Page 118 of Ghost Ribbon

“Yeah..” I furrow my eyebrows “Wait, how do you know that?” He smiled and then shrugged.

When I swallowed the last one, I made an involuntary face so dramatic that even I could not defend it.

Alexei picked up a sliced strawberry from the plate and held it in front of my mouth.

“Open your mouth,” he said, and fed me the strawberry.

It was cold and sweet and perfectly ripe, and the medicinal bitterness in my mouth softened under the sugar.

Then he picked up his own coffee, took one sip, and said with complete seriousness, “You’ll get another one after the next set.”

I stared at him. “You’re reward-training me?”

“No.”

“You absolutely are.”

“No,” he repeated calmly. “I am making medication adherence less miserable.”

“With strawberries.”

“Yes.”

“That’s reward training.”

He looked at me over the rim of his cup. “Do you want the second strawberry or not?”

I shut my mouth immediately. He set the cup down with maddening satisfaction.

I took a bite of the baked oats and had to pause. It was actually good. “This tastes expensive.”

“It is.”

I sighed. “There is no winning with you.”

“That depends,” he said, thoughtful. “What exactly are you trying to win?”

I wasn’t trying to win, was I?

I was trying not to drown.

Trying not to cost too much.

Trying not to need too much.

He leaned back again, but only after reaching out and brushing one thumb lightly under my eye. “You look exhausted.”

“I feel exhausted.”

“You need to sleep more.”

I gave him a flat look. “That’s rich coming from the man who climbs through my window before dawn.”

Guilt flickered across his face. It was there and gone so fast I might have imagined it.

Chapter 28 - Alexei

I did every research possible.