He smiles as he looks, too, and then he reaches down and pulls a bean from the stir-fry to pop into his mouth.
“I’m surprised. This is the longest my father has hung around since I’ve been an adult.”
That’s pitiful. I wish I could kiss his smiling lips right now.
He looks down, his eyes meeting mine, and for a fleeting second, I think he’s about to give in.
“So, Ash, your food is making my stomach growl,” Damon says as he joins us, breaking our intense eye contact.
Tag turns to face him, his body leaning against the counter beside the stove as his side touches mine.
“Thanks,” I say quickly.
“Ash is a great cook. I didn’t know I had so many pots and pans until she moved in.”
I laugh a little, feeling less like his child’s mother and more like we’re a couple. It’s such an awkward setup.
“Need help setting the table?” Wren asks as he joins us.
“I’ve already done it,” Tag says with a smile. “It’s my only way to contribute, since she won’t let me cook.”
I smirk as I think back to his one time of trying to cook with me. It took forever to get all the smoke out of the house, and all he had to do was stir the food while I took a quick shower.
“Burn the kitchen up again, eh?” Wren pokes, making me laugh out loud.
“Just a little,” Tag chuckles. “It wouldn’t be fair if I was good at everything.”
“So the two of you are living together, raising your child, but you’re not together?” Damon asks curiously.
Tag swallows hard against a piece of bread he has hijacked from the oven, and I hold my silence, putting all the burden on him to answer that question.
“Right,” he says shortly, making my heart break at the simplicity of the answer I wish he’d elaborate on.
“It’s not uncommon for people not together to have a child and live in separate homes,” Damon adds. “In fact, it’s the norm.”
“Most people don’t have someone stalking and attempting to kill them,” Tag says too casually, his hand sliding back around my waist as the reality of those words send a shiver over him.
“It looks like the two of you obviously care about each other. Why not at least try dating?”
I’d like to know the answer to that myself, and apparently everyone else would, too, since all eyes are on us.
“Um… I… Well-”
“Dinner is done,” I say to relieve Tag of the awkward explanation he apparently doesn’t want to give.
“Excellent,” Damon chirps. “I’ll take a seat by the lady of the house to hear stories about my grandson.
I force a smile as I take the pans over to the serving table, and everyone swarms the feast.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmur softly to Tag, and he tilts his head to the side.
“Are you okay?” he asks worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to check my makeup. Cooking makes me a little flushed.”
“You look perfect to me.”
I wish he wouldn’t say shit like that. My head is fucked up enough.
“Thanks, but I’ll only be gone a minute. Go ahead and start without me.”
His lips tighten, and I escape before he interrogates me further. As soon as I’m alone in my room, I do something I haven’t had the chance to do with so many people around. I take three deep breaths, trying to hold back some of the sobs, but it’s no use.
I fall apart, my tears falling heavily as they thud against my cheeks. I curl into a little ball as I let them fall freely. I clutch my side where the knife dug in all the way to the hilt.
Please let this be over soon.
Chapter Fifteen
In Love and Hell
Tag
“Ash was quiet tonight,” I murmur to Wren as we stand out on the back deck and let the breeze wash over us.
Though my property is still gated, you have a perfect view of the ocean.
“Yeah, I noticed that. She’s still not eating very much. She barely touched her food, and we were almost done eating by the time she got in there.”
“I know. Should I say something?”
“I think you should. Bity says you’re the only one who seems to bring out her vulnerability. It’s likely she’d confide in you. She definitely needs to talk to someone after the hell she’s been through.”
I look through the window as Damon sits beside Ash, and she forces another smile, masking her truths behind that glorious grin. I wish I knew what to say to make it all better for her.
***
Ashiara
“You were quiet, pretty girl. Want to share?” Damon asks kindly.
He looks completely different than the scruffy man he was when he arrived. His dark shadow has been shaved clean. His clothes are pressed, clean, and fit him perfectly. He almost looks like Tag now, just older.