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Ethan snickers, shaking his head. “She so didn’t have a boyfriend.”
Casey makes the whistle of a falling missile, his cheeks puffing out as an explosive noise rumbles in his mouth.
This gets Liam laughing, and I can’t help pitying Asher just a touch as his cheeks turn red. He scowls down at his plate, stabbing at the side salad with a little growl, then loading his fork with a mammoth mouthful of lasagna.
I’m glad he’s enjoying it.
I’m pretty sure I couldn’t take another bite if I wanted to. It’s delicious, but I filled up on béchamel sauce taste tests. It was one of my better ones, and I can never pass up a creamy, cheesy sauce. The meat was yummy, too, and I had so many spoonfuls of it as I tried to perfect the flavor. By the time the lasagna was actually cooked and ready to eat, I felt like I’d already had my dinner.
For a girl who can put away her fair share of food, it’s kind of surprising. But I have my period right now, and I’m never very hungry when I’m battling cramps and a headache.
The guys are loving it, though, and that was my main reason for going to all this effort. They eat lunch at the athletes' dining hall most days and will often have dinner there, too, but when I mentioned to Liam this morning that I was thinking of making a “thanks for letting me live here” lasagna tonight, he told me the table would be full.
“It’s a guarantee.” His wink sent happy sparks flying through my body.
“So good,” Casey groans, mopping up the red sauce with the last chunk of garlic bread.
I grin as some of it drips down his chin. He brushes it off with his finger and sucks the sauce away with the etiquette of a pig. Meanwhile, Asher is straightening his knife and fork neatly on his plate and giving away the fact that he was raised in a boarding school where manners were close to godliness.
He told me that the other night but didn’t need to. It’s so obvious that I nearly giggled at him.
Baxter ate with us for once but finished in record time. After a mumbled “Thanks. It was good,” he left the table to go study. Ethan’s eyebrows shot up as he walked away from the table.
“Wow. He gave you a compliment. Damn, he must think the food is freaking ambrosia.” He grinned at me. “Seriously, take that as a big win, Ray.”
“Big, big win,” Asher agreed.
It’s hard not to feel like a master chef when I hear stuff like that. When I watch these happy people around the table, I feel like I’ve found my calling. I’ve always loved food, especially cakes and desserts. What I wouldn’t give to be able to spend my days designing sweet treats for people to enjoy.
Liam leans back in his seat and gives me a proud smile. I’m pretty sure I could take a hot soak in those eyes of his. Every time he looks at me, he makes me feel like I’m something special. It’s hard not be affected by it.
We haven’t spent that much time together this week. Between hockey practices, workouts, studying, and games, the guys are stupidly busy. I don’t know how they fit it all in. I’ve been doing what I can to support them—cleaning, baking, washing dishes. They seriously love me for it.
Not that my goal in life is to be a domestic goddess, but I actually really enjoy helping them out, and their appreciation is so over the top, yet genuine, that it just makes me want to do it even more.
Theo never even noticed when I did stuff around the house. It was like he expected it. These guys don’t. Although, Mikayla forbid me to start doing their laundry.
“Don’t you dare,” she practically growled at me. “I don’t want them starting to think you’re their personal Cinderella. Cooking and baking is fine because you seriously love that stuff. Cleaning is understandable because you like things neat and hygienic, but you are not touching their smelly laundry. They’re big boys. They can wash their own shit.”
I nodded and complied like the good girl I am.
I also decided that Casey could clean the bathroom upstairs because he seriously does the smelliest dumps, and I don’t have a gas mask worthy of such a mission. Not that I own any kind of gas mask, but seriously, it’d have to be military grade to cope with the stink that comes out of that man.
When I told him that, he laughed so loud that I actually jumped, and then he took the cleaning supplies off me and scrubbed the toilet until it sparkled.
Ethan and Liam are still in shock. I don’t know if they’ve ever seen Casey clean anything.
“You’re good for this place,” Liam murmured in my ear, and that was the last thing he said to me yesterday.
I kind of wish he’d take me out for breakfast again, but he’s kind of been holding back… or am I just reading into it too much? He is a really busy, studious guy. I’m probably being overly sensitive. Or maybe just needy. Because in spite of the fact that our first breakfast was covering the most hideous topic ever—Theo and Matt—I still want to go out with Liam again.
He’s sweet.
And handsome.
Stop crushing on him. Look away, Rachel. Look away.
I force my eyes to scan the table, enjoying the satisfied smiles the guys are giving me.
