Page 105 of Xavier

Twenty-nine

Her

It's definitely morning the next time I open my eyes. And my stomach rumbles.

The water jug by the side of my bed is magically full again, and I smile; Jade really is the perfect hostess. My arms lift themselves high up into the air and my spine cracks a little as I stretch, feeling my muscle fibers spark into life after almost a day of hibernation.

My legs swing off the bed and I stand up, a little wobbly.

I feel okay. I needed the sleep, but now I need to get on with my life, whatever that means, and with whom.

I peek out the door, and a waft of sizzling bacon almost knocks me off my feet. I follow the scent like a cartoon character, my nose twitching, a white swirl of delicious smell leading me into the kitchen.

Where a giant is standing towering over the stove.

I freeze.

Fight or flight?

He turns and I don't have time to make a choice.

"Oh, you're up. Great," he says, waving a greasy spatula at me, before turning his attention back to the sizzling pan, one that looks like a toy in his hands.

"Um, hi."

"Sit down. Juice or coffee?"

I don't know why, but I obey, sitting down at the stool on the kitchen island. Okay, I do know why, it's because I don't think it would take much for him to turn me into a sausage link cooking on that frying pan of his.

"Um, coffee, please."

He spins around, and it's only then that I notice he's wearing an apron. One of Jade's aprons specifically, judging by the thin ruffle and lily pattern. It barely covers a third of his front and the ties dangle on the sides, unable to meet around his waist. He stares at me for a moment and pours a glass of orange juice from the jug and slides it across the island to me.

"Um, I'm sorry, I said coffee."

"I know," he says, and continues staring at me.

Weird.

Even weirder, I feel like I should be afraid of him, but I'm not.

"Drink," he says, finally breaking his stare to fill up two plates with the food he's cooked and come around to sit down next to me, a plate of bacon and fried eggs in front of each of us.

I drink. The cool tart juice feels good sliding down my throat and I can feel the vitamins being absorbed into my body. There's something... different in the juice, earthy and spicy. I feel instantly more alert.

"It's ginger, " the giant says, without my even asking, as he shovels an entire egg into his mouth. "Way better for you than coffee. Stop drinking that junk."

"Then why did you offer it?"

"Test," he mumbles through a mouthful of food.

I pick up a piece of bacon and take a bite. It's hot and salty and crispy and delicious. I'm not usually big on bacon but my body is craving energy. Nothing like sizzling pork fat to provide it. The sustenance builds up my courage.

"So, um, are you going to tell me who you are and what you're doing at Kaine and Jade's place?"

"I'm Ram."

Ram. The name sounds familiar. I take another sip of the juice, hoping to shock my brain into remembering. Ram.