Chapter 6
Six
Pans clattered in the kitchen.
I lifted my gaze where I was sketching in the arm chair. It was still raining outside and I was going a touch stir crazy.
Theo and I had avoided each other since the grocery store earlier. He’d actually disappeared for most of the day. I itched to ask where he’d been, but I didn’t want him to think that I was interested in his strange, allegedly magical, aura.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” he popped around the corner to say.
I scoffed. “I can make my own dinner, thank you very much.”
His eyebrows drew together. “I made plenty.”
Sighing, I shoved my sketchbook away from me and stood up, walking to the doorway to inspect things. He was working at the stove, a towel draped over his shoulder as he glanced from the pot to me and back to the pot.
“It’s chicken noodle,” he said. “I don’t know how to make too many things.”
It actually smelled incredible so I begrudgingly took a seat as a bowl flew across the room and settled in front of me.
“Can you not do that?” I asked tiredly, setting my forehead in my hand and rubbing my temple.
“Sorry. Habit.” He set the spoons down, this time by hand.
“Look, I get that apparently we’re stuck under the same roof for the time being, but you can’t just go making me dinner.”
Theo quietly spooned soup into each of our bowls, eyeing me cautiously but not saying anything.
“For all I know you’re dangerous,” I continued, taking a sip of the soup that was, dammit, the most delicious thing I’d had to eat in weeks.
“I’m not.”
“No offense, but you’re a warlock from another realm that apparently isn’t just a thing they tell tourists, but actually real. And you’re here because you’re lying low but you won’t tell me why despite that sounding inherently sketchy.”
He licked his lips, watching as I slurped down the soup he’d served me.
“So until further notice, I’m going to have to assume you’re dangerous for self preservation reasons.”
“I’m not,” he insisted, staring down at his soup.
“You’re giving me literally nothing to go off of. Plus, I know from experience you can lock me in here and throw a fifteen pound knife block around the room like it’s a feather so…”
His gaze lifted to meet mine. “I would never hurt you.”
The earnest, determined way he said those words sent my stomach into a little flip.
“Then tell me something.” I slurped more of the soup, waiting as he processed what he wanted to share.
“I’m in a bit of trouble and I needed to get away.”
I sighed. “Well if that isn’t the vaguest answer out of your mouth yet. I didn’t know it was actually possible to know less the more you spoke.”
“I took something,” he finally admitted. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ah hah!” I exclaimed, leaning forward. “A thief.”
“No!” He shook his head, offended. “It’s…complicated.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“I just…I need you to know, I’m not dangerous,” Theo repeated, sternly.
Biting my lip, I sat back in my chair. I supposed stealing wasn’t exactly the most harrowing of crimes. “Well, thief or not?—”
“Not,” he said quickly.
“Whatever. I don’t care what you are or why you’re here. I like being alone, so this whole thing kind of sucks frankly.”
He frowned, staring back at me.
I held up a hand. “No offense, I just like my privacy. And I know I don’t know you, but it seems like you value your alone time too.”
He shrugged.
“Okay, It’s decided then.” I picked my spoon back up and resumed eating. “Let’s steer clear of each other, deal?”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything. We finished our meal in silence. When we were done, our bowls started to float to the sink before he must have thought better of it and grabbed them midair. I thought about offering to help clean, but he’d already started and I wanted some space.
If he was half as quiet as he seemed, maybe this whole living arrangement wouldn’t be that bad.
It would be like he wasn’t even here.