Chapter 5
Five
Iglanced between the milk options before selecting the cheapest one and placing it in my shopping basket. A dark shadow loomed next to me, falling into step beside me as I turned toward the canned goods aisle.
Theo watched my every move even though I tried my best to ignore him.
“You don’t have to walk right next to me,” I snapped, finally glancing up at him. For such a quiet guy, he took up an overwhelming amount of space. An older woman had to squeeze by him to reach the canned soup.
“I have food at the house,” he said. “You’re welcome to eat it.”
“I’ll pass.”
While I had somewhat accepted this bizarre situation I’d found myself in, it didn’t mean I was going to treat him like a roommate. He wasn’t even human…right? Or was he? I didn’t fully understand his whole backstory. I’d ask him more questions but he wasn’t exactly the talkative type.
I didn’t trust him. Why was he staying with Lori? He’d managed to tell me he was from another realm while simultaneously sharing absolutely nothing of substance or value. He didn’t seem like a con artist, but you could never be too sure.
I would have been out of the cottage already, but unfortunately for me—and probably him—I had no other options. I would have to accept him. I had nowhere to stay, no money, and certainly no prospects.
“I like to cook,” he added unhelpfully as I grabbed a bag of rice.
“No.” I shook my head, backing away from him. “We’re not going to act like we’re on some freaking sitcom or something. We aren’t friends. You aren’t cooking for me. In fact, while we’re at it, let’s plan on avoiding each other altogether.”
“We’re staying in an eight-hundred square foot guest cottage.”
I huffed out a sigh as I moved to the next aisle and he continued to follow me, examining each of my selections with scrutiny.
“How do you even afford food?” I found myself asking even though I desperately wanted to prove I could ignore him. “Is the currency the same in your realm? Is the US dollar universal?” I didn’t mean for my words to be coated in sarcasm, but the question felt too ridiculous to ask earnestly.
“Lori pays me.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked back at him. His eyes were on me. Always intense.
“No offense, but you aren’t beating the scammer allegations.”
“I would never harm Lori.” His frown deepened, as if he was offended I would even suggest such a thing. It still made me squirm hearing him call her by her first name. Who the hell was this guy? Trying to get more comfortable with my own grandmother than me?
“How long are you staying anyway?” I asked.
“Until the next full moon.” There he went with the full moon thing again. Was he a warlock or a werewolf?
“Whatever.” I resumed my sad grocery haul. A can of corn and a few cans of beans joined the party.
“Are you not going to get any protein?” He looked down at my depressing assortment of goods.
“Beans are protein,” I insisted, pushing past him—noting how rock solid his chest was—to the front of the store.
“What about produce? You have nothing to make a well balanced meal.”
I scowled at him. “Are you seriously lecturing me about my health right now?”
“No, but?—”
I glared at him which he took as an invitation to shut up.
There was no line at the lone cashier as I placed my entire basket on the counter to be rung up.
“Hello dear.” The pink haired woman smiled and started scanning my items, setting them in a bag as she went.
My lips parted in surprise when she picked up a small bag of apples and scanned it.
I turned to shoot an accusatory glare at Theo. “How did you do that?” I whisper-demanded.
He frowned. “Do what?”
The cashier lifted an onion and a bag of peppers out of the basket that definitely hadn’t been there a second ago.
“Excuse me, but I need to put those back?—”
My sentence hung in the air as I stared at the two twenty dollar bills sitting by the credit card machine. The cashier was already reaching for them.
My protest got caught in my throat as I glanced from the money back to him. What? Did he think his little magical produce-appearing trick was cute?
“How’s your day going?” the woman asked as she finished bagging my groceries.
I jerked a finger behind me. “This man here is a warlock and he won’t leave me alone.”
Her eyebrows knit in confusion before she barked out a laugh. “Oh, that’s a good one. Hi there, Theo. Good to see you again.”
This short stay that was supposed to be an easy fresh start was starting to look a hell of a lot more complicated.