AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unless, maybe, I was.
My boyfriends had all had their complaints about me. Did I want Sebastian added to that list? He had never said a mean thing about me in my life. I didn’t want that to change.
I shared a smile with him as he sat down across from me.
He was the greatest thing in my life.
I could keep my feelings to myself.
I wouldn’t lose him.
Chapter Five
Sebastian
As Emily tore into the chicken thighs, I could only watch in awe.
She caught my gaze and blushed, slowing down her bites, so I grabbed my fork and followed her lead, scarfing down her brother’s comfort foods.
“It’s a good thing Rob liked macaroni and cheese and not something like liver and onions,” I said after swallowing a large bite.
Em smiled but didn’t break her pace. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t eaten all day after the morning she had. The handle of my fork dug into my skin as I imagined her showing up to work, only to be fired on the spot.
And then going to that piece of shit’s house, only to find him fucking another woman.
No. If she felt relaxed, I was content to sit in silence. I loved knowing I was a safe place for her.
Today was a hard day.
The anniversary of Rob’s death was always hard. While the rest of the world moved on, we were left with a hollowness that would never go away.
After a year went by, our families told us it was time to move on. We slowly phased most of them out of our lives, clinging to each other for refuge in this world that wanted to forget Rob.
Em paused her chewing and smiled softly at me. It was one of those smiles of pure contentment that often came once her hunger was satiated. I was a chef because I loved cooking, but nothing was as rewarding as Em’s smile.
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
“What?”
Her blue eyes widened behind thick lashes, tearing at my heart as her innocent face darkened. I kicked myself for disrupting the quiet moment between us. But I had to know. It was a dangerous game—having animalistic protective urges about someone who didn’t fully belong to me.
“Today, when everything went to hell, why didn’t you come to me?”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Emily Eliza Avery, you are never bothering me.”
“But you already do so much for me.”
I got to my feet and grabbed our dishes, placing a kiss on top of her head. “You are never bothering me,” I repeated.
“Yeah, but you were working.”
“A break from my day to talk to you would have been a welcome relief.” I cringed, thinking about my own day from hell. “The coaches want me to increase the guys’ leafy greens. The guys don’t want that and have been leaving spinach leaves in random places for me to find.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” she mused.
“They’ve also been asked to cut back their sugar intake to see if it increases their performance.”
