Page 47 of That First Flight
“Shit, I forgot to tell you.” I sigh, dropping the block of cheese and hanging my head. “My brother's wife is a vegan. Dammit. I fucked up. I should have grabbed something from the store for her when I was there.”
Apparently that doesn’t faze her. She grabs the wash cloth and wipes her hands as she makes her way to the refrigerator. After scanning the inside of it, she pulls out some kind of white brain looking thing from one of the drawers.
She brings it to the cutting board and starts working on it as if she was prepared for this exact situation.
“What is that?” I ask her.
“Cauliflower. Mackenzie is obsessed with it. I mean, all vegetables really. She’s not a vegetarian, but she has a soft spot for animals. So, if the option is presented to her to eat something that isn’t meat, that’s what she will choose.”
“I thought Peyton was the only vegan I’ve ever met.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong.” She stops me. “She will eat meat here and there. But it’s rare, more like special occasion meals. She’s weird about being called a vegetarian or vegan. She thinks…” She pauses. The smile falls from her face as if she remembered something from her past. I can’t quite pinpoint it. “She thinks that people will judge her for her choices or something.”
My heart stings at her words.
After my short grocery trip with Mackenzie, I can see her thinking that exact thing. Especially because she was hellbent on never wearing a bun anymore after being judged by the kids in her school.
“I hate that for her,” I finally say. “She’s such a good kid. She’s smart and funny as hell.”
Macey stops chopping the cauliflower and angles her body so she’s facing me. “Thank you,” she breathes out. “For being so good with her. And for being okay with the both of us invading your space.”
“I like her, Macey. She reminds me so much of someone else that I know.” I shoot her a wink, hoping she’s picking up that I mean her. “So, what’s not to like? Besides, neither of you are invading my space. I’m happy just the way it is around here.”
She offers me a smile and turns back to finish prepping the cauliflower with the taco seasoning.
The aroma of Macey’s cooking pulls me closer to her. I bring myself to stand directly behind her, looking over her shoulder as she tosses the vegetable in the skillet. I can’t help but inhale her scent standing so close to her.
The entire apartment smells like tacos, but her… she smells like vanilla and sugar.
Sweet. Intoxicating.Addicting.
“That smells amazing.”
I can’t tell if I’m talking about her or the food.
Macey shivers at my touch when I place both hands on her shoulders, but her body relaxes into mine at the same time. Her petite frame melting into the front of my body is officially my new favorite feeling.
I can feel the rise and fall of her chest with my hands still in place and it's taking every bit of willpower I have in me not to lean in and kiss the exposed skin my hands are touching.
“Oliver,” she whispers.
“Are you going to let me try some?” I lean in to whisper, dangerously close to her ear.
Her head tilts to the side, allowing me access to explore her neck and feel the bounding pulse beneath my lips if I wanted to. But I won’t cross that line with her.
Ican’tcross that line with her.
“Try what?” she asks flustered.
I laugh. “The cauliflower. Unless there’s something else you want me to try?”
Macey pulls away from me. Clearly this is new territory for her too. She’s conflicted on how her body is reacting and it shows with how uneven her breathing is, and the widened look in her eyes when she turns to face me.
This should be one interesting dinner.
After I finish making dinner, I quickly run to the bathroom to freshen up.
My nerves and anxiety are through the roof right now at the thought of meeting new people.