“Everything okay, baby?”
“It’s perfect. Shall we say someone had me a little too hot and bothered and I needed to unwind?” Luke chuckled. “You make me crazy Freddie, okay?”
“Okay.”
Luke was right. It wasn’t just him who felt this was crazy. I was in exactly the same position. I headed into the kitchen as the food delivery arrived and began to dish up the plates for us both as Luke wandered into the room. I wanted to give him a little piece of American food to try, so I ordered one of my favorite meals and thought we’d see how Luke’s tastebuds adapted to the taste. I know it would either be a hit or a complete flop, but it was an experience we could do together.
“What did you order?” Luke asked, heading closer toward me to get a glance at the plates I’d found when I’d gone rummaging through the cupboards. “Let me see.”
“Shh.” I waved him away. “Go and sit down and let me do this. It’s a surprise. I want you to have the full experience.”
“Hmph. Tossed out of my own kitchen.” He lifted his head up before smirking at me. “It does smell good though, sweet and tangy, but also something fried.”
“Stop guessing. You’ll ruin all the fun.”
I finished plating up the waffles with fried chicken and biscuit before debating whether to go the full American way and just pour the maple syrup over the combination. Stuff it. If he hated it, he hated it. I’ll buy him something out with Isobel, but my gut said he wouldn’t. Luke seemed to like the unusual—he liked me, after all.
“Okay, food’s up.” I walked in with the two plates and handed one to Luke as his eyes scanned the plate before him, before pointing to the circle covered in maple syrup.
“Is that a biscuit?”
“You’ve heard of them? That’s something,” I said in shock. “Most people love them with gravy. Not me. It has to be syrup.” I cut up the food and dipped the piece of chicken and waffle in the maple syrup before finishing with a small crumble of the dry biscuit. As I spilt the syrup down my chin, I reached to clean the mess with my finger as Luke watched on, desperate to touch me.
“Thomas is going to love this.”
“Your friend back home?” I stood up, knowing the sticky residue would need cleaning, as I headed over to the sink to clean my hands and face.
“Yeah. He warned me about biscuits and gravy.”
I started to run the water and lather my hands in soap as I heard my cell start to ring. “Luke, can you grab my cell and put us on loudspeaker? Can you let Everleigh know I’ll be there in two minutes?” I called out to him as the familiar ringtone filled my ears that I hadn’t heard in such a long time from my best friend in London.
“Hey stranger. I’m sorry I’ve been missing in action. You know how everything has been —” Everleigh started as Luke interrupted her.
“Sorry, Everleigh. Freddie said he’ll just be a minute.”
“You’re not Freddie. Dawson… come here quickly. Freddie’s not alone.” Everleigh sounded startled. “Where is he? Who are you? I need answers. Is he hurt?”
“Calm down Belle.” I heard the smooth baritone of a male voice in the background. “Let the guy get a word in. You haven’t given him two minutes to breathe.”
“Sorry,” she muttered. “It’s just…”
“You care,” I heard Luke state in a determined tone. “Just like I do.”
I couldn’t miss the sob that tore from Everleigh’s throat at the admission from Luke and the realization of what this was between the pair of us as I entered the room and made my way over to Luke. I wrapped my arm around his waist and grabbed the phone, not missing the uncertainty in his face. What did he think I was going to do? Walk away with it?
“Everleigh, Dawson. It’s me,” I began. “I’ve got you on speakerphone. I know you’ve already met, but I’d like to introduce you to someone.”
“Okay.” She sniffed back the tears she expelled.
“I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Luke.”
I didn’t miss the expelled huff of breath that left Luke’s mouth as I said the words out loud. I knew we hadn’t discussed labels or the future in length, but what other explanation was there for my other piece that fitted by my side? There was none. Life fitted with Luke in it and if I had to give that a label to make people understand how much he meant to me, then I would.
“Fred, about bloody time,” Dawson admitted down the line. “Someone needed to be there to care for you.”
“You mean like you do for my girl,” I uttered back.
“That’s why we called Fred. Things now feel clearer and brighter than they did before. I’m not lost in the panic and turmoil of what happened to me and I can see that I need to return home,” Everleigh stuttered. I knew this must have been tough to say.