“You’ve been spending a lot of time alone in your room. I think it’s not helping,” Julien said thoughtfully. “We’ve been giving you space, but if that’s not what you need, I can stop giving you space.”
That sounded… not terrible.
“Okay,” Luis said.
“I could treat you the same as Karim. He works best with structure, guidance. Do you think that would help?” Julien asked.
Just the words were like a soothing balm. “Yes,” Luis said breathlessly. “Please. I want to help out, I don’t want to just–just sit around.”
Julien nodded. “You were a great help cleaning the house last time. I can give you tasks again while you’re staying with us. Does that sound like something you’d like?”
“Jules, are you sure?” Karim said.
The question was odd, like there was context Luis was missing.
Luis nodded. “Yeah, I want to help.”
Julien paused. One hand slid to the back of Luis’s neck, squeezing there a moment. “And you’ll tell me if anything I ask of you is too much.”
Heat spread up into Luis’s cheeks, but he didn’t know why. “Okay,” he said.
Then Julien’s hands slid off him, and the tension in Luis’s body went with it. “Good. So that’s settled. Now something’s happened in the last day, what is it?”
Luis wanted to rebuff the question, but with Julien still so close, the lingering sense of his hands on Luis, his tongue felt looser. “I tested yesterday and my red blood count came back too high.”
“You need to be bitten,” Julien said.
Luis didn’t quite gasp, but he felt his lungs stutter.
Julien nodded, stepping away to retake his seat. “Right. So why don’t you help Karim with dinner, and afterward we’ll bite you.”
He wasn’t asking Luis if he wanted to be bitten, he was stating what would happen.
And what a relief that was.
On the other side of the island, Karim retrieved an apron and offered it to Luis.
“How’s your ability to dice vegetables?” Karim asked.
Luis unfroze, hurrying around the island to take the apron. “Good, fine. I can do that,” he said.
“Good,” Karim said, and handed Luis a knife. “Start with the carrots.”
Chapter Twenty Three
In the living room after dinner, Julien took his seat and beckoned Luis over. “Did you enjoy dinner?” He asked.
They’d had a chicken stir fry. Luis nodded as he sat. “It’s always delicious.”
Julien placed a hand on Luis’s knee. “And did you enjoy helping Karim?”
“Yeah, it was nice to do something,” he said, which was the truth. Karim clearly had a lot of experience taking charge in a kitchen, and he’d been exacting in ordering Luis around. Once upon a time that would’ve annoyed Luis, but now, getting to turn off his brain for an hour and just follow directions?
Bliss.
“You did a good job,” Julien said, and Luis felt sparks go down his spine at the praise. “I think you should help Karim with dinners from now on.”
Luis was already bobbing his head in agreement, “Okay.”
