I raise an eyebrow, but Caspian simply smiles. “Explain,” I repeat. “Who you are. Where you came from. More about…how the fuck you knew about me. And…hold up. You don’t drive. Is that because of the seizures?”
Caspian lets out a slow breath as I grab a ripe tomato for the breakfast sandwiches I’m planning. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“The beginning.”
His eyes hold mine, serious and calm. “That was a very long time ago.”
“Startsomewhere,” I urge.
He nods, placing his hands on the table. “My name is Caspian Wilder. I’m twenty-five. Yes, I don’t drive because of the seizures. I bike instead. A mechanical bike, not electric. I used to live pretty far away from here but came because I had to. And I know you because I saw you.”
“Many times,” I say slowly.
He nods again.
A thought occurs to me. “More than the heart failure?”
He doesn’t answer right away.
“Caspian…”
“I’m trying to ease you into this.”
“Ease me intowhat?” I ask, our meal all but forgotten.
He blows out a breath. “Who I am to you.”
My bruised heart thumps, and Caspian’s eyes meet mine again, holding.
“Do you believe in fate, Lee?”
Chapter 30
Caspian
Lee stares at me, the pan on the stove starting to smoke.
“Your eggs,” I tell him.
He curses, spinning to deal with the eggs before flipping the couple strips of bacon he added. The smell of grease cuts through the room, making my stomach rumble. I barely ate a thing these past twenty-four hours.
Lee is quiet as he pulls out slices of bread, but I know his mind is working overtime. I feel like I’m messing this up, but I don’t know the right way to go about this. I’m practically vibrating out of my skin with the need to be closer, but I can’tdothat yet. To Lee, I’m a veritable stranger. He doesn’t know me like I know him, even though I barely know him at all.
Once the sandwiches are made, Lee sets a plate down in front of me and takes a seat. We eat in silence, Shelly the tortoiseshell cat grooming herself in a sun patch now that she’s eaten her own meal. She’s cute, her green eyes assessing me before she goes back to licking her ass.
Lee waits until I’ve finished my final bite to lean back in his chair, arms crossed in front of himself. He winces slightly, shrugging one shoulder as if needing to resituate. I wonder if his incision site is sore. Or perhaps it’s his heart.
He opens his mouth to speak, but I cut in, already knowing what he’s going to say. “Explain. I know. I’m trying.”
His lips twitch.
I huff out a breath, pushing my plate aside before leaning my weight on the table. I’m tired, even as the prospect of sleep doesn’t sound the least bit appealing. Not now. Not that I’m finally here.
“Does the name Penelope mean anything to you?” I ask.
Lee stills, his chest rising and falling in a big breath. “It was my mother’s name.”
Ah, God.
