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I pushed off the counter and walked toward that fridge, which was always magically stocked with whatever we wanted. Either Griffin had an amazing secret assistant or he went shopping whenever I was asleep.
“Do you want a beer?” I asked and grabbed two.
“Is that even a question? Of course. Thanks.” He popped the top and took a big drink, condensation trailed down his chin and into his collar. I stared at the water droplet before meeting Cassian’s gaze. My cheeks grew hot and I quickly focused on my beer.
The liquid was cool and refreshing, “So, what do you think Lyrica meant by the whole devastation thing?”
Cassian kept mixing and chopping spices. I hopped onto the huge island counter and crossed my legs in front of me. Kelly would have lost her mind if I ever sat like this in her presence.
“I really don’t know, maybe she’s referring to wolves going feral in my pack or the war. I really don’t know.” He repeated.
“I think she might’ve been a little crazy… she even had a black cat.” I took a sip of the beer. “Grace didn’t say that she was a seer or a psychic, she’s just a witch.”
“Yeah, maybe her teacup had vodka in it. It’s unnerving and I don’t like it. But I hope we find your mom soon. It’ll be interesting to find out more about your heritage.” The cream, ham, and spices smelled delightful and my stomach growled. Cassian chuckled at the sound. “Have you been practicing? With your powers?”
He turned to look at me and I shifted closer, until my legs were hanging over the counter closest to where Cassian was cooking. I held out my palm and a flame immediately jumped in my hand, it wiggled when I moved. “Mmm hmm.”
Cassian met my gaze and suddenly the five candles that I’d placed around the kitchen and dining room lit up. They filled the room with a gentle calming scent of vanilla, sandalwood, chamomile, and lavender. Cassian’s eyes flickered with awe.
“That’s a cool trick,” he said, turning back to the bubbling pot. I closed my palm and the flames went out with a puff.
“I’ve been playing around in between Morgan’s lessons, I think I’m getting the whole control thing out now.” My stomach growled again and Cassian turned to me with a creamy spoon in his hand. Steam curled from the mixture.
He moved closer, his hips bumped gently against my knees. “Do you want a taste? Tell me if anything is missing.” I nodded and he blew on the sauce.
My stomach flipped. What is going on with you? One minute you’re all flustered for Griffin and now you’re practically drooling over Cassian! The voice in my head yelled at me and I shook my head, silencing her. Cassian held the spoon for me and I pulled the sauce into my mouth. It was so good! Better than good, it tasted like home. I closed my eyes and moaned.
“That is so good, don’t change a thing.”
Cassian chuckled and when I opened my eyes, his were on my lips. “You have a little—”
His hand came forward slowly, and he trailed his thumb across my lower lip, and then he licked the sauce from that thumb. My breath caught and my thighs squeezed at the heat in his gaze. Cassian took a step closer, placing his hand on my thigh. He leaned in, but then the stove beeped angrily. I let out the breath and laughed. Cassian spun and swore at the smoke curling from the pot.
“Shit! I think I can save it.” He grabbed the pot and swore again as the steel burned his hand. I forgot to tell him about the silicone handles that needed to be clipped on. I jumped off of the counter, turned the stove off and dragged Cassian to the sink. His hand wasn’t badly burned but I let the cold water run over the red splotch. He had to bend a little to let me help him but otherwise he stayed quiet. “We can order something. I’m sorry, Em. I… got distracted.”
I laughed a little breathlessly. “I’m sure we can salvage enough to eat. It still tastes amazing, and I’m not willing to pass on your alfredo for a little burn!” I pulled out two pasta bowls and Cassian smiled, his hands already looking better.
Once he’d dished it up, we flopped onto the sofa with two fresh beers. I didn’t even give it a minute before I dug in. I was starving and for about five minutes Cassian just watched me shovel alfredo into my mouth.
“It’s good, even with the smokey taste,” I said around a mouthful. He chuckled and dug into his own food.
We sat in silence for a while just eating. It felt so familiar. Except for the apartment, Cassian and I used to do this all the time. He would come over, sneak into my window at night with food he’d cooked or a pizza or something. We’d turn a movie on and enjoy each other’s company. No pressure, no end-of-the-world stress, just two best friends.
I smiled at the memory “Do you want to watch a scary movie? Like we did when we were younger? I’ll make some popcorn and there’s a whole bunch of snacks in the cupboard.”
“You used to get so scared, I’d have to walk to the bathroom with you.” Cassian laughed. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
“That was years ago. I’m a big, badass witch now.” I crossed my arms and pouted. “The only reason you walked with me was because you were scared too.”
He rolled his eyes and nudged my shoulder. “Let’s do it then.”
I jumped up and grabbed the biggest bowl I could find and shoved popcorn in the microwave. By the time I walked back to the sofa, my arms were full of chocolates, snacks, soda, and popcorn. Cassian had grabbed the big fluffy blanket from my bed and he already had a horror movie on pause for us. I put the food on the coffee table and ran to my room. If we were going to relive a movie night, we had to do it right. I had an old bunny onesie in my cupboard that I yanked on, along with a fluffy pair of socks. We only had time for one movie before Cassian had to go downstairs, but I was determined to make the best of it. Before I returned to Cassian, I quickly snapped a photo of my onesie and sent it to Griffin with a text.
Me: Missing out on movie night. I bet you regret being a hero now!
I felt like a schoolgirl texting her crush, I waited for a few minutes. His response came back quickly.
Griffin: Very regretful. Cute ears. I’d love to see your tail…
