Page 58 of Heartless

Yes, he was, but I still had to force myself not to hold on to him.

“I’m hungry,” I murmured.

Shifting back, he took my hand to lead me back to the kitchen.

Camila was the first to come to me.And I finally got my warm hug.

She cupped my face.“It’s my fault.I knew the delivery kid was sick when I let him into the kitchen.How are you feeling?”

I smiled at her.“Hungry.So, I guess that means I’m better.”

Silas stood up “Come here, sweetie.”He pulled me in his arms and planted his worried eyes in mine.“How are you doing?”

“I’m okay.”When the concern in his frowning gaze remained, I said, “It was silly.I had a hot bath then I wanted to read under the moonlight, but my hair was still wet.”

His brows knit.“You wanted to read under the moonlight?”

While I nodded with a chuckle, Camila’s amused voice bossed.

“Sia, sit.I made chicken soup.”

My mouth watered, and I turned to Camila.“With your olive bread?”

The beautiful brown of her eyes softened.“Of course.I know it’s your favorite.”

“While you do that, we’re going to set a TV in your quarters,” Jake said.

Still a little off-balance by what had happened in the hallway, I opened the cupboard to grab a bowl.

“Thank you, but you don’t need to do that,” I said to the mountain of soup bowls.

“How are you going to watch your horror shows?”Silas asked from behind me.

That made me giggle while I pushed my hips onto the edge of the counter.“They’re not as much fun by myself.”

Camila gasped.“Fun?How can you watch those and sleep at night?”

I rolled on the absolute tip of my toes, extended my arm, and lengthened every muscle in my back.“Because they’re fake and silly.The horror of everyday life is far much scarier.”

Silence befell the kitchen while I stretched my whole body, but my fingertips only managed to graze the third bowl from the bottom, and I had to admit defeat.I fell back on my heels, and I was about to ask for help when a warm body brushed my back, and a big hand easily snagged the top bowl.

“Here,” Jake said as he placed the cool ceramic in my hands.

“Thank you,” I said to his throat.

For the second time, he hooked his fingers under my chin to tilt my face up.Only when our eyes met did he reply, “You’re welcome.”

It was just a soup bowl.My body reacted to a freaking soup bowl.

I’d learnt how to live beside asshole Jake, but this gentle Jake was scratching at my mind.

I took a deep breath.While the men exited the kitchen, Camila took the bowl from me and served two huge ladles of the yummy-smelling soup she brought to the table.I needed an upside down perspective.

“What?”Camila asked over her shoulder.

I’d spoken aloud.Warmth crawled up my face as I sat down and explained.“When I felt stuck, my mom used to make me lie down on my back on the floor with her, and we would look at the world from there.She called it an ‘upside down perspective’.”

“Your mother was wise, but there’ll be no thinking until you’re well.Eat, sweet girl.”