Safe Haven

Chapter 15

Olive and Benjamin were still cuddled together on the couch when Ren stumbled downstairs several hours later. He leaned against the doorframe, blinking owlishly at them.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked finally, his voice still rough with sleep. Benjamin shook his head.

"Not at all. Tom is out on guard, he switched out with Alex a while ago. It's been quiet all day."

Ren nodded and scrubbed his hand across his eyes, yawning widely.

"I have to go check the chicken. Olive, I'll need you in the kitchen when you're ready."

She nodded at him. She wasn't about to admit it to anyone but she was a little nervous about helping with dinner. She trusted Ren but she didn't trust herself to not send the kitchen up in flames for a second time. Benjamin chuckled softly.

"You don't need to worry, Ren will take care of everything."

Olive kept forgetting Benjamin could sense how she was feeling.

"I'm never going to have any secrets from you ever again, am I?" she muttered irritably.

"Not a chance," he laughed as he climbed to his feet, stretching like a cat after a nap. He offered Olive his hand and when she took it he pulled her up to her feet and then into his arms.

"I have crutches, you know," she pointed out.

"Yeah, you do. But I prefer holding you. I like knowing that you're safe in my arms."

"What are you going to do when my ankle heals and you have no excuse to carry me everywhere anymore?"

He smirked down at her.

"I'll just wait until the next time you injure yourself."

Olive burst out laughing. She should be insulted but he was right. With her luck and her level of coordination, another injury couldn't be too far in the future.

Benjamin set her on her feet beside the kitchen island and took a seat on the stool beside her. Ren was poking at the chicken with a spoon. Olive quirked an eyebrow at him.

"It looks done. Actually it's sort of falling apart, so it must be done. That means we can get started." He rubbed his hands together and narrowed his eyes at her. "How do you feel about chopping more garlic?"

"Depends. Do I get a decent knife this time?"

"Nope."

He handed her the cutting board and the same tiny knife he'd given her earlier. Olive rolled her eyes as far back as she could and began to chop.

It was slow going, but eventually dinner was ready and Olive hadn't set anything on fire. She had burned her finger on the pan of chicken, which Benjamin had pretended not to laugh at but she'd caught him snickering behind his hands. He'd stopped immediately when Ren threatened him with not getting any dinner.

Olive was beaming proudly when she handed Benjamin a plate piled with pasta, homemade alfredo sauce, and chicken. This was the fanciest meal she'd ever made and she couldn't wait to dig in.

Benjamin and Ren both praised her an embarrassing amount after they'd each taken a couple bites, and Olive had to admit it was rather delicious. Even though Ren had done the majority of the cooking, Olive had paid close attention and she was almost sure she could do it again on her own next time.

After dinner Benjamin and Ren cleared the dishes while Olive sat on her stool, pretending to supervise while they bickered about who was washing and who was drying. Alpha and Beta, maybe, but right now they were arguing like a couple of teenagers.