Page 148 of Kiss Me Like I Didn't Kill You
I hold his gaze, catching a flicker of guilt before he hides it again. His voice roughens when he speaks. “I failed you once. I’m not doing it again.”
Before I can reply, he strides past me, takes the juice from the counter, and pours it into a glass. “Drink.”
I do as he says. The sweetness hits my tongue, steadying me bit by bit.
“Sit,” he murmurs, nodding toward one of the bar stools.
“I was about to make dinner,” I begin, but he cuts across me.
“Sit. I’ll handle it.”
There’s no room to argue, his tone makes that perfectly clear.
So, I sit.
He surveys the ingredients laid out on the counter, avocado, tomato, wholegrain bread, and gets to work without another word.
It catches me off guard, the ease in which he takes over my kitchen.
He finishes the sandwiches and sets one plate in front of me, the other in front of himself. Then he sits beside me, his knee brushing mine.
Even the smallest touch sends a pleasant shiver through me.
After I recheck my levels, Arlo’s gaze never leaving me, he grumbles, “Eat.”
A faint smile pulls at my lips, and I take the first bite. “Mmm. That’s actually good. Your cooking skills are impressive.”
“It’s just a sandwich,” he mutters, his lips curving slightly. “Though I suppose some people can’t even manage that, your friends, for instance.”
I roll my eyes, still smiling.
We keep talking as we eat, small remarks and teasing between bites. It feels strangely easy, like breathing after holding it for too long.
Chapter 54
Ophelia
The air on Elaris Isle is still cold, but the sunlight lasts longer now. The frost has started to fade from the lawns, and the gardens are finally waking up again.
It’s March.
The past few weeks have passed quicker than I expected.
Somehow, Arlo and I have fallen into a rhythm.
Every morning, without fail, a fresh bouquet of white tulips appears at my door. There’s always a note, another memory of us, sometimes one I’d misplaced in my head, some small detail only he would remember.
Alongside the flowers, he’s taken to bringing me gifts, threads for my knitting in every imaginable shade, far more than I’ll ever have time to use.
Then came the jewellery, earrings, rings, bracelets, all carefully chosen.
He comes to my door every morning now. He knocks first, unless one of his blood sugar alerts goes off. Then the door doesn’t stand a chance.
He makes breakfast for the both of us while I prepare the coffee. We move easily around the kitchen, working together, talking, teasing, simply enjoying each other’s company.
After we eat, he walks me to class, and by the time the lecture ends, he’s already waiting outside.
When I go to see Bellamy, he’s usually at football training, but his eyes always find mine from across the field.
