Page 87 of Protected By Monsters (Everwood Demons 1)

My lips burned for a few moments as I sipped my milk and drew in some breaths.

“I didn’t make it,” I groaned.

Chumley had sabotaged my date. To be honest, it was rather nifty of him, and I couldn’t even be that mad. I’d been the idiot to ask him for help when he cared for Lily too.

“Who made it?” she gasped, her cheeks reddening as she drew in a few deep breaths.

“Chumley,” I muttered, grateful that the burn was slowly dissipating.

Lily stiffened a little at this as she sipped her drink again.

“He knew about our picnic?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as she gazed at the fountain.

I nodded, and she made a soft, intrigued sound.

“We’ll see if the dessert is okay,” I said, hoping to salvage the date.

She just nodded, finally turning those emerald eyes back to me. They were masked though, and I knew she was thinking about something.

My heart skipped a beat at the curious look on her face. Did she know Chumley was turning this into a competition? Or was she reconsidering going on the date with me?

I averted my eyes and chewed on my cheek as I tried to figure out what she was thinking.

I revealed the last platter, two small white chocolate cheesecakes with strawberries and ice-cream.

“Let me try it first,” I said as she eyed the cakes hesitantly.

I picked up the dessert spoon, my stomach tight with worry.

Surely just ruining one dish was enough for Chumley to have his petty revenge on me.

I tasted the sweetness of the cake with the fresh strawberries and cream, content that it was uncontaminated.

I nodded as I offered the other one to her.

“Did he mind helping you set this up?” she asked as she gingerly took a bite.

“I don’t think so,” I said. It wasn’t a lie, he’d been relatively fine with it. Just wanted it to be a challenge.

She nodded absently as she looked at the fountain, and I wished I could know what she was thinking.

“So, I’ve started trying to write a book,” I said in an effort to move onto a different topic and revive the date.

“Oh, what’s it about?”

I dove into telling her of the fantastical adventure between a group of guys and their love interest, involving dragons, wizards, and magic. It was an adventure to save the world from peril, with a bit of romance thrown in. I’d only jotted down my ideas so far, but it was a start, and she lit up as she listened to me excitedly explain it.

More ideas filled my head, and I pulled the small notebook and pen from my shirt pocket to scribble them down for future.

She asked questions and made some suggestions, some of which I jotted down, others we laughed over because they were completely crazy.

We fell into a comfortable silence, and I realized she had inched closer after finishing her cake. She now sat right beside me, our arms touching as our legs were sprawled out before us on the blanket.

“They suit you,” she murmured after a few moments.

I frowned down at her, and she indicated at my horns which I had let stay out. It felt rather freeing to not have to force them away.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

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