Vintage Love

Chapter 9

As we work side by side, setting up the ingredients for breakfast, soft music fills the room along with Bree's soft humming. We have chosen to prepare ham, scrambled eggs, bacon, and a selection of fruits and vegetables as side dishes.

I crack some eggs into a bowl, then look up to observe Bree cutting the broccoli. Her long, wavy blonde hair is tied back in a ponytail, and she's entirely focused on her task. Her graceful fingers handle the broccoli with care, making precise cuts while avoiding cutting herself.

"Jealous of my new friend, huh, princess?" I playfully tease, catching her off guard. She instinctively tightens her grip on the knife, shooting me a sideways glance. 

Her lips twitch, and she shoots me a glare. "And now you've ruined my mood." 

I grin at her, and she bites her lip, trying not to smile, and returns to her cutting. She's adorable, but she's tough to crack. Seriously, why does she hate me so much? 

"Let's say I turned into a worm, would you still love me?" I ask, glancing at her while cracking more eggs into the bowl.

Bree chuckles softly and replies, "No, I'd probably feed you to the birds." 

"Ouch," I say, adoring her sweet laughter. "Okay, how about if I became an egg?" 

She sighs, setting down her knife for a moment. "No, I'd crack you open." 

I smirk and raise an eyebrow, teasingly asking, "Oh, are you trying to undress me?"

Bree rolls her eyes, trying to keep a straight face. "And then, I'll feed you to the dogs." 

My smirk immediately disappears at her words, and she chuckles before returning to her cutting. I let out a groan and retorted, "You've got quite the sharp tongue, princess. Did you at least like the tiara I gave you the other night?"

"I threw it away," she responds casually, her focus still on the task at hand. I grab a whisk and begin whisking the eggs before heading over to the stove to check on the grilling bacon.

"That's not nice when someone has given you a gift," I comment, placing the cooked bacon onto a plate. As I prepare to cook the eggs, I suddenly hear a hissing sound behind me. Turning around, I see Bree clenching her other hand, and blood is seeping from a cut.  

In a rush, I set down the whisk and turn off the stove, immediately hurrying over to her side. Her eyes widen as she watches me approach her.

"May I?" I ask, referring to her hand. Bree hesitantly extends her hand as I gently take her injured hand in mine to examine the cut. 

"It's nothing," she mutters, trying to downplay the injury. 

"No, it's not nothing," I say firmly, grabbing a clean kitchen towel and applying gentle pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. "Here, hold this. I'm going to grab the first aid kit." 

I quickly retrieve the first aid kit from the storage room and grab a kid's bandage. Returning to Bree, who's now sitting in a corner looking gloomy, I try to lighten the mood. 

"Hey, what's the matter, princess? You look like someone killed your dog." I chuckle, but my laughter fades when I see tears in her eyes. Concern fills me, and I kneel to her height, asking gently, "Does it hurt?" 

Her lips remain in a line as her teary eyes meet mine. I reach out to hold her hand, and she winces but doesn't protest further. I carefully tend her wound, cleaning it and gently applying the bandage. 

"See, all better," I say with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. She hesitantly pulls back her hand and looks at the bandage, remarking, "Seriously? Princess Aurora?"