Page 44 of Cruel King
“You look incredible,” he says before I can compliment him. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch this past year or so. Sometimes it feels like I’m never in the same place for more than a couple days. I guess I got too caught up in my life and forgot about you and this place. I’m sorry, Ava.”
I hold my hand up to stop him from looking so sad as he says that. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to live your life. It hasn’t been all bad for us back here. Until your father got sick, I was going to school and loving it. I only have one semester left before I graduate with a bachelor’s in nursing.”
His eyes open wide before he takes me into his arms for another hug. “That’s great! You should tell them this counts toward your credits.”
I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his skin and the cologne he’s wearing into my nostrils. Leaning back, I look up into his face and smile. “You smell great. When did you start wearing cologne, Theo King?”
Throwing his head back in laughter, he pulls me into him for yet another hug. “I love how you don’t hold anything back. I’ve missed that about you, Ava.”
With a roll of my eyes, I turn out of his hold and shake my head. “Please. I bet the cologne is for your current girlfriend. What’s her name? Mattie? Mari? Your father told me she could be the one.”
Theo’s smile fades, and he shakes his head. “Not the one. Not even close. I think my father just has this wish that he’d see me happy before he dies. I’m sorry to tell him that’s not going to happen, although I can say I’m honestly happier right now than I’ve been in a long time. That’s all thanks to you, little Ava.”
I stand up as tall as I can, making sure I’m not slouching at all as I say, “I think we can stop with that little Ava business. I’m not tall, but I’m definitely not a little girl anymore.”
He nods, and I watch his gaze slide down my body. I wish I had worn nicer clothes. The jeans and tank top look I’ve been going with since it’s getting warmer out now isn’t great, even if it is comfortable when I’m taking care of his father.
“You are definitely not a little girl anymore, Ava. Definitely not.”
Pushing my fingertips into his bicep, I nudge him before turning to walk toward the kitchen. “You must be hungry. Let’s get something to eat. I think I saw Eleanor mixing up a batch of muffins before.”
He walks beside me down the hall as he asks, “She’s still here? I thought she might be gone by now.”
I turn to look at him in horror. “Are you wishing poor Eleanor dead? She’s not that old, Theo!” I whisper, hoping she can’t hear us.
That makes him laugh, and he slips his arm around my shoulders. “No. I’d never do that. I guess I just figured when all of us moved away that she would retire or something. What exactly does she do now?”
“The same thing she always has. Just for fewer people. Now be nice. I don’t want her to think you’re wishing for her untimely demise.”
As we step into the kitchen, Eleanor turns around from lifting a batch of blueberry muffins out of the oven and practically drops them on the floor in her surprise. “Theo! Oh, look at you. You aren’t that boy who left here to go be the world’s most famous racecar driver.”
He smiles, and I can’t deny he’s just gorgeous now. Not that he wasn’t handsome before, but five years away has done wonders for him.
“Hi, Eleanor. I don’t know about world famous, but I do okay.”
She catches herself and stops smiling a moment later. “I’m so sorry about your father, honey. If it’s any consolation, Ava here has been taking great care of him. She and the nurse they sent out make sure he’s never in pain and always has company, no matter what time it is, day or night.”
Theo turns to look at me and pulls me tightly next to him. “That’s my Ava. Always caring.”
“Would you like a muffin? They’re blueberry, and they’re right out of the oven,” she asks as she begins to lift them out of the tin.
“They smell too good to say no.” Pulling out a chair, he sits down before Eleanor sets a fresh muffin on a plate in front of him and places the butter dish down nearby.
“How about a drink?” she asks, happier than I’ve seen her in ages. “There’s soda, milk, water, juice. You name it, we have it. I’m not sure why we have this much to drink, but I must have thought since all you boys would be coming back that I should stock up when I went to the store yesterday. So what will it be?”
He takes a bite of the steaming muffin, and his eyes roll back in his head. “Oh my God. I’d forgotten how good your food is, Eleanor. Milk would be great with this. Are these fresh blueberries?”
I watch her beam happiness at his mention of how great her cooking is. “Yes. I got a few quarts of them because Ava and the nurse told me your father needed more fruit. I guess I went a bit overboard, though, so I figured I’d make some muffins with the berries. I’m so happy you like them.”
A charmer, just as he’s always been, Theo smiles and takes a drink of milk from the glass she places next to his plate. “Like? No. This is love right here. I knew I missed something about this place. It’s you, Eleanor.”
His compliment makes her blush, and she waves it off before turning back to the oven. When he looks over at me, he quickly says, “Not that I didn’t miss you too, Ava. You knew that, though, right?”
“I’m sure,” I say with a chuckle.
From the foyer, the sound of the front door closing makes my heart skip a beat. Maybe it’s Matthias. Theo looks at me, and I swear we hold our breath as we wait to hear who it is. A few seconds later, a voice calls out, “Where is everybody?”
“We’re in the kitchen!” Theo yells before turning to look at me. “The last time I saw Marius, we were both in France. I was racing, and he was taking pictures of something or another. Wait until you see him.”