Toasty Embers (Book #1.5 Of Fire Series)

6

"I guess that's my head," Jayden sighs as he looks at the bandage around my forearm.
"I was hoping we'd at least get a few decades together. Best three months of my life though."

"Oh come on, I'm fine," I chuckle as I caress his cheek.
"And this is my fault because apparently I'm a danger to myself."

"Your clumsiness should be studied," he chuckles as he holds my hand in his.
"I'm glad you're okay, baby. I know it's a surface burn, but no more cooking until I'm sure you know what you're doing."

"I do know what I'm doing," I counter, utterly shocked by his statement.
"You guys enjoyed the gammon I made, didn't you?"

"It was delicious, baby," he chuckles as he kisses my hand.

"Exactly, I know what I'm doing," I scoff.
"I was just a little distracted."

"What distracted you," he asks softly as he rubs circles on my hand.

"The conversation you were having with my father. More precisely, the questions he was asking you."

He chuckles and squeezes my hand, "The questions about our decision to wait?"

"And the hypothetical questions about me falling pregnant," I roll my eyes.
"Sometimes I think he just wants to find something to be upset about."

"Well he's being realistic," he shrugs.
"If we made love and you fell pregnant, we'd need to know what we want to do."

"That's a bridge we will cross if we ever get there," I huff.
"Do you think that's the reason he invited you to dinner? So he could ask all these weird questions?"

"Well, of course," he chuckles as he hangs his head.
"It's been a few weeks since they moved back into the penthouse, and they've caught us making out on multiple occasions."

"I guess I would be a strict, overprotective parent too. Especially in that situation," I sigh.
"I guess I'm tired of sneaking around like it's a dirty little secret, when they know about us already."

Jayden stays quiet for a second seemingly deep in thought. Brows furrowed and bottom lip bitten, the clocks turn in his head.

"What's wrong," I inquire as I squeeze his hand.

"I'm sorry, baby," he murmurs as he smiles and kisses my hand.
"There's something I forgot I needed to do.
I'll be back in a few minutes. I need to make a call."

"No worries," I smile.

"Thanks, mama," he grins as he kisses my lips and stands to head out.

Once he's out, I smile to myself, thinking of when I burned myself not even a full hour ago.

My poor boyfriend was sitting across from my parents as I got the last of the food ready.
My mother behaved, for the most part. She has been a lot stricter since they moved back to their penthouse, very much scolding us and expressing her vehement dislike for cohabitation.

We live on opposite ends of the floor, he still lives in his apartment and I still live in mine. We just have sleepovers sometimes, Because it's convenient.

My father was essentially interrogating Jayden, not caring that I could hear the whole thing.

That's the only caveat I have about this living situation, the nosy parents.

Jayden, as graceful as ever, answered their questions with ease, even teasing and making respectful jokes here and there.

He has come out of his shell a bit. We still have a long way to go, but I'm determined to make it work.