Page 105 of Let Me Love You
There’s at least a gallon of soup here. I glance up at her. “No way.”
“Yeah, I literally become a dumpling afterward.” She snickers.
As I fill our bowls, gigantic dumplings splash liquid on the counter.
“I should’ve warned ya about that,” she says. “They can be messy.”
“Wanna sit on the couch?” I ask, and she nods.
After I microwave our dishes, I carry them into the living room, then hand hers over once she’s settled with some pillows. Sassy lies on the floor and stares at us with begging eyes.
I taste the first spoonful, and my eyes widen. “Wow, this is the best soup I’ve ever had.”
“Wait.” Everleigh stops eating. “You’ve never had chicken and dumplings before?”
“Not like this. The ones I’ve had tasted like chicken noodle soup with slivers or something.”
Her jaw nearly falls to the floor. “We’ve gotta introduce you to more Southern delicacies. That’s just a travesty. For real.”
I start laughing. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely! Mimi’s dumplings are the world's greatest,” she claims, taking a huge bite out of a fat piece of dough. “Don’t tell Belinda I said that, but hers don’t touch Mimi’s. She gave me the recipe to make my own, but they didn’t turn out the same. I swear she uses a secret ingredient.”
I chuckle. “I’m so relieved you’re home.”
She leans into me. “I’ve missed your warmth.”
“I’ve missed your leg being dead weight on top of mine. And grabbing your ass in the mornings.”
“I’ve missed your cock inside me.”
I nearly choke. “About that—”
“Oh, you better not be breaking it off with me. I’ve been through enough bullshit already,” she warns.
“Never. But it’s another reason you need to take it easy and recover quicker.”
“So you can break me all over again?”
I smirk. “You better believe it, sweetheart. No sex until you recover.”
She gives me a look of disapproval. “We’ll see about that.”
After we’re finished eating, Everleigh asks if we can watch a movie. Sassy jumps on the couch, and we cover up with a blanket. She snuggles in close to me, and I gently hold her.
“Scary or funny?” she asks, clicking on the Netflix app.
“Lady’s choice.”
She gives me an evil grin as she starts the first episode of a Ted Bundy documentary. I chuckle at her choice, but then my mind wanders. I think about the woman who stabbed Everleigh, then my thoughts move to Krystal—who I’m still concerned about getting her revenge.
I press my lips to her forehead and she lets out a small sigh of contentment. “This won’t ever get old.”
“What’s that?”
She snuggles a little closer. “Being here with you, just like this.”
“I’ll never leave you, baby,” I say, hoping it’s a promise I can keep.
