Chapter 29 #3
But I did. I walked over like nothing had happened, closing the space between us until my chest nearly brushed her shoulder. She turned slightly, and for a second, our chests grazed. My pulse spiked.
“What do you need me to do?” I asked, keeping my voice low, smooth—too smooth, maybe.
She blinked, pulling back just a little, a strand of hair falling loose and curling against her cheek. I clenched my hands, fighting the urge to brush it back for her.
“I…” she hesitated, then snapped out of it. “You could start by cutting up the carrots.”
She handed me the knife and motioned to the pile of carrots and potatoes. As she turned to check on the chicken in the oven, I couldn’t help sneaking another glance at her butt. Damn.
“I’m surprised you didn’t run the other way,” she said, returning to my side.
I shrugged. “I’m surprised you don’t mind cooking for a house of eight.”
“Well, it was either that or let Josie cook,” she said, visibly shuddering.
I chuckled. “Afraid she’d burn down your kitchen?”
“My kitchen?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I pressed my lips together. It was too easy—being here with her, doing this domestic routine. It felt natural. Too natural. Like she was already my mate, my luna, and this was her home. Was that such a bad end for us though?
“How were classes today?” I asked, trying to keep things casual.
“Alright,” she said with a noncommittal shrug over the sound of my knife hitting the cutting board as I sliced away.
She reached for a slice of carrot, and I smacked her hand away. “No snacks before dinner.”
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, which only emphasized her chest. I gave myself a silent medal for not staring… and promptly lost it when my eyes dropped anyway.
“Ow!” I hissed, jerking my hand back.
I’d cut my finger. That’s what I got for ogling her like a hormone-ridden teen.
Before I could grab a tissue, Rose grabbed my hand, her fingers wrapping tightly around my wrist, and brought my bleeding finger to her lips.
She sucked on it—soft, warm, and utterly unaware of the fact that all my blood had just pooled into my dick.
My body went rigid as lust surged within me.
My brain screamed at me to keep it together.
She pulled back suddenly, worry all over her face. “I… I should’ve run it under water, but instinct just… kicked in. It’s not too deep, is it?” She examined the cut, visibly relieved when she saw it was already healing. “It’s healing. I was scared for a minute there.”
More curls had come loose from her bun, framing her face. She tucked them behind her ear as she reached for the knife again.
“Maybe you should leave the heavy-duty work to me,” she said with a small smile.
I tried to take the knife back, but she wouldn’t let me, instead sending me off to marinate the now-defrosted chicken. I went without protest. Honestly, I’d gladly cut my finger again if it meant she’d do that again. Hell, I’d cut it deeper.
Damn it, Aiden. Stop thinking like a pervert.
Later that evening, Rose flopped onto the couch in the TV room, clearly exhausted. Dinner had been a hit—baked chicken with sautéed carrots and potatoes. Now Josie and the kids were cleaning up, and Rose looked ready to collapse.
“You doing alright, Princess?” I asked, flipping through movie options.
She stood up and stretched, long and slow, her tank top riding up to expose a strip of smooth skin along her stomach. My eyes locked onto it. Not for the first time, I wondered what it would feel like to touch her there, to kiss that soft skin and watch her shiver.
And then I forced myself to look away, wondering what the hell she was doing to me.
“I think I’m going to call it a night,” Rose said with a yawn, the kind that made me pause and smile for a second.
She looked adorably tired, dragging her feet toward the stairs.
“Would you mind terribly if I asked you to bring my bag up for me later? I left it on the kitchen counter and I’m way too tired to go get it.
I don’t know how I’m even going to make it up those stairs. ”
She sounded so exhausted, even her voice was fading.
“I could always carry you up,” I offered with a smirk, not able to resist teasing her.
She raised an eyebrow, all reprimand and no amusement. Goddess this woman was adorable even when fixing me with that look. I gave her a lazy wave.
“I’ll leave it outside your door.”
She gave me a grateful smile before disappearing toward the staircase. I let my eyes linger on her as she walked away, staring until she was completely out of sight.
It was much later when I finally walked into the kitchen. Tanya was prancing around with Rose’s bag slung over her shoulders while Josie packed the kids’ lunches for the next day.
“Look, I’m going to college,” Tanya giggled, strutting proudly and unzipping the bag like she was about to hit the books.
Books spilled out of the bag, and I heard a soft thunk—something made of glass had fallen. My instincts kicked in.
“Stop messing with her things,” I snapped, grabbing the bag away from Tanya.
“Aiden’s right, hun,” Josie chimed in gently. “We don’t touch people’s things without permission.”
I crouched down to pick up what had fallen. Josie went quiet the second her eyes landed on a glass bottle that had rolled out. It was silver. My hand moved toward it automatically, even before my brain could process what I was looking at.
Then I saw the instruction pamphlet beside it.
“Aiden…” Josie’s voice was off. Strained.
“I know what it looks like, Mom,” I said, teeth clenched, my hand curling tight around the bottle.
What the hell was this doing in Rose’s bag?
The question wouldn’t stop echoing in my mind as I stood outside her door, frozen for what felt like hours. Finally, I set the bag down outside her room and turned away, retreating into mine like a coward.
I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, completely thrown. Was she planning to use it? Did she think I would ever touch Lexia again? I hadn’t in weeks. Hell, months. And truthfully? I didn’t want to. Every time I thought about it, I just... shut down.
When did it change? When had Lexia disappeared from my heart so completely?
I recalled the anger I’d felt when she’d offered to sit in the back so Lexia could sit upfront.
Fuck no, I wasn’t agreeing to that. Because…
I liked Rose sitting next to me in the front seat.
I liked sneaking glances at her. At the way the sunlight highlighted the red in her mahogany hair.
All this wasn’t just Rose being close these last few weeks. It started long before that. She crept into my life slowly—like a vine wrapping itself around my world, inch by inch, until one day it was just there, like a trellis in full bloom. In colors I couldn’t ignore. Bright, bold, hers.
I couldn’t pinpoint the moment she carved out a space in my heart. Somewhere between late-night meetings, shared responsibilities, and learning how to live under the same roof… I realized I didn’t want her to leave. Not ever.
It was the way she curled up on the couch with a book, the way the light caught hints of red in her hair. The way she made me want to be better—less judgmental, more patient. Lexia had left me sharp and cold; Rose softened all of that. She brought out something good in me.
But she gave too much. Always putting others ahead of herself, always sacrificing. And all I wanted was to protect her from that. To make sure she never had to do it again.
Goddess help me, I was in love with her.
But what about her?
She was always with Jake on campus. If Jake had been turned down, he wouldn’t still be hanging around her like a lost puppy. So what was that? Were they… together?
I sat up in bed, mind racing. Was she researching that medicine for me? That thought hit me like a punch. And yeah, I felt bitter. Angry. But I couldn’t really blame her, could I?
I was the one who made her feel like she had to find her own way. I was the one who had always insisted I didn’t want her. She couldn’t wait around anymore for me to grow a damn spine and claim her. My own stubborn ego and I had backed ourselves into a corner.
I swallowed hard, a lump of regret thick in my throat. And then I dropped back into bed, feeling completely and utterly lost.