The kettle was loud as it heated up, a low rumble that seemed to fill the entire apartment. I watched James’s bed, waiting for him to wake up, but he still didn’t move. The guy slept like the dead.
While the water heated, I pulled open the fridge, looking for something to eat. Milk. Well, almond milk, actually. Some vegetables in the crisper. Eggs. Butter. A container of leftover pasta. And there, on the top shelf, a package of bacon.
My stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten anything real since lunch yesterday, unless you counted the protein bar I’d stolen from James last night. I pulled out the bacon and the eggs, setting them on the counter.
The kettle clicked off, and I poured water through the pour-over setup, making a complete mess of it. Coffee grounds floated on top of the water. The stream was uneven, splashing onto thecounter. But eventually, something resembling coffee dripped into the mug below. It would have to do.
I took a sip. It was terrible. Weak and bitter at the same time. But it was caffeine, and that was all that mattered.
I turned my attention to the stove, pulling out a pan from the cabinet below. The bacon went in first, sizzling immediately as it hit the hot surface. The smell filled the apartment—grease and salt and protein. Real food.Manfood.
I cracked three eggs into the pan once the bacon was done, watching them bubble and pop in the rendered fat. I didn’t bother looking for a spatula. I just used a fork to scramble them, scraping the bottom of the pan with metallic screeches that cut through the morning quiet.
Behind me, I heard movement. Sheets rustling. A soft groan.
I glanced over my shoulder. James was sitting up in bed, his hair sticking up at odd angles, squinting toward the kitchen with confusion on his face.
“Morning,” I said, turning back to the eggs.
“What...” His voice was rough with sleep. “What are you doing?”
“Making breakfast.” I scooped the eggs onto a plate I’d grabbed from the cabinet, then added the bacon. “You want some?”
“It’s six-thirty in the morning.”
“Yeah. So?”
He rubbed his face with both hands, and I heard him exhale slowly. “I don’t usually eat until eight or nine.”
“Well, I’ve got work at seven.” I grabbed a fork and started eating, standing right there at the counter. The eggs were good. A little overcooked maybe, but good. The bacon was perfect. Crispy on the edges, but still chewy in the middle.
James climbed out of bed, wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt that had ridden up slightly, showing a strip of his tonedstomach. He padded over to the kitchen, looking at the mess I’d made. Coffee grounds on the counter. Grease splattered on the stove. The pan still sitting there, unwashed.
“You could’ve asked before using my stuff,” he said quietly.
“You were asleep.” I shoved another forkful of eggs into my mouth. “Besides, I’ll replace it. Relax.”
“That’s what you said about the protein bar.”
I looked up at him, irritated. “Jesus, James. It’s just food. I’m not robbing you blind. And I didn’t exactly have time to go grocery shopping between getting kicked out and ending up here, did I?”
I realized my mistake the moment the words left my lips, but he didn’t respond. He just stood there, arms crossed, looking at the disaster I’d made of his pristine kitchen. His jaw was tight, and I could see him biting back whatever he wanted to say.
Good. I didn’t need a lecture this early in the morning.
I finished the eggs and dropped my plate in the sink. “I’ll clean up when I get home tonight.”
“Sure you will.”
There was an edge to his voice that caught me off guard. I turned to look at him, really look at him, and saw something in his expression I didn’t recognize. Not fear like when we were younger. Something harder.
“You got a problem?” I asked, stepping closer.
He held my gaze for a moment, then looked away. “No. No problem.”
“Good.” I grabbed my phone off the side table and headed toward the bathroom. “Because this is already weird enough without you being pissy about some eggs.”
I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked away, but he didn’t say anything else. The bathroom door closed behind me with a solid click, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.
