He heads straight to the vegetarian section, and I follow, reaching for a plate of stuffed bell peppers, but before I can even glance at the ingredients list, Grey nudges me aside and leans in to read it himself.
“Could you not?” I mutter, my tone sharper than intended.
Maybe he’s just audacity made flesh, after all.
“Couldyounot choose something that could kill you?” he retorts seriously, grabbing the plate from my hands to put it back.
“You didn’t even give me a chance to check it!” I protest.
“You should check before you even take the plate,” he accuses, his tone firm. He scans the offerings, then picks up two plates of pasta primavera after ensuring no peanuts are in them. I grab two bottles of water, and my emotions are now a confusing mix of annoyance and warmth.
Talking to Grey is like a fucking roller-coaster ride.
He makes me feel cared for yet simultaneously gets under my skin with his overbearing nature.
We sit down at their usual table, and he places my plate in front of me. “Here, no nuts, no death.” I just huff, then put some pasta on my fork and take a bite. I feel his eyes on me but keep my eyes on my plate as I chew and swallow. “So, do you like it?” Grey’s voice is almost inviting.
“Yeah, it’s actually pretty good,” I admit reluctantly, and his smile in response lights up his features in a way that makes my stomach do strange flips.
Oh shit.
Misha slides into the seat across from me with a wrap on his tray while Oliver carefully sets down his plate of vegetarian sushi before sitting next to me. Oliver’s gaze lingers on me a moment longer than usual, making my heart flip.
What’s going on with me today?
Or is it them?
Misha looks like he could use another ten hours of sleep as he rubs his eyes before turning to me with a tired grin. “Hey, Amelia, how are you today?”
“How areyou?” I reply, trying to muster a grin of my own.
“Tired,” he says with a yawn, making Grey smirk down on his plate.
“Tell us something new.”
“Amelia,” Oliver chimes in, and when I turn to look at him, his smile is as soft as his tone. “Did the updates help with Jamie? Anything weird or glitchy?”
I nod, playing with the fork in my hand. “It’s already much better. Though, he seems to have taken on a lot of your traits. One moment, he’s funny, then kind, and then he’s suddenly bossy.”
Misha chuckles, but Grey shoots a pointed look at Oliver, who quickly averts his eyes, his ears tinged with a hint of red. The silent exchange makes me bite back a laugh.
“That’s fine, though,” I continue. “It was much better. The personality shifts make him feel more… real, somehow.”
“Real enough to boss you around?” Grey teases, raising an eyebrow in mock seriousness.
“Only when he’s channeling you, I guess,” I retort, and even Oliver cracks a smile at that.
It’s strange, this feeling of belonging, like I’m slowly becoming a part of their world—or maybe they’re becoming a part of mine.
Both options are wishful thinking, Amelia.
“Have you tried the kitchen appliances again?” Misha asks, catching me off guard but reminding me at the same time that this is pure business.
“No, sorry, I forgot yesterday until you brought me food,” I admit, feeling embarrassed.
I fucked up there.
But testing the new Jamie was so much fun.
