“No, I don’t. I like my eggs overcooked, according to chefs. To me, they are perfection.”
I didn’t cook.
I hadn’t cooked in a very long time. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever had a reason to cook for myself. When I was a young boy, food was a reward. My father would toss me some bread, or a snack, or something. Real food came when I went to my grandfather, and again, there were times that was held over my head as some kind of reward. I didn’t get the chance to learn to cook. In the world I was raised, women cooked, not men.
With her gaze on me, I tried to think of how to cook.
She tutted at me.
“You’re doing it wrong.”
“Then tell me.” I’d rather have her distracted by helping me cook her food.
“I can do it.” She went to stand up, but I put out a hand to stop her.
“No. I can cook. Instruct me.”
She hesitated, almost like she didn’t believe me. I waited.
“You really want to cook?”
“Does anyone truly love cooking?”
“You must think I’m very weird then. I happen to love it.”
I smiled. “Doesn’t make you weird.” I’d always found her passion for food endearing. There were so many other things that could take away her time. This at least made her happy, and it was easy for me to accept.
She instructed me on how to make her food. I listened, and she taught me. I ended up smashing shells into the bowl, but she was there to guide me. Telling me how to remove it, and then whisking it up.
I burned the toast, and the eggs had some dark brown bits on it.
After plating it up, I put it in front of her and waited with bated breath. She took a bite and smiled. “It’s really good.”
“You’re lying to me.”
She wrinkled her nose but laughed at the same time. “Maybe a little.”
“You don’t have to eat it.”
“I want to. It’s nice that you cooked for me.”
After serving myself some, I had to say, they were downright awful. Ashley though, she didn’t complain. She ate the food, and I watched her, tentatively eating my own. They weren’t great. In fact, on the last mouthful, I was close to vomiting.
Ashley finished all of it.
I made her stay seated while I made us both a cup of coffee. This wasn’t so hard to do.
“Is it all really over?” Ashley asked as I put a cup of coffee down in front of her. I sipped at mine and nodded.
“It’s all over.”
“That means we’re going to be leaving soon, doesn’t it?”
“There’s no reason for us to stay here, Ashley. You know that.”
She nodded and pushed some hair off her face. “Being here, does it make you wish you’d gotten to Emily first?”
Her question took me by surprise. Being back here didn’t make me yearn for anything other than to get the fuck away from it all. I’d never been attracted to Emily. How did I tell this woman that Emily was just business? They were friends.
“No. I don’t want Emily.” I finished my coffee, relishing the burn of it.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“It doesn’t seem right,” she said.
“Now that you’ve seen Emily, do you want to back out of our deal?”
“No. I don’t.”
Silence settled between us. This pissed me off. I didn’t want Emily getting between us. “You need to be prepared for us leaving. At the first opportunity, we’re going to leave.”
Chapter Seven
Ashley
“I don’t think you should be going,” Emily said.
We both sat out in the yard. Guards were all around. Earl was with Emily’s four guys, making arrangements for us to leave.
“There’s nothing here for me right now, Em.”
“There’s me. I’m here.”
I pushed some hair off my face. I still hadn’t cut it even though I’d been tempted. There were times when I was around Earl when he seemed like the nicest man in the world. Then the reality of who he was and what he did set in, making me realize I was naïve.
“You know I will always love you. You’re more than just my best friend, you’re the sister I never had.” I reached for her, holding her close. I wasn’t going to tell Emily about the threat Earl still had over her.
The danger of the Monsters’ fathers was all gone, but he was still there. He hadn’t changed his tune, and I would never forget that.
“Ash, I don’t like this. You’re hugging me as if it’s goodbye.” Emily pulled me away from her and cupped my face. “Tell me what the fuck is going on. What is going on with Earl? I can talk to my guys. If you really don’t want to go, I can make it stop. He’s got no power here.”
I couldn’t help but rest my hand on her stomach. “You’ve got a little angel growing here.”
“I can’t believe I’m pregnant.”
“I can. You’re going to be an amazing mom.”
Emily snorted. “You think I’m going to be amazing. I don’t even know how to take care of a kid. I’m going to be a disaster. Look how I was raised.”
“Do you think I’d make a bad mom?” I asked.
Emily frowned. “No, not at all. You’re going to be amazing. I see you baking pies and treating boo-boos.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.”
“I’m being honest.”
“And it means a lot, but the fact is, my mom wasn’t great, Em. She left me to my own devices. She would tell me how much of a pain in the ass I was because she wanted to be with her boyfriend and I was a drag to her. You’re not like that. You’re never going to treat your kid like that. I like to think we know the best ways now to treat our kids. No one is perfect.”
Emily threw her arms around me, and I rubbed her back. “I’m here.”
“I don’t want you to leave, Ash. I know we’re back home now, but we’re supposed to get through life together.”
“I’ll be a phone call away.” I made the promise before I could think about it. I really shouldn’t be making suggestions that Earl could take from me. He was the one who held all the power.
We stayed outside for a long time. Emily wasn’t happy about being locked up in the big house. She liked to have some space, and right now, after the days spent on Earl’s boat, which he kept reminding me was a yacht, I was enjoying the ground not moving around me.
The sun had started to set when we were called in to dinner.
There was still tension at the table. Earl and the men would never get along and I didn’t mind that.
By the time the meal ended, I’d had enough and made my escape to our room. Earl had wanted to go back to the hotel he’d arranged, but with us leaving in a few days, I figured it was the best time to be with Emily.
I wasn’t alone for long before Earl was in the room. He locked the door, and I ignored him, going to the bathroom. After removing my clothes, I ran the bath. It was still running when he entered the room.
“Are you going to tell me why you’re giving me the silent treatment?”