Page 53 of Let's Be Forever

Rosie is so enamored with her dog she runs away with it, forgetting everything else and us. She sits where she’d originally been before he arrived.

Sylas picks the rest of the stuff off the floor and stands, chuckling as she starts barking.

“Did I do good?” he asks, giving me hopeful eyes.

Better than good. Please don’t disappoint her, I want to say. “Yeah, but you know, you don’t have to buy her stuff. I promise she’s good with what she has” is what comes out.

“Well, if I buy you something, then I have to buy her something.” He rounds the couch and sets her toys next to her.

I stay rooted behind the couch, and he stands on the other side of it. I’m thankful for the space between us, but he looks like he wouldn’t hesitate to set my couch on fire.

“Sylas, I don’t need anything from you. You’re here for Rosie, remember that. I’ll take the cheesecake this time, but no more.”

“Okay, Anna.” He does nothing but smile at me.

I eye him skeptically. That was too easy. I thought for sure he’d fight me. “You promise?”

“Sure.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know.” He saunters over to my kitchen and places the cheesecake on the counter. “Where are your small bowls? I’m going to warm up the caramel sauce for you.”

“I can do that.”

He ignores me. “Where are they?”

“Uh, in that cabinet.” I point at the one next to his head on the right.

He grabs one and pours enough sauce to smother my cheesecake in, then heats it up until it’s steaming.

This changes nothing, I think to myself as we sit on the couch and he hands me the dessert. But he stares at me like he’s thinking otherwise.

We’re not getting back together, I tell myself.

23

ANNA

“All done.”I give Rosie the last bite of cheesecake, and she zooms back to play with her toys.

“I really should have just bought the whole thing.” Sylas takes the container and spoons from my hands and is up before I can tell him I got it.

“No, this was—” I break off as another yawn escapes my mouth. That’s the sixth one since he arrived.

“Do you want to go take a nap?” He tosses the container away and washes my spoons. It’s strange how he moves around my apartment as if this is something he’s done many times before.

“No, I’m fine and you don’t have to wash my dishes.” I stand although it’s pointless because by the time I’m next to him, he’s already done.

“I’m here to help, Anna. Anything you need, whether it be picking up groceries, washing your dishes, buying whatever Rosie or you need?—”

“I told you I don’t want you to buy me anything.” It’s infuriating as it is sweet that he’d offer, but I need to put my foot down. “You’re welcome to buy Rosie stuff though.”

As he’s drying his hands, a grin curls his mouth. “Some things really don’t change.”

“What do you mean?” I lean against the counter.

I think he has the same idea because we both peek over at Rosie. She’s still on the floor, feeding her dog the pretend food Sylas got her.