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I let it go, though, simply nodding my head at her because I’m not sure why it feels like a big deal.
“Shall we?” I ask her, not waiting on a response before I step forward and open the door to the room that will be hers for the foreseeable future.
The door swings open, and she freezes in the doorway. I move into the room to open the curtains and turn on one of the bedside lamps. She walks around the room, eyes wide as she takes everything in, but she doesn't say a word.
Her hand trails along the plush comforter on the four-poster bed, and a smile breaks out on her face.
Zander picked this room for her. Spencer didn’t care where she was since he didn’t even want her in the house. He only requested that she be on the same floor so that we could keep an eye on her, whether that be for her safety or his suspicion, I don’t know, but I agreed. I wasn’t set on any one room, but when I asked them about it a few nights ago, Zander had insisted that she get the red room. It could be because his room is right across the hall or because he knew she would love it. Who knows? Either way, she seems happy with it.
“I’m going to do some work in the office for a few if you want to look around or get settled in. Then, we can meet back in the kitchen at,” I look down at my watch to see the time. It’s just after noon. Zan and Spence won't be here until closer to nine tonight. “Let's say four. Then we can head to the store for food before the guys arrive and make dinner.”
“Will you show me how to make something?” She asks me, and my first reaction is to tell her no.
I don’t like cooking with other people, never have. I use cooking as an outlet to distract myself from the shit around me like normal people do with hobbies. But when I look up at her, I can see the excitement in her eyes again, and I remember just how happy she was to be able to make a damn egg, and just like that, I crumble. I nod, and she smiles at me like I just told her she won the lotto.
My treacherous heart picks up speed like I’m a fucking child, and I know I need to get out of here.
“My office is just down the hall, last door on the left if you need me.” I tell her as I head to the door. Before I leave, I stop to look back at her, “You can go anywhere in the house or on the grounds. I don’t want you to think you are a prisoner here. That being said, the forest is a maze, and until you know it better, it’s probably best not to wander too far alone.” The last thing we need is to call in a search for her the first day she’s here.
“Sounds good, boss.” She calls over her shoulder as she heads into her ensuite bathroom without looking back at me.
I walk out the door of her room, not bothering to close it behind me, as I rub a hand down my face. I swear this girl will be the death of me, first with the cooking and now picking up Zander’s nickname.
The only problem is Zander’s nicknames aren't so annoying when she says them, and I refuse to explore why that is and what they make me feel if not annoyed.
I pull myself together in the short time it takes me to get to my office. I stop shy of entering, looking back over my shoulder and down the hall to her room. She hasn’t come out, but I can hear her as she wanders around inside, no doubt exploring her new room, and I find that I don’t mind her being here like I initially thought I would.
I push the door open with a sigh.
Jade is dangerous. There's no question about that, but she might just be more than we can handle, and I’m not even considering her ability to kill us anymore.
Ispent the rest of the weekend mainly with Roderick. I explored a little bit of the house after I spent way too much time in my room before meeting him downstairs in the kitchen to go shopping. I half expected them to have someone do their shopping for them, but when I said as much, he laughed at me, well, more like huffed at me. I don't know if I’ve ever heard Roderick actually laugh, but I feel like it’s the same difference for him. He explained that while they could and have done that, he prefers to handle what comes and goes as far as the food in their home.
Shopping with Roderick was not at all what I expected. He knew exactly what he needed, and we were in and out in no time with a bunch of things that only proved how little I knew about cooking. Looking at the basket, I had no idea how any of it could be put together to make a meal.
I could feel eyes on me as people watched us, whispering as we passed. Roderick didn’t make a big deal about it, so I ignored it as well. If people wanted to look, why did I care?
We went to a small market with primarily fresh vegetables, meats, and baked goods. And while Roderick might be high up in the world of Vengeance, he seemed well-liked by all the employees. He even bought me a cupcake that caught my eye when the older lady who ran the bakery stopped him to ask how the guys and his mother had been. It was the best cupcake I ever had, not that I had very many to compare it to.
I devoured it in the car, and when we got back to the house, Zander met us at the door and took the groceries I had been carrying before laughing at me. Apparently, I hadn’t eaten the cupcake as carefully as I intended and had frosting on my face. He quickly wiped it off with his finger before popping it in his mouth and smiling at me with heat in his eyes that wasn’t there a moment ago.
“Delicious as always.”
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about the frosting or not, and he didn't explain before he followed Roderick to the kitchen. It was something so simple but familiar and cute that it struck me stupid for a moment. I stood like a statue, frozen with a raging blush on my face until I could breathe again and my brain was functioning properly enough to get my feet moving.
We cooked dinner together, minus Spencer, who I assume was in the house but trying to stay away from me. I tried to ignore the nagging feeling this caused me. I was putting a wedge between them.
Zander helping with dinner was more, him just taking samples of anything and everything as it was prepared and messing around, but Roderick just rolled his eyes at him and kept cooking, which led me to believe that was somewhat typical for Zander. The whole thing was very relaxed and just normal.
We made a shrimp alfredo with homemade white sauce that was to die for, so good that I came back and reheated some later that night for a snack before bed. I’m not sure I could make the meal on my own yet, but I got the gist of it, and I can’t wait to learn more, that is if Roderick is willing to teach me. If not, Zander seems confident we can find recipes on Youtube to follow. He told me there isn’t anything that you can’t find on Youtube. While I find that hard to believe, everything he’s tried to show me so far has been there, so maybe he’s right.
Sunday was spent with more time exploring. Their house is so big, and everything is beautiful. I could probably spend days looking around and still not feel I’ve seen everything. While Zander was at the shop most of the day, Roderick was in his office, and Spencer was still hiding in the shadows. Later that day, we returned to his parent's house and grabbed my stuff. We left some things there as he told me we would still visit often per Clair’s request to see us, but most of it came with us. When we got back, Zander was there and helped me put everything away again.
They ordered pizza, and we watched a movie. Even Spencer came to watch it with us, he didn’t seem so uptight, but he didn’t say a word to me. They all seemed to be back to their usual, and I was happy I hadn’t put a wedge between them, or at least not a serious one, yet.
I may not be able to tell them everything yet, but I also don’t intend to do damage while I’m here. I might not have cared in the beginning, but the longer I’m here, the more I find I’m starting to. They’ve done so much for me that they haven’t had to. Even after Kratos gave the order to keep me safe, they could have done the bare minimum, but they haven’t. Whether they know everything or not, being around me can put a target on their back for many reasons, yet they’re still here.
I know Spencer has his issues with me and every time I see him, all I want to do is explain, but I can’t. At one point during the movie, I felt his eyes on me from across the room. I half expected to look up and see him glaring at me. But when I finally looked up at him, I found that he was looking at me with confusion instead of disdain. As if I’m some puzzle he can’t figure out but desperately wants to, which is probably exactly what he sees me as. I had to quickly avert my eyes and remind myself that this was for their own good.
