81. Chapter Eighty-One
Chapter Eighty-One
Imani Boudareaux
Sending The Boys On A Mission
Kai and I both try to act normal around each other as Elowen plants a kiss on Beau.
Kai throws me a fist bump. Yep, just friends.
We are totally cool. Beau and Kai slip out, the house settling behind them like a held breath finally releasing.
I stand in the doorway of the kitchen and listen to the quiet.
How am I going to explain this to Dad? What am I going to say?
Elowen sits at the table wrapped in a clean sweater. Her eyes are bright, but strange now. Beautiful, but sharper than before. “Do you want to try some real food?” I ask. I keep my voice light, like this was any other afternoon.
She looks at the bowl of rice I set out.
Then, her glance shifts to the roasted carrots and the soup.
Her nose wrinkles at the appearance. “Everything looks so bland now,” she says.
“Like it’s pretending to be food. I can see why Beau acted the way he did on our first date.
It’s both intriguing and disgusting at the same time. ”
I try not to wince. I’ve spent longer than I would like to admit making that soup.
Maybe not so much for Elowen, but in general.
“You can hurt my feelings later,” I say.
“For now, just taste it.” She dips the spoon and brings it to her mouth.
She stares at it like it’s a stranger, then she sets the spoon down.
“Nothing,” she replies. “I feel like I’m basically chewing on nasty air.”
I lean on the counter and cross my arms. “Beau kind of mentioned something to me. If I eat a meal, you can taste it in my blood afterward. Though it doesn’t work if you try to just eat the food out right.
” Her eyes slide to mine, curious and hungry in a way that isn’t quite an actual option.
I lift a finger. “If you bite me without consent, I can take you. Don’t even try it.
Don’t think for a second you’re stronger than me.
” She barks out a laugh and nearly chokes on nothing at all.
The sound fills the kitchen and bounces off the cabinets.
“Okay, Miss Warrior. Stand down. I don’t plan on eating you. You said it. Not me!”
“Good,” I say, pointing at her. “Because I have big plans. And my plans require all my blood to stay right where it is. I was just saying.” She keeps laughing.
It’s the first time since the hospital that her joy sounds like it belongs to her.
My sweet girl, finally content. She looks around the kitchen then, taking in the chaos.
Grocery bags slump against the island. Half a loaf of bread sits open and has gotten stale.
A tower of takeout containers sit to one side like a sad little building.
“Did you move in here and forget to tell me?” She asks.
“We live where you live,” I smirk. “That was the deal. Well, while you were unconscious at least. Sort of just continued. You probably just didn’t notice during the commotion of Beau’s disappearance.”
“I guess I was out for a minute. Then, yeah, that happened. Thanks for staying with me. I know life has been crazy. I can’t imagine trying to work through this.
” Elowen glances at the new espresso machine sitting on her counter.
A byproduct of Beau setting up camp here and me trying to keep him sane.
Customers probably think the owner died or something.
I couldn’t tell you the last time Beau and Kai have been to work.
She reaches into the nearest bag and pulls out a box of tea.
She reads the label, smiles at the flavor, and sets it down like a small treasure.
I watch her do all of it. The new way she moves.
The careful way she touches everything. The way her eyes track light and shadow like she’s seeing clearly for the first time.
“You keep staring,” she says without looking up.
“I keep checking that you’re still here,” I laugh it off. “Forgive me for being sentimental.” She opens a drawer, finds a towel, and begins wiping a corner of the counter just to have something to do.
“I’m here,” she relents. “I just need to get used to everything again. When I say everything, I mean it. Everything is different now. I wish I could let you borrow this body for a day to see how fucking crazy this is.” I swallow and nod.
We both heard the quiet part of that sentence. Will our friendship change too?
I clear my throat and make the only suggestion that feels right. “Do you want me to cook something anyway? Something for me to eat? If I eat… serious this time. Maybe you can enjoy it later? I don’t know how we’d safely get the blood out into a bag, but I guarantee Beau knows.”
Her mouth tilts. “Are you really going to gourmet yourself for my secondhand tasting menu?”
“After some thought…I am that friend,” I admit.
“Best believe. But! Only if and when I consent.” She sits back down and watches me tie my curls out of my face with the scrunchie on my wrist. The kitchen feels less like a battlefield and more like a place we can all breathe again finally.
I turn to the pantry and reach for oil and spices.
She lets the silence sit for a moment, then cracks it cleanly. “So… What’s up with you and Kai?” she asks. My hand freezes on the jar. The lid clicks against the glass and then slips.
“Excuse me.”
“You heard me,” she says, eyes too innocent. “What’s going on?”
“There’s nothing going on. He’s a menace. I hate him, really. He parks crooked and he steals my fries.”
“He also looks at you like you’re a work of art.” Elowen smiles, knowing she’s the one digging for information now.
I turn the stove on to cover my flinch and the burner ticks. “You are obviously fucking losing it. You’re delirious from vampirism. Your judgment is compromised, Elowen Briar.”
She smiles and rests her chin on her hand. “My judgment is razor sharp. Perks of the undead.” I throw chopped garlic into a pan and watch it bloom. The scent rises fast and rich.
“Tell me you don’t see it, for real,” Elowen says. “When he tries to put his arm around you and you brush it off, but then you glance at him every now and again. You like him.”
“He just annoys me. I have to keep a watchful eye on him.”
She laughs again. Softer, fonder. “You likeeeee him.”
I stir the pan, a little more aggressive than necessary. “Shut up. No.”
“Tell me one nice thing about him. Something you truly like,” Elowen asks.
“Uh. He’s kind,” I mutter. “He drove like a bat out of hell just to get back here so I could be with you when Beau left.”
She lifts a brow. “So… Do you like him?”
I sigh and press my palm flat to the counter. “I— No. I don’t. I can’t handle this right now. I don’t know how I feel.”
Her face softens as her bright, strange eyes look more gentle. “You’re allowed to fall for someone,” she pauses. “Even here. Especially here. I can tell he makes you happy.” The pan hisses as I add tomatoes and basil. I pretend to be too busy to answer. Genie begs for scraps at my feet.
“I’m serious,” she says. “If this is my life now, I want the people I love to have good things in it.” I turn off the burner and lean back against the counter.
“You’re bossy. Who taught you that?”
“Wonder who? But, you’re correct,” she shrugs. “Now, tell me one more thing you like about Kai.”
“He makes me laugh when I don’t want to,” I admit under my breath.
“There it is,” she says softly. I plate the food even though I am the only one who will taste it. I set the plate on the table in front of her just so she could see it. We both watch as the steam curls.
“You want me to try it?” she asks with disgust on her face. “I can see why Beau acted so odd eating in front of me. I couldn’t imagine trying to force this stuff down.”
“You can watch me eat,” I say. “If it helps later.”
“I’m not doing that to you. I won’t take blood from you. Just eat.” I sit down across from her and take a bite. The flavors open bright and warm. I close my eyes and try to memorize every piece of it. “Fine,” I say, around a mouthful. “This. This is so good. I’m a damn chef.” Her gaze softens.
“I don’t even know what comes next,” she throws me a sad glance.
“Me neither,” I swallow my food, scooping up another bite.
We sit with the plates between us, the steam fading, the night pressing soft against the windows. “I promise to be brave and champion you through this new phase of life, Elowen Briar.” I promise her.
“You already are, Mon-Mon.” Elowen smiles ear to ear at me. I reach across the table and she meets me halfway. Our fingers touch, light and steady. We’ll figure this out together.