Poison

Poison part 5

FOURTY SIX

Dinner was chopped vegetables and meat, sautéed in an onion broth. The aroma was heavenly, but when Avrie received her bowl; her stomach clenched like if she ate it, it would just toss her dinner right back up.

“After you.” Slade said politely, giving her a mischievous smile.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll have it.” Grin cooed, appearing on Avrie’s head. Slade scowled.

“No, she’s eating it. Don’t lead her astray.”

“I have to eat it.” Avrie explained in a dead pan voice. Grin rested his chin on his front paws.

“I see.” He purred. “And here I thought Slade was your boyfriend, not your mother. Whoops.”

Both Ell and Daymen snorted in laughter while Hatter looked to be doing his best not to. Avrie grinned and lifted Grin off of her head, setting him on the ground.

“Here.” She said, and spooned him his own bowl. Grin happily slurped it up. Broth dripping from his whiskers.

“Stupid cat.” Slade grumbled.

“Be nice.” Avrie laughed and put a spoonful in her mouth. It was fantastic. Like having a meal from heaven. But it was also like eating something thick after already downing an entire feast.

She just felt full.

Each time she took a bite, so would Slade. If she waited, so would Slade. If she put her bowl down, so would Slade.

“You’re mean.” She laughed.

“No I’m not.”

“I don’t want to eat.”

“But you have to.” Slade shrugged. “Now I’m hungry, so keep eating.”

“Maybe I won’t.”

“Well then I won’t either.”

Avrie rolled her eyes and took another spoonful. “I’m not hungry.” She said. “I’ll probably end up puking this all up.”

“If you do, you will have to eat some more.”

“You’re not the boss of me.”

“You sound like a four year old.” Slade laughed, and Avrie joined him.

Once her bowl was empty, she gladly put it away while Slade got up for seconds. She walked over and sat down on her pile of blankets she never did put away. The full stomach had helped her feel a little bit better but now she was pretty sure she would never be hungry again.

As she sat there playing with Ell cards, to her surprise, Daymen walked over and sat next to her.

“Hi.”

“Um, hi.” She blinked.

“Enjoy dinner?” he gave her another cocky smile she remembered seeing when she first met him.

“Sure.” She answered. He gave her a look of amusement and

took a spoonful himself.

“You gave everyone quite a scare this morning.”

“Yeah, I know.” Avrie sighed.

“You feeling better?”

“A bit.” She shrugged. “Not good though.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Yeah.”

They fell into an awkward silence with Avrie laying out Ell’s cards to play a game of solitaire and Daymen eating his dinner.