It's been three whole days since we arrived at the safe house. Elliott is broken and utterly destroyed. Hunter tries to be tender like Kameron but she shrugs him off. She doesn't want to talk or tell us anything.
Three fucking days and no word from Kameron either.
She hasn't come out of the room yet. Hunter and I have been taking turns bringing meals, but besides that, we don't bother her much. She needs the time to recuperate but it’s also extremely fucking frustrating.
Hunter will have to figure that all out because I don't know what to do or say to her.
I stirred the scrambled eggs one more time, probably more aggressively than needed. Hunter's footsteps echo down the hall before he appears in the kitchen.
"Making her a plate?" He asks, his eyes lockedon his phone.
"Yeah."I don't have a fucking choice, now do I?"I have enough for everyone." I scooped the eggs onto the three plates on the island behind me, filling each plate with bacon, toast, and hashbrowns.
I place one plate on a wooden tray with a fork, a napkin, and bottled water. Picking it up as I balance it on one hand and grab another plate, sliding it in front of Hunter.
"Thanks, Flores." He says pulling the plate closer to himself, "Be gentle with her, will you?"
"Gentle? I’m just gonna drop food off."
"We don't know what the hell happened over there."
"Mhm…"
He’s repeated this to me multiple times since she’s arrived and I don't know what he wants me to do with it. Yeah, of course we don't know what the fuck happened to her, because she was holding back any and all information that would tell us about Everton or the Donovans.Her family. For all we know she was doing it on purpose to protect herself and them. She could be in on all of it, the stupid fake religion shit, luring people into the community, and helping traffick innocent people for their cult’s gain.
His hand shoots to my side, stopping me in my tracks, "So…we don't know what she’s healing from. Be.Gentle."
"Yessir." It comes out just as sarcastic as I wanted it to. If I wasn't holding this tray in my hands I would have given him a salute along with it, I shrug away from his hand.
While I know Hunter means well because he’s giving Eden or Elliott—whatever she wanted to be called—the benefit of the doubt and is convinced that she isn't faking the trauma, it all still rubs me the wrong way that she’s here and Kam isn't.
Fuck. I need to get my emotions in check.
I make my way down the long hallway, light brightens this part of the house in the morning and the sun shines through the glass wall that lines one side.
"Watch it, Marcus." Hunter calls out from behind me.
I rolled my eyes and kept moving towards Kam's room, she’s been using it since she arrived.
God, that annoys me more than it should.
I looked down at the food, knowing it was going to be another wasted plate like all the other ones. Every plate came back untouched with only the water bottle sipped from, but just barely. As much as it aggravated me, I was also somewhat glad that she was staying hydrated. It still kills me a little inside though that she wasn't eating, for many reasons.
In my childhood, food was hard to come by so when I saw others throw it away, it made my brain glitch. I couldn't scold her though, Hunter would have a conniption. He kept saying to let her heal, to let her adapt to this new place and life before I went full 'Marcus' on her.
Whatever the fuck that meant.
I tapped the toe of my shoe on the door of the room but no response,of course.I don't knock again, I just turn the handle andpush the door wide open. She’s laying on the bed, eyes closed, and the duvet cover tucked up to her chin. She isn't asleep. I know that much with the way her chest is rising and falling. Taking the night security shifts with Hunter since she’s been here means I know this woman’s breathing patterns.
This job doesn’t pay enough.
I kick the bed just enough to scare her into opening her eyes. She glances up from her spot on the bed, narrowing her eyes when she sees it’s me, not Hunter. The way I find joy in her annoyance has me craving each one of our encounters. I know I shouldn't but I also couldn't stop showing how much it amuses me.
"Feeding time." I wink at her. She rolls her eyes, turning over in bed without a word.
"Thank you, Marcus."I mimic her voice, "Oh, you are so welcome." I put the food down with more force than intended and the plate rattles against the wooden tray. "Eat up, princess. We don't need you dying on our watch. Kam wouldn't be too fond of that."
I tower over her, watching her with crossed arms. She doesn't budge and I don't really have the patience to sit here and make sure she can complete basic life skills. I walk out of the room, closing the door firmly.
