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“She's the reason behind your piss poor self-image then?”
She didn't even bother with prevarication. “Basically, yeah.”
“I wouldn't feel too bloody bad about leaving then. You had to stand up for yourself at some point.”
Caroline nodded. “I know. I just wish I had picked a different venue. It's not my grandmother's fault. She's probably one of my biggest fans.”
“When you explain what happened, she'll completely understand why,” he reasoned.
“Oh, she was there for most of it, actually. I'm pretty sure she called my mom a bitch as I was leaving.”
“She wasn't lying, either, love,” he noted. “Your grandmother sounds like a firecracker.”
“She definitely is. You'd like her,” she said. Pausing a moment, she added, “She invited us out for tacos, actually.”
At his vaguely confused look, she explained the entire back-story about the Mexican food. It was a little embarrassing to admit that her parents were so closed minded, but she had no reason to lie at this point.
“Don't worry about it,” he murmured, obviously picking up on her unease. “My parents didn't like the Transfigured much either, turns out. The last hug I ever got from my mother was on the day the testing came back when I was five.”
The closed off look in his eye told her it wasn't up for discussion but it still broke her heart. “We're a sorry bunch, aren't we?” she remarked, hugging him. “I've got macaroni and cheese. Let's go drown our sorrows.”
She jumped when his mood shifted dramatically. He clutched at her arms, a desperate look on his face, and begged, “Please tell me that you didn't microwave any part of this meal, Caroline!”
“I made a cream sauce, then added cheese. Thank you very much,” she grumbled, narrowing her eyes.
He raised an eyebrow. “Impressive. What kind?”
“Velveeta,” she answered, biting the inside of her cheek. When he turned a slight shade of green, she caved. “Gruyere and cheddar. The look on your face was priceless though.”
“You're an evil woman,” he accused, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her mouth. “It's a good thing I'm into that.”
“It really is,” she agreed, her smile no longer forced. “Thank you for coming over. I probably would have eaten half the mac and cheese in one sitting and then fallen into a shame spiral.”
“No need for that. You've got a great job. Good friends. At least one decent relative to speak of. A nice place to live. An excellent boyfriend and a pan of homemade macaroni and cheese. What more could you possibly need?”
Her heart gave a quick thud in her chest at his words. Boyfriend? Had things really progressed to the point a label was necessary? It had only been two weeks since their first night together.
“Too soon,” he asked, his voice lacking its normal confidence. His expression was almost hopeful.
“No,” she said, her heart racing. “I think that sounds about right.”
“I thought maybe, considering you told your grandmother about me,” he teased, the tension leaving his frame.
“It followed the natural flow of conversation. I promise. We weren't picking out wedding venues. We were planning our escape and she claimed the butler. I couldn't be outdone.”
“Didn't you say you were middle class? How do your parents have a butler?”
Caroline laughed, the remainder of the sadness falling away. “Oh Jesus,” she said, pulling him toward the kitchen. “This party was so over the top.”
Chapter Nine
Magnus let out a groan of displeasure and rolled toward the center of the bed searching for Caroline. When he found her missing, he sat up. “Where you going, love?” he mumbled, willing his eyes to focus.
Caroline stood fully dressed, framed by the bathroom door. Her hair was already pulled back, and her makeup was on. “We talked about this. Remember? I have my follow up at the doctor, then I have inventory.”
“Let me know how it goes at the doctor?” he asked. After her post coital fainting episode, her doctor did some testing and concluded that she was low on iron. Which, ironically, was something he could relate to. She'd been taking supplements and had a follow up today to go ov
er her progress.
