my throat tightened with some unknown emotion. My heart was literally racing over the thought of taking one bite of a cupcake.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, setting the cupcake on the counter and straightening back up from his relaxed stance.
I had no idea. As much as I didn’t want him to think I was a lunatic, I couldn’t stop it. I gasped for air.
He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger, then tilted it up so he could look at my face. “You’re having a panic attack,” he said, then leaned closer. “Keep your eyes on mine. You’re okay. I’m not asking you to remember anything, and you don’t have to eat the cupcake.” His voice deepened, and the reassurance in it immediately eased whatever craziness had been taking place.
I sucked in a breath, then let it out. I could breathe again. I wanted to gulp in more air, but I stopped myself from doing it. “Okay,” I whispered, not having an issue with staring at him. I liked having a reason to.
“They’re too damn pretty to eat anyway,” he said. “But I’m still gonna eat it.”
A small laugh bubbled out of me. The man had a magic voice. I’d gone from spiraling to calm just from his words or command.
He appeared pleased. “That’s better.” He released my face and leaned back on the edge of the counter again, but he didn’t stop watching me.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I don’t know what that was.”
He picked back up his cupcake. “I’d say you really fucking hate cupcakes, but you can decorate the hell out of them.”
I laughed again as I watched him chew.
“Mmm, damn, that woman can bake,” he said with a slightmoan that sent a shiver through me.
It made me want to try it, but after my reaction, it was best I didn’t.
“I have three guest bedrooms on my side of the house. I’ll have Jayda prepare the largest one for you. It’s got the best bathroom. You’re getting around better, and you don’t need a hospital bed anymore. Might as well move upstairs.”
On one hand, I was relieved I wasn’t going to have to go back to the basement after getting to go outside and be around other people all day. There wasn’t always someone down there with me, and it got lonely. Especially once I stopped taking the heavy pain meds and no longer slept all the time.
On the other hand, I was nervous about being up here. Linc was clearly not happy about it. Although he’d said I would be on Luther’s side of the house. Even knowing Linc didn’t want me up here, I couldn’t bring myself to tell Luther it was best I stay downstairs. My desire to be around him overrode all else.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” he asked, and I realized I’d not said anything.
“Oh…well, thank you. I am just…I mean, I’d like that. But Linc…he seems angry about it.”
Luther finished off his cupcake and dusted his hands before crossing his arms over his wide chest. “Linc can be paranoid and overprotective of his girls. Ignore him.”
When I didn’t say anything, he nodded his head toward the door. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour of the west wing. Otherwise known as the better one.”
“Better?” I asked.
“Yes, because that’s where I live, so it’s obviously the better side of the house.”
How big was this house? And was it even that? From what I’d seen already, it felt more like a mansion. It had wings inside it.
“Of course,” I replied. “How silly of me.”
The corner of his mouth curled up at my quip, which had honestly surprised me. I was getting more comfortable around him. He still made me feel all weird and fluttery, but he also made me happy, and that seemed new to me. It was my memory loss, I was sure. I’d not had anything to be happy about since waking up without knowledge of my life or who I was. But other emotions didn’t seem so foreign.
“I’m curious about your name. If Lace is short for something else,” he said, changing the subject.
“I…I don’t know. But I’ve wondered the same thing,” I told him.
Nine
Luther
