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The satisfaction in his gaze thickened. “You liked the meal?”
“It was incredible.”
“Good.” He took my plate, set it on his, then strode back to the kitchen. The tension in his shoulders was gone.
Somehow, watching me eat had relaxed him.
Damn, Evare was bizarre. Or maybe it was just the werewolves.
I realized I was being a terrible guest—if I could be considered a guest—and spoke up quickly. “I can clean the dishes.”
“No.”
I blinked at his firm refusal.
Definitely hadn’t expected that.
“I’ve been told that it’s natural for humans to exchange mundane roles—that if one person cooks a meal, the other cleans up afterward—but I’m not comfortable with it. You’re welcome to sit nearby so we can converse, or tuck yourself into bed if you’d prefer, but I feel it’s my duty to clean as well.”
I blinked again, and again.
What was I supposed to say to that?
He was setting a clear boundary—which was a green flag, I thought.
Probably.
Maybe?
Sigh.
I wasn’t sure.
And I wasn’t uncomfortable with letting him do the dishes. The whole situation was too strange for that.
Maybe if I’d been a little more comfortable with him, I would’ve walked over and sat next to him. It seemed like a fair trade; a conversation for a meal.
But I didn’t want him to think I saw us as a couple, a team, or anything along those lines. So, I quietly crossed the room, then tucked myself into the bed. The sheets were smooth and silky, though chilly. I shivered a little, but did so silently.
I knew he wouldn’t climb into bed with me without asking permission—and doubted he would even ask—so I quietly spread out on the bed. My lips curved upward as I did, because I wassafe.
There was no more cowering at night, no more clinging to my edge of the bed and hoping Allen would go to sleep silently.
No more pain.
No more abuse.
I had to navigate the strange, arranged marriage situation I’d somehow landed in, but without Allen there, I could doanything.
Closing my eyes, I let out a long breath. There was a weight on my chest and shoulders that had just… vanished. It was gone, completely.
And now, I was free.
Free to live, and breathe, and laugh. To feel the sun on my face, and free to smile.
To make friends.
To curl up with a book for as many hours as I wanted, any damn day I decided to.
