Page 38 of Sleeping Redemption
“You’re…you’re serious? How’s that all working out? Does that mean you’re getting back together with him?” The disbelief in Z’s voice at least gave me validation that I wasn’t the only one struggling to digest the situation.
Defensively, I responded, “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s only here because he’s been given a set of orders to watch over me.”
Z gasped. “Wait, he’s there? Like, right now? In your house?” Her tone made it sound like the scandal of the year.
“Yes, Z, in my house. Just until Sy gets back.” I hadn’t heard any movement in the house, so I guessed he had found a way to busy himself. Perhaps he was whittling a beautifully intricatedesign into a piece of wood like he always used to when he was looking to pass the time.
Well, that prompted a whole other round of questions from my best friend, requiring me to fill her in on the special delivery and Sylas’s overreaction to my misplaced Divinity Sword.
She scoffed, unimpressed. “Sounds like Mr. Grumpy Pants hasn’t changed much,” Zorah observed. “Neither have you.”
I pinched my brows together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re sitting here talking to me when there’s a dick you haven’t seen in centuries just waiting for you in the other room? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Z,” I began as my fingers massaged my temples. “He’s not the same.I’mnot the same.”
“Do you actually believe your own bullshit, Lee-Lee? You’ve managed to figure it all out after an attitude-ridden five-minute conversation with him? Pull your head out of your ass and stop tormenting yourself.”
Ouch. She could be harsh sometimes, but apparently this week she had zero tolerance for putting up with any of my shit.
Rolling my eyes, I picked up my phone. “You’re a bitch.”
“Love you, too.” Smooching sounds echoed through the line before she hung up on me.
Putting my phone away, I sat in my chair for another minute trying to rationalize keeping myself holed up in here a little longer.
That’s when my stomach gurgled and grumbled, reminding me that I never did get my brownies to hold me over. Great, I guess I had to venture out there anyway to get something to eat before I wasted away.
Glancing over at the set of windows to my right that peered into my backyard, the sun had just begun its descent. The blendof oranges and reds filled the sky with even the lightest touch of purple.
Momentarily lost in the beauty of the horizon, it suddenly struck me that a small billowing of white smoke was carried by the wind across my lawn. It was too low to the ground and too close to the house to be anything other than a fire somewhere in my backyard.
“What the hell…” I got up from my chair and rushed out of my office to see what had been set ablaze.
Chapter Seventeen
Concerned that my house was ready to go up in flames, I ran to the back door. I shoved both my feet into a pair of dark gray slippers that I kept there before yanking the sliding glass door open.
Trekking out into the dipping temperatures of the outdoors, I searched for the source of the smoke. My senses were immediately greeted by a smoky aroma of wood burning and meat cooking. Another frigid gust of wind wafted more of the scent toward me.
Finally locating the source, my eyes settled on Atlas as he stood by a makeshift fire. He had managed to assemble a platform where he had a cast iron grate over the open flames. The sizzling of the steaks joined the symphony of the crackling chunks of wood feeding the fire underneath them.
My hands held onto both of my arms, trying to keep warm after venturing out here in nothing but my sweater, leggings, and the woefully ill-equipped pair of slippers for outdoor use. I stomped over there, trying not to slip on last night’s snowfall that remained in a thin layer on my lawn.
“What are you doing?” I stared at Atlas as he kept watch over the food. “Are you trying to burn down my backyard?”
He chuckled and warmed his hands in front of him, using the heat radiating from the makeshift cooking station he had created. Looking over at me, he grinned and completely ignored my question. “Hungry?”
The biting winter temperatures drew a shiver from me, and I grasped my arms tighter. “Not enough to freeze to death out here.”
Atlas nodded at the sliding door I had left open. “Go inside, it will be done in a few minutes.”
The tightness at the bottom of my stomach reminded me how much I needed to eat something. Without my staff on hand, my only other option was to order subpar takeout.
The tone of my voice softened. “Fine. Just make sure you put the fire out when you’re done.” I backed up a few steps before turning to go back to the house. When I got to the door, I quickly glanced back at him to notice his eyes also stealing a look in my direction.
Brushing it off, I stepped back inside to patiently wait for those mouthwatering steaks to make their way inside. When I got to the kitchen table, I noticed it had already been set. Two place settings were laid out side by side, my favorite bottle of red already opened and poured into both glasses.
