“You really should smile more Raylene Walker.” He said and Ray pushed her head further into the bundle of arms. Unable to answer, Ray just let out a soft sound of agreement as she heard a chair scrape back and a shuffle of footsteps behind her.
For the first time in her life, when the familiar warm hand landed on her hunched back, Ray didn’t jerk. Somehow that reaction terrified her even more. But then he was speaking lightly from behind her and all Ray was thinking of now wasfood.
“She’s just hungry.” Angel’s voice echoed from behind her, his words aimed at Jack and Christina while Ray grunted in agreement. His light laugh filled the air as he pulled the chair next to her and flopped down on it. His hand which was on her back carefully rose to the back of her neck and a part of Ray wanted to stay like that forever.Couldstay like that forever.
“Breakfast’s here Storm.” His whisper clouded her mind.
Ray blinked and whiffed the air, snapping out of her reverie as her head jerked up and she saw a plate of eggs and bread headed her way from the corner of her eyes.
And then she noticed his fingers around her neck.
Ray jerked away from him, a glare headed in his direction as a plate landed in front of her. She picked up her fork and pointed it in his direction,
“If I wasn’t hungry–”
“Si, si.” Angel interrupted and rolled his eyes in her direction, turning away from her as he murmured, “Eat.”
Ray’s gaze narrowed but she didn’t hesitate to turn and scarf down her food, almost moaning at the delicious flavor. She didn’t take long to finish what was on her plate, but apparently, she’d been eating really fast because an odd silence had descended in the room. Ray’s eyes snapped up from her plate, only to find a pair of hazel eyes looking back at her. She arched a brow at Christina and Jack, who were both looking at her like she’s grown another head.
“You’re–” Christina started but Jack slammed a hand against the table, making the other girl jerk back. Ray simply blinked at the sheer confusion in his eyes.
“Why are being likethis?”he asked and Ray’s brows arched further in question. Jack shook his head comically, “Go back to your icy self so I can start hating you again.”
Ray scoffed and looked back down at her plate, “I was stabbed and whipped,andhaven’t eaten forgod knows how long–”
“A day.” Angel interjected, and grinned as she shot him a deadly glare,
“Aday.”She emphasized, “So forgive me if I’m noticyenough for you.”
The silence that descended this time was completely different. It made her eyes rise in confusion and only widen as Jack pressed a hand to his lips,
“Stop.” He said, his voice quivering and Ray’s head tilted, “You’re going to make me fall in love with you.”
Ray threw her fork in her plate, “Fuck’s sake,” she murmured and got off her chair as Angel let out a booming laugh from beside her. She didn’t turn around when she heard Jack’s laugh cease and he said loudly,
“Wait. She waswhipped?”
Ray shook her head as she picked up her plate and headed in the direction of the kitchen. She was still in mid-annoyance when a taller man stepped in front of her with his eyes bowed.
She halted, her head rising to catch his eyes as he extended his gloved hands in her direction.
“Can I help you?” Ray asked tentatively, making sure her voice was soft. The man’s bowed eyes rose to hers and remained there. Lifeless andpolite.Ray’s breath caught as his dry voice spoke quietly,
“Your plate, Ms. Walker.”
Ray blinked, “Oh,” she said and smiled up at him, “Don’t worry about it, I needed to get something from the kitchen anyway.”
Something like fear flashed in his eyes making her balk at that expression. Ray stumbled back a step as his hands laced behind his back. She blinked and breathed out, letting a strained smile graze her lips again as she continued,
“Could you show me the way?”
The man just nodded and turned on his heels. Ray shook at his abruptness but followed him anyway. The kitchen they walked into was huge and bustling with multiple people, multiple chatter when she walked in. But then one of the girls there saw her and suddenly theentirestaff quieted. Ray froze as all of them turned away from her and stopped working. She cleared her throat, forcing the dryness to go away as she looked at the crowd,
“Can I see whoever made this breakfast for me right now?” she asked hesitantly as she saw them exchange brief glances, “I don’t want to trouble any of you–”
“That would be me, ma’am.”
A middle-aged woman stepped forward, wiping her hands on her apron as she did so. Ray’s eyes widened at how young she looked with her dark curls hidden by the cap on her head. The woman had the widest doe eyes, and now it seemed as though they peered into her soul as she looked at her. Ray didn’t miss the hint of hatred coursing through that gaze but decided to walk past it as she stepped forward and placed her plate in the sink.
