“So, you thought that because this Beast entity is threatening those closest to you, you figured it would be a good idea to push me away in order to protect me.”
“Sounded better in my head at the time,” he said.
“Everyone I love leaves me, Crew. Not by choice, granted, but they go. I’ve never had anyone stay, so when you left of your own free will, it broke me,” I said, fighting back tears. “I gave you everything and you were supposed to protect that.”
He grimaced.
“Violet’s right, you are an asshat.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Did you just swear, Rowan Samuels?”
“Well, when the situation calls for swearing, then swearing is what the situation gets.”
He leaned down and kissed me. “Iaman asshat and I’m fuckin’ sorry. I’m gonna do everything I can to make it up to you.”
“Right now, I’m exhausted,” I whispered. “And I’m a little sad. And quite frankly, all I want is for the man I love most in this world to make love to me and hold me while I sleep, because I haven’t gotten much of that over the last couple of weeks.”
“Where is he? I’ll fuckin’ kill him,” he joked.
I rolled my eyes. “Too soon, Frankie.”
He cupped my face, leaning down to kiss me again. “Let’s go to bed.”
I nodded and led him back to my bedroom.
* * *
The next morning, after picking Lord up, I settled him in my office, and made my way to the kitchen, washing my hands before donning a clean apron and heading out to the front.
“Hey, Monty,” I said, passing the grill.
“Hey, sweetheart. It’s picking up out there.”
I grinned, despite my melancholy. “My timing’s perfect, then.”
“As always.”
I pushed through the swinging doors to find Dusty and two of our new wait staff already working more tables than usual, so I jumped right in. The business was a great distraction for my sadness, and I welcomed it… until…
“Order up!” Monty called, ringing the bell.
I made my way to the pass, checking the ticket, managing to get a whiff of the huevos rancheros as I stepped up to the plates of food.
And then all hell broke loose.
I let out a groan and made a run for the back, onlyjustmaking it to the large garbage can by the kitchen sink before losing everything I’d eaten for the last year.
“Rowan?” Dusty rushed over to me, handing me a wet washcloth and a Sprite. “Lord, honey, what brought this on?”
“I must have eaten something weird.”
Dusty sighed. “Sweet girl, this isn’t food poisoning.”
I wiped my mouth and frowned up at her. “Well, what else could it possibly be?”
“Not to get too personal, honey, but have you noticed your boobs are quite a bit bigger than normal?”
“Excuse me?” I hissed, suddenly covering my chest.