I looked over the dinner I was making, and a sinking feeling formed in my stomach. My coven never ate with me. What if Abram didn’t want to either? He could’ve made a move on me in the years we’d known each other, but he didn’t. I zoned out on the food simmering. He had never made a move. Men rarely did, and I’d stopped waiting for them to.
“I shouldn't be doing this,” I told myself.
I started to clean up the kitchen, hoping he’d get home after I finished hiding everything so he wouldn’t see my effort and feel obligated to react to it.
My chest was tight with embarrassment.
When I saw Abram’s star mist appear in front of me a moment later, I couldn’t help my pounding heart or the nerves that buzzed through my veins. I hadn’t cleaned up anything. His eyes fell to the food, and he looked up at me oddly.
We stared at one another for a long moment before he raised his eyebrow at me.
“Hi,” I said. “I wasn’t sure what time you normally come home, but dinner is almost ready.”
He stepped forward and glanced over the roasted vegetables and steaks before looking at me again. His eyebrows pinched together.
“You made me dinner?” he said softly.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and that unsettled me more than I expected. I looked up at him to see if he was annoyed by it. But he only looked confused.
“Well, I was making dinner for myself, and it’s not hard to just make you something too.” I didn’t want it to sound like I was overstepping a boundary. “Should I not have?”
He swallowed hard. My stomach tightened. I didn’t know what this meant to him, and that was the problem.Say something.
“If you want to do that, that’s kind of you, but I don’t expect you to do any of this.” He rubbed the back of his neck like he was nervous. “I actually have dinner at Della’s tonight—family dinner night.”
My stomach sank.
“Oh,” I whispered, and for a brief moment I wondered if he’d invite me, but I immediately shoved that thought from my mind. Maybe I’d crossed a line I didn’t know existed. I wasn’t sure how to step back without looking like I’d been reaching.
We were a secret. That was the rule.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you. You went through all this trouble, and it looks great.” He stepped closer to me but stopped himself before shoving his hands into his pockets—a habit I noticed he did a lot around me.
“It’s alright. Like I said, I was making myself something and thought you might be hungry.” I turned from him and pretended to do something.
Gods, I hated how much I cared about his reaction. I needed to let him know that I wasn’t upset. I turned back to grab the cookies out of the oven. Abram was watching me closely like he could see this meant something to me. I avoided his eyes. I knewhe wasn’t being mean or cruel, but the feelings of rejection from my coven, them refusing to eat with me or eat anything I made, were bubbling up.But that was my own shit coming up, not his.
“Elowyn…,” he started, but I didn't want to hear him say not to do this again.
“Here, why don’t you take these to Della’s house for everyone.” I pointed to the cookies. “I made plenty.”
His face fell. “They are going to wonder where I got those because everyone knows I can’t cook, let alone bake.”
And he didn’t want to tell them that I made them. He didn’t want anyone to know we were married. After all, that had been his stipulation in this fake marriage, the first thing he demanded—that we tell no one. The thought hurt, so I shoved it down and kept my face steady like I did with everything else in my life. No one can see a queen be weak. That was my mother's only rule for me.
“Right. I didn’t think that through.”
I chuckled softly to hide my hurt. This was a bad idea. I could feel it settling in my chest, slow and unavoidable. There was no way I wouldn’t fall for Abram if I stayed here.
“Are you alright?” he asked. “If it had been dinner with literally anyone else I would’ve cancelled and stayed.”
“It’s fine.” I smiled softly, willing him to leave.
“Maybe your coven would like some.” He offered with a kind and genuine smile.
Gods, this was getting worse.
“Yeah, maybe.” I nodded as he turned to go to the bedroom.
