Intrigue

Chapter 99

Malcolm's POV

The evening after the full day at work, the meeting with Sean and his supervisor, and the meeting in which I took the handover from him, I went to Paul's. I wanted to distract myself, and he was good at distracting me. I decided to try not to mention Sean at all that evening.

Paul greeted me at the door when I arrived. "Hello, you," he said to me. He put his arm around my waist and smiled at me.

"Hey," I answered with an exhale. I offered a smile back, but didn't lean to kiss him. My mind was still full of Sean, and Sophie, and everything. But mostly Sean.

Paul ran his hand along my arm and kissed me gently now, acting where I hadn't. "How are you?" he asked me. He didn't give me much time to speak though, because his arm slid around me now. "I like what you're wearing," he said.

I glanced down at my coat and suit, realising that I was going to have to rush home back in the morning if I wanted to wear something else for work. In my rush to get out of the meeting, this hadn't occurred to me.

"Thanks," I answered Paul with a smile. He closed the door. "Long day," I said now.

"How were your meetings?" Paul asked. He led me to the kitchen. I followed, feeling drained out.

"As good as they can be," I answered shortly, trying my best not to mention Sean.

"Hmm. Good. Have you eaten?" Paul asked me. He watched me shake my head no, and took out a cooking pot and started filling it with water. He placed it on the stove and opened the fridge. "So did you get a handover?"

"Yep."

"From your ex?" Paul met my eyes.

I shifted uncomfortably, remembering the way I'd acted in Sean's approach. "Yeah," I frowned as I leaned against the counter, realising that Paul was preparing food for me. Several memories sprung to mind. Of Sean and I, cooking risotto together, when we were supposed to have broken up and I'd found him preparing food for the both of us because he knew I'd show up. Sean, cooking for me when I was working at his apartment and he'd finally told me about his scar. Him preparing dinner for us in the first couple of weeks that we'd been seeing each other. The elaborate breakfast he'd prepared for me when he'd taken me home when I'd gotten sick on the night I met him...

After he'd drugged me himself in his scheme to turn me into a drug addict.

I zoned back to reality at this. Paul was pouring red sauce into a pan. He started chopping garlic. His eyes flitted over to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked me.

"I'm fine," I muttered. "Sort of got a flashback, sorry."

He smiled knowingly. "It's okay."

"Turns out he's also the student I'm meant to help out with his studies," I blurted out now. So much for not talking about Sean with Paul.

"Oh." Paul looked surprised. "How was it? Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'm okay." I sighed. "I don't want to talk about this with you, Paul. I know you don't like it when I do."

He met my gaze. "I don't mind talking about him. As long as you don't compare us with each other." He shot me a smile. I looked back at him guiltily, glad that he wasn't able to read my thoughts these past couple of days.

"I won't," I promised him. I hugged him from the back and planted a kiss on his shoulder. He looked back at me, slightly amused.

"Careful, sweetheart, you're gonna get sauce all over your expensive suit," he said to me. I just shrugged.