Page 58 of Ashes

“This smells amazing,” she said and somehow it filled me with pride.

“I hope it’s good.” I knew it would be, but it was still my first time making it, so I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.

My eyes zoned in on her slightly parted lips as she blew on the spoonful of the stew. Thoughts of her parting her lips in a different situation swarmed my mind, but I quickly shook my head, dispelling them.

Mais qu’est-ce qui ne va pas chez moi.

She took a bite and I waited for a reaction, but she just shrugged her shoulders.

My brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s okay,” she said, but a small smile tugged on her lips before she wiped it away and took another spoonful of the stewed beef and vegetables.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “You’re lying.”

She threw her head back in laughter and it echoed off the wall, making its way to my ears. The sound was so rich, it unexpectedly filled me with warmth.

She laughed with her whole body, her face lighting up, and I sucked in a sharp breath. I stared at her parted lips, desperate to hear it again. It was just another realization that she’d taken another jab at the wall I’d erected to keep her away.

The notion that I could get used to hearing it more often planted itself in my mind and that was something I shouldn’t want to get used to.

“You should see your face,” she said, amused.

I crossed my arms. “Nothing’s wrong with my face.”

“Oh, trust me. I know,” she said, still laughing.

Our eyes met and the possibility of her finding me attractive made me flush.

That’s a first.

I cleared my throat. “My turn,” I let slip without thinking, wanting to dissipate the tension crackling in the air.

She took a bite from a piece of corn and asked, “Your turn for what?”

I’d cornered myself into this, but instead of regretting it, I ran with it. If I was being honest, I’d been wanting to know more about her since she’d asked me to play along two days ago. “You asked me questions. Now it’s my turn.”

Her eyebrows drew in before her eyes widened in realization. “You’re serious.”

“Have I ever made a joke?”

“Good point.” She climbed farther onto the bed, joining me. She sat back, leaning her back against the headboard.Great, so much for keeping my distance.“You also only get five, so what do you want to know?”

“Have you always wanted to be a doctor?”

A warm smile lit up her face.

Comment j’adore la voir sourire.

“Yeah, I have. This might sound very cliché, but I’ve always wanted to help people in some way and for me, the best way was to become a doctor.” She grinned as she continued. “I love the unknown the ER brings, the challenge that comes with every day and how I get to always have my brain on when I’m working. There’s a thrill to it and although some days are more challenging than others, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

I loved how animated she became when she talked about her job. It reminded me of my mother and how much she loved creating her art every day. The more time I spent with Sienna, the more I found a resemblance between her character and my mother’s.

And it made me miss her terribly.

I moved on to my next question, the one I’d been thinking about since I’d picked her up. “What happened earlier?”

My question took her off guard. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” She laughed.