Page 79 of From Drummer to Gamer

That brat had the worst timing in the entire fucking universe.

But maybe… just maybe it was for the best because I really shouldn’t be doing this, right?

Sierra was a treasure among the leeches, and her parents trusted me to protect and keep her safe, certainly not letting my insidious thoughts corrupt their sweet, innocent daughter.

Sierra was unabashedly beautiful in every possible way, and not just in the way she looked but the way she simply was… like she was made for me. She did things to me that no woman had ever done in my life, and I was hooked, like a permanent marker.

But my head told me I wasn’t right for her.

Sierra was still young. She had so much more to experience, so much more to see. She deserved to be with someone close to her age and explore all that life could offer her.

I wasn’t the right fit for that.

It was dauntingly hard, but I knew what I had to do.

I needed to get away and keep my desires to myself.

“Uhm, why does it feel like the air is zapping my skin alive?” Raphael remarked, a smile tugging his lips.

“It’s not,” I replied flatly. It would probably be best if I put a shirt on, but Sierra didn’t meet my eyes as I padded out of the room.

It was probably for the best, right?

If so, then why did that not sit right with me at all?

By the time I made it back to the kitchen, Raphael had disappeared, and the breakfast table was clear. Spinning back, I sauntered to the dining room instead.

And there she was, sitting right near the head of the table, where I made her sit all the time.

Her eyes found mine as I made my way across and dropped into my seat. Sierra usually wasn’t awake at this time, except for when she had her classes, so I wondered what the occasion was.

“I made you breakfast,” she mumbled, gesturing to all the dishes laid out in front of us. “So you could feel a lot better today.” She slid a shy smile my way.

I froze as my eyes shot to her, and it was only then that I realized what I’d told her yesterday.

She did this all forme?

Why was this woman being so sweet, kind, and beautiful like this?

Keeping my myself away from Sierra was going to be the hardest fucking thing I would ever do in my life.

“Thank you,” I said, and before I could stop myself, my hand clasped over hers on the table, and I squeezed. “Thank you, Sierra. This means a lot.”

The full-blown smile she gave me had her adorable dimples pop out, and a heavy hand clamped over my heart at that sight.

She nudged a small bowl my way, the smile still plastered over her lips. “This is my mom’s congee, and I swear it has the power to heal your soul.”

“Thank you.” I nodded gratefully as I retrieved it from her.

She then proceeded to fill my plate with an unprecedented amount of food that would possibly be a few thousand calories, but I would gladly eat it all.

I would eat anything she cooked for me.

I cleared my throat. “About earlier…” I started, hating that I had to do this.

“Yeah?” she mumbled, and pink bloomed her cheeks once again.

“It shouldn’t happen again, Sierra,” I said softly. “I’m sorry I came on like that. But it was a…” I didn’t want to say mistake because it wasn’t, and I didn’t want to lie to her. “We just…we just can’t do that.”