AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I nod, then shake my head and decide to come clean. “Actually, no.”
He frowns. “You’re not sure what to get for dinner?”
I look around. “I’m not sure how to do any of this,” I admit. “At all.”
“You usually have someone who does this for you?”
I nod. “The shopping always gets delivered to the house, and it’s always the same things.”
He almost smiles but then sees I’m serious and goes back to frowning. “When was the last time you did a supermarket shop?”
“Never,” I mutter. “I mean, I’ve been into shops, but not for a long time, especially not on my own.”
“Well, things haven’t changed much in the last year or so,” he says, smiling again.
I bite my lower lip and glance around. “Since I was maybe sixteen,” I admit, and his mouth falls open in surprise. “And at that age, I mainly bought magazines and chocolate.”
His frown deepens. “Right, okay. Well, firstly, you’re not alone. I’m here, and I know how to navigate around a supermarket. Secondly, tell me what you like to cook and I’ll show you where the things are.”
“On Mondays, we have chicken.”
“Every Monday?” I nod. “Why don’t you change things up a bit and go for steak?”
I bite my lower lip. I don’t want to give Dante an excuse to punish me. “I think Dante prefers chicken on a Monday.”
He shrugs. “Right. Follow me.”
Nero shows me where to find the chicken and then the vegetables. I want to try the different varieties, but I don’t think Dante would approve, so I stick to the usual potatoes and green beans. “Maybe I could get some things for baking,” I suggest quietly.
“If you want to, it’s your choice.”
Those words make me nervous. I’ve been so used to having my choices limited, it seems alien to me now. “I used to love baking.”
He stares for a moment. “So, why did you stop?”
I shrug. “I just did.” I can’t tell him I stopped doing all the things I loved when my life became Dante’s.
* * *
After shopping, we load up the car and Nero turns to me. “We should get coffee.” I shake my head and climb into the passenger side of the car, then he gets into the driver’s seat. “You don’t like coffee?”
“Dante didn’t say I could . . .” I trail off, wincing at my slip-up. “I mean, I didn’t tell him, and he’ll worry.”
“I’ll clear it with him, don’t stress.”
Panic rises in my chest. He might think it was my idea and he’ll accuse me of flirting. “No. I want to go home.”
Nero eyes me for a second before nodding. “Fine, your call.”
Dante isn’t home when we return. Nero carries the shopping into the kitchen, and I begin to put things away. He turns on the coffee machine. “Want one?” he asks. I guess now we’re home, it’s okay, so I nod.
I continue to put things away as Nero takes a seat at the kitchen island, watching me.
“What do you have to do once I’m home and safe?” I ask.
“Just hang out here.”
“All day?”
