He looks so handsome I can’t help but stare at him like a lovesick fool.
“You can’t even hurt a spider, never mind kill someone,” he mutters with a tone of amusement in his deep voice. I watch as he gathers all the ingredients for the smoothie while he continues to say, “Remember that one time you and Rachel screamed your heads off because there was a tiny spider in the kitchen?”
I do. Even though Easton laughed at us, he got rid of the eight-legged demon.
“But you begged me not to kill it,” he reminds me.
“Yeah, I remember. It wasn’t tiny. That spider was the size of a small dog.” I chuckle as I take a mug from the cupboard.
The sound of the blender fills the kitchen for a few seconds, and when Easton pours the smoothie into a glass, he asks, “Are you still scared of bugs?”
“Yeah.” I stir my coffee. “Especially if they have wings.”
He takes a seat at the island, all his attention focused on me. “Tell me about the past ten years. What have you been up to?”
Taking a sip of much-needed caffeine, I shrug. “Nothing worth mentioning.”
He raises an eyebrow. “What work do you do?”
My life is totally insignificant compared to his, and it makes me feel super self-conscious.
I sit down across from him and place my mug on the marble surface. “The last job I had was at a pooch parlor.”
It feels as if Easton’s gaze burns into me, and I shift on the stool before I mutter, “I liked it. It was nice to work with animals.”
They’re not mean like most of the humans I’ve met in my life.
“The last job?” he asks. “You don’t work there anymore?”
I shake my head. “The business was struggling, and with me coming here, I figured it would be better to hand in my notice.” Feeling uncomfortable from having to talk about myself, I quickly add, “I’m going to start looking for a job here in LA soon.” I nervously glance in the direction of the stairs. “I just want to be here for Rachel while she needs me. But until I find a job and a place to stay, I can help Frances with the cooking and cleaning.”
Easton’s eyes narrow on me, and my anxiety skyrockets, fear tightening my muscles. My voice quivers as I try to explain, “Money’s a bit tight right now, so it will be difficult to pay rent while I’m here. But if it’s a problem, I can find a job this week.”
His features grow serious, and a frown forms on his forehead.
Whenever Trent had that look, it was usually followed by a burst of anger, which always led to a world of pain.
My heart thunders in my chest, and my shoulders hunch forward. I wrap my arms around my middle to protect myself from whatever pain is about to be unleashed on me. Breaths burst over my lips, and panic threatens to overwhelm me as I plead, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Morning,” Rachel suddenly says.
My head snaps in her direction, and seeing her walking toward me makes an instant wave of dizzying relief wash over me. She places her arm around my shoulders and pulls me into a sideways hug while asking, “What’s wrong?”
I quickly wrap my arms around her, taking desperate breaths of her soothing scent.
Rachel’s here. She won’t let anyone hurt me. I’m safe.
“I’m not sure.” Easton gives me a worried look. “We were talking about Nova’s previous job, and it somehow derailed. She thinks I expect her to pay rent.”
God, I’m so glad she walked in on the conversation when she did. Why the hell did I say all of that and have a panic attack? Easton must think I’m crazy.
Rachel gives me a comforting smile. “You’re doing me a huge favor by being here. You’re practically family. I don’t want to hear anything about you paying rent.”
She brushes her hand over my hair, her eyes sharpening on my face.
She’s definitely going to insist that I go for therapy now.
Maybe I should.
