Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
G raham
“What was your nightmare about last night?” Ella asked as we ran along the shoreline.
I couldn’t and didn’t want to tell her the truth, so I had to think of something quickly.
“I dreamt that I was in the middle of surgery, and I messed up, and the patient died,” I lied.
“I hate those kinds of dreams.” She smiled. “Other than your nightmare, did you sleep good?”
“I did. Your bed is really comfortable. But truth be told, I think it had more to do with the beautiful woman in my arms all night.” The corners of my mouth curved upward as I winked at her.
Her lips flashed a bashful smile. We talked about the hospital and patients while we ran along the beach.
“How about I make us breakfast when we get back?” she said.
“How about I help?” I smiled.
“If you insist.” She grinned.
We finished our run and went back to her house. While she made us some coffee, I opened the refrigerator and took out the eggs, noticing she had a lot of fresh vegetables. Grabbing some, I set them on the counter.
“Omelets?” she asked, walking by.
“Yep. It’s crucial to get our daily veggies in.”
“You know it.” She reached into the cabinet and pulled out an omelet pan.
“You go sit down. I got this.”
“Graham, I can’t let?—”
I turned and gripped her hips. “Yes, you can. Maybe I want to show off my cooking skills.”
“Fine. You win. Did your aunt teach you how to cook?” she asked, sitting down at the island.
“Actually, my nanny and aunt did.” I cracked the eggs into a bowl.
“You had a nanny?”
“Yeah. My dad worked a lot and needed someone to take care of me while he was gone.”
“What did your dad do for work?” she asked, and my heart started racing. I should have known better than to bring him up.
“He was a doctor.”
“What was his specialty?”
“Oncology.” I needed to change the subject fast. “Where are your knives?”
“In the corner on the counter.”
I walked over, grabbed a large knife from the block, and cut the vegetables.
The sliding door opened, and Ava walked in. “Hey, you two.” Suddenly, she closed her eyes and quickly opened them. “Hello there.” A bright smile crossed her face. “I see you’re making omelets. Let me.” She walked over and took the knife from me.
I looked at Ella, and I could tell something was off.
“Hi, Ophelia,” she said.
“Good morning, darling. Oh my gosh. Where are my manners? I’m Ophelia, Dr. Malone.” She extended her hand.
With furrowed brows, I placed my hand in hers. “It’s nice to meet you, Ophelia. Please, call me Graham.”
“Now, you go sit down and let me finish these omelets for you.” A smile crossed her lips.
I sat on the stool next to Ella and looked at her.
“I’ll tell you later,” she whispered.
“We’re just going to put these veggies away for now. I’m going to make you my famous French omelet. We’re missing a few ingredients. No problem. I’ll text Camille and have her run them down.” She pulled her phone from her pocket.
A few moments later, the sliding door opened, and Camille walked in.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Hi, Camille,” Ella said.
“Hey.” I nodded.
“Here you go, Ophelia.” She set the items on the counter.
“Thank you, darling. This isn’t goat cheese.”
“We didn’t have any, so I brought Feta instead.”
“Do you like Feta cheese, Graham?” Ophelia asked.
“Yeah. I love it.”
“Feta will do then.” She smiled.
“Dad stopped me on my way out the door and asked what I was doing.”
“And?” Ophelia asked.
“I told him they’re for Ella, but I don’t think he bought it.”
“No, I didn’t.” Grayson walked in. “Ophelia, what’s going on? Hey, Ella. Hi, Graham.”
“I’m simply making these two beautiful people French omelets, Grayson. It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to cook.”
“Ava and I have plans in an hour.”
“I know. I know. Don’t worry. This won’t take long.”
Grayson let out a sigh. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s go home and let Ophelia do her cooking.”
“Here you go.” Ophelia smiled as she set our plates in front of us. “Enjoy.”
I picked up my fork and took a bite, savoring the incredible taste that hit my mouth.
“Wow, Ophelia. This is amazing,” I said.
“Thank you, darling. I’m sorry I don’t have time to clean up.” She wiped her hands on a dish towel.
“That’s okay. I’ll clean up.” Ella smiled. “Thank you for the wonderful omelet.”
“You’re welcome. I must go now before Grayson has a coronary. Ta ta, loves.”
As soon as she walked out the sliding door, I looked at Ella. “As amazing and delicious as this omelet is, I’m very confused.”
“Sorry about that. She normally doesn’t show herself to the guys I date. Ava has D.I.D.”
“Dissociative Identity Disorder?” My brows furrowed.
“Yep. There’s Ava. Then there’s Ophelia, Freya, Luna, Kate, and Seraphina. Ophelia is a chef who studied culinary in Paris. Luna is a child, and Seraphina is the gatekeeper. I’d only met her once since Ava came into the family. Then there’s Kate. She’s the rebellious type and very protective over all of us. She’s strong and knows martial arts. If anyone crosses her, look out.” She smiled.
“Wow. I’ve never met anyone with that condition before,” I said, finishing my omelet.
“They’re all amazing people. They rarely come out anymore. Ava controls it, but sometimes, one of the alters slips out. I guess when Ava walked in and saw you cooking, Ophelia had to make her appearance. She loves to impress new people with her cooking.”
“But you said she never comes out around the guys you date,” I said.
“She must like you or saw something in you that made her want to introduce herself.”
“Man, this is wild. What about Camille?”
“Camille is extremely loved by all of them. They all take very good care of her.”
I stood up and grabbed our plates. “I’ll help you clean up and then I have to go.”
“You don’t have to clean up. I can do it,” Ella said.
I rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher. Turning around, I placed my hands on her hips.
“I had a great time yesterday and this morning.” I smiled.
“Me too.”
Leaning in, my lips brushed against hers. “I’ll text you later.”
“Okay. Enjoy the rest of your day.” A beautiful smile crossed her lips as she walked me to the door.
I was on my way home when I saw the exit sign. Swerving over, I got off the highway and drove. Pulling up to the curb, I stared at the house that was once my home—the home where I lived with my mother until she passed away and with my father—the home where it all happened. Gripping the steering wheel, memories flooded my mind.
“Fuck!” I hit the steering wheel and lay my forehead against it.
Suddenly, I heard a tap on the window. Lifting my head, I saw a woman staring at me. I rolled down the window.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked.
“Um, no. I’m sorry.”
“This is my house, and you’re parked in front of it. Do I need to call the police?”
“No, ma’am. I apologize. I used to live here until I was thirteen. I just recently moved back to Los Angeles and thought I’d see if the house still looks the same.”
“Oh,” she said. “Would you like to come inside and take a look?”
“No. Again, I apologize. I’ll be on my way.”
“Okay. Have a nice day.” She smiled.
I put the car in drive and pulled away. All I could think about was Ella and the feelings that were starting to develop. She was an amazing woman and didn’t deserve someone as fucked up as me.