AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Gabe nodded, setting his scroll down. “Yeah, we’ve hit a wall for today. Let’s call it a night and pick up where we left off tomorrow. Although, I might ask to take a few of these to look at later this evening. Check-out privileges are one of the perks of working for the council, I guess.”
I stood up and stretched, feeling the kinks in my back pop. “Thanks, Gabe. I really... appreciate all your help.”
“Of course, Ella. We’ll figure this out together.”
We headed out of the library, feeling a sense of accomplishment despite our lack of progress. At least I was doing something, anything, to take my mind off of Neiland my situation. And maybe, just maybe, we were getting closer to finding a solution.
We walked to my car, bodies close and hands just shy of touching. I felt an odd compulsion to reach for him, but last night he made it clear that he wasn't interested in getting closer, and I didn't want to risk setting off my baser instincts that the mating bite had unleashed. I could still feel it, of course, but the throbbing in my lower regions had abated enough that I could think and concentrate on other matters, like where we were going to eat, for instance.
"What do you feel like?" I asked. Gabe still had my keys, and he held open the passenger door for me, so I took that as a hint he wanted to drive.
"Not sure. Probably not the diner, though. I'm not ready to deal with all that at the moment."
Right, I thought.Samantha. It's crazy how easily she had slipped my mind.
“Would you want to…” Gabe hesitated. “Would you feel comfortable coming back to my place, and I could cook for you?”
I laughed. "Yes, I'm comfortable going back to your apartment, Gabe. But only on one condition."
He raised his eyebrows, waiting for the stipulation.
"I'm going to cook for you."
"Even better." He grinned, throwing the car in reverse, and taking us away from the small downtown.
His apartment was located in a pretty large development. At least, it was bigger than any that we had back home.
“This is it,” Gabe said, opening the door with flair. "Nothing too fancy, but I harbored your sister here like a fugitive for a whole month at one point."
I laughed and shook my head, going straight for the kitchen. "Okay, so what ingredients do you have to work with?”
"We're in luck because I think Jared dropped by some food when I told him I was coming back into town."
"That's not all you told him," I murmured under my breath.
Gabe froze. "Yeah, I did tell him about some of the things that are happening with us. I wanted him to understand that I wouldn't be coming back in to work anytime soon, but afterward, I was worried that maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Pack members in Tumblewild are not exactly known for their discretion if you catch my drift. I'm guessing he said something to you?"
“He let it slip when he drove me to the library. It’s alright. I can understand why you told him. I’m just usually a pretty private person. Outside of Mariam and Heather, I don’t share a lot about myself with anyone, and even those two don’t know most things about me.”
“Yeah, I have gotten the impression that you like to keep a lot of things bottled up,” he said. “Maybe one day I’ll be someone else you can open up to.”
I frowned, not sure what he meant by that. My expression seemed to encourage him to change the subject.
He opened the fridge and checked the pantry, giving a satisfied nod. “There’s a pretty good variety of staple items in here. Pasta, chicken, beef, tofu. I’m not picky, so whatever you feel like making is good with me.”
“Are you leaving?” I asked.
“Actually, I was going to look over the scrolls I borrowed from the library. It might be a long shot, but I think they discuss some of the old mating laws that might help us out. Do you mind if I go and set them up in the living room?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. Let me know if you find something interesting.”
“Ella. I guarantee you’ll find out right away if I find anything useful at all,” he teased.
I shooed him out of the kitchen and tied his apron around my waist. I was in the mood for something rich and filling. Luckily Gabe had all the ingredients for a garlic mushroom Bolognese.
I hummed to myself as I boiled the water and prepped my vegetables, enjoying the easy rhythm of being back in a kitchen. As I waited for the pasta to finish cooking, I scavenged some dark cocoa and sugar to make brownies for dessert.
I turned off the burners and was starting to plate the meal when Gabe appeared again.
