Listen, Obey

28. Twenty-Eight Lesson

"She left you alone last night?"

"Yes. She said I was big girl now and could take care of myself."

I could hear Matthews curse under his breath. I would too. Who in their right mind left a five-year-old to fend for themselves at night? Based on Matthews' reaction, I was sure Evelyn was supposed to stay until morning.

"Come here, baby girl," Matthews said, opening his arms for Tilia to cuddle close. "Are you okay?"

"Was a little scary, Daddy." I could tell she fought to keep a brave face, but it crumbled as Matthews stroked her back.

"It won't happen again, sweetheart. I promise."

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away as soon as they appeared.

I felt out of place, seeing them share an important moment, so I fought my way out of bed and stood up. "I'll prepare some breakfast," I said, hoping I wouldn't burn down the kitchen in the process. Cooking hadn't been a priority in my life. I had lived off scraps—on a good day.

"We'll join you in a bit," Matthews said, still holding his daughter against his warm chest. A chest that I now had first-hand experience with, knowing fully well how comforting it was.

I wobbled down the stairs, holding the railing to keep me steady. I needed more sleep and more food. Seeing the clock in the kitchen, I felt like cursing. It was 7 AM, which meant that I'd gotten all of three hours of sleep. Nope, I wasn't ready to wake up yet, but what choice did I have?

Pausing in the kitchen doorway, I realized that step one was to visit the bathroom. I was in dire need of toothpaste and mouthwash. I could use a shower as well, but that would have to wait.

I found the bathroom I had visited last time around, and as soon as I stepped inside, I recalled the box lying in one of the drawers. It was even harder to ignore it this time around, but I kept my treacherous hands to myself and stole a toothbrush instead. It was blue, and I vaguely remembered having used the same one before. Odd, or maybe not.

Refreshed, I made my way out to the kitchen again. It was nice to have a purpose, not only because it stopped me from thinking too much, but it also gave me a reason to stay inside these walls. Something as simple as making breakfast kept my feet on the ground and my mind out of the clouds. In fact, all I could think about was how to pull a breakfast together. What did people eat for breakfast, anyway?

I rummaged through the cupboards, finding nothing in the way of pancake mix or whatever. The guy had flour, not mixes. And what the hell did one do with flour? If I hadn't been so set on making pancakes in the first place, I would have dropped the idea and moved on. Pancakes couldn't be that hard, could it?

Looking around the kitchen, I saw a small shelf with cooking books. Surely, they contained a recipe of the standard American breakfast food. I read the titles and became more and more discouraged. I doubted they had American pancakes listed in cooking books of the French, Italian, Lebanese or Greek cuisine.

"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed, ready to give up when I finally saw something that would solve all my problems.

Pancake Utopia the title read, all glossy in gold lettering on a turquoise cover.

"Perfect."

Engrossed in my mission of mixing eggs, flour, baking soda and whatnot, I didn't hear the others come downstairs until they appeared in the doorway.

"What are you making?" Matthews asked, still holding Tilia against his chest. She clung onto him like a koala, and I didn't blame her. Seeing him made me remember how good it felt to sleep beside him, and despite my efforts to remain unaffected, I could feel his presence in the room like nothing else.

"Pancakes...I think," I said to break the building atmosphere.

Tilia stirred and turned her head. "Pancakes?" she asked, as if she wasn't used to having pancakes for breakfast.

"Ethan is spoiling us, don't you think?" he asked his daughter, smiling that devastating smile that I wanted to see again and again no matter how hard I fought against my feelings.

"Let me down, I wanna help." Tilia landed on the floor and dragged a chair from the table to the counter. She climbed up and stood next to me, watching as I poured some sugar into the batter. I thought she would say something, but she remained silent, watching with a cute awed expression on her face.

Trying to regain my focus, I closed my eyes and counted to ten. It worked for all of five seconds until Matthews came up behind me, our bodies fitting perfectly into each other. His left hand stroked my side, and my hands stilled on the counter. "I'll make coffee. Would you like some?"

He made me melt. Dangerous man. I had no strength to fight him, and it was terrifying.

"Yes, please," I replied, not actually remembering what the hell he asked. Perhaps I said yes to everything. I wasn't sure.

He kissed the nape of my neck, and I was a lost man. Totally lost. 

A/N A bit of a slow chapter, but it's all about the build-up, eh? :) Hope you enjoyed it!