Page 108 of Nyx

She looks back at me, her nose scrunched as if she just did the mental math on how that would work out for me.

"If I stayed, I wouldn't be sleeping," I explain, but then realize how that sounds. I elaborate, "I'd be awake, making sure you're safe."

"Right," she says as she looks at her feet, the toe of her shoe drawing lines on the floor.

"I'll stay," I say. "So long as you promise to ask me to leave if you decide that me being here makes you the least bit uncomfortable."

"I will," she promises, but I can sense a hint of something in her voice.

"I mean it, Juliet. There will be no repercussions, no guilt, no coercion to get you to change your mind. If you want me gone, you just tell me, and I'm out. That's how this works. Promise."

"I promise," she says.

"Then I'll stay," I say.

"I can make dinner," she says, heading to the kitchen as if a huge weight has just been lifted off her shoulders.

I've been in her space multiple times now, but knowing I'll be staying here rather than just making a quick check to ensure she's safe makes standing in her tiny living room feel completely different.

I'm awkward to the point of not knowing what to do with my hands.

Should I take a seat?

Offer to help even though my cooking skills stop at scrambled eggs and toast?

Should I insist on spending my time standing outside her door rather than taking up space?

I pull in a deep breath and blow it out slowly.

I'll follow her lead, and until she tells me to do something, I'll spend my time standing and watching her, looking for any hint that she may be uncomfortable. It's the very last thing I want her to feel.

"Well," she says as she opens the fridge. "I forgot it was my grocery shopping day."

She looks back at me, her cute little nose scrunching.

"I don't have anything to fix for us."

"We can get something delivered," I offer, pulling out my phone.

"I can't ask you to do that," she says, straightening and closing the refrigerator.

"We both have to eat," I assure her. "What would you like?"

She shrugs. "I haven't paid much attention to the restaurants around town. I don't do delivery."

I imagine she doesn't want strangers coming to her house, even though they serve a purpose. She's the type to keep completely to herself, and I know it's not only to avoid interactions with others but also because she believes it will trigger something that would make it easier for Graham to find her.

"We could run to the store," she offers, clearly still uneasy about having a meal delivered.

"We're safer if we stay here. There are no expectations, Juliet. It's just food."

I watch as she struggles with the idea, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"I can see if someone from Cerberus can shop a list for us," I offer.

She shakes her head. "They've already done so much for me. That feels... I don't know. Delivery is fine."

"Do you want something specific?" I ask, pulling up the food delivery app on my phone. "Burgers, pizza, Italian, Asian, Mexican?"