The One Who Grounds Me (Book 1) (EDITING) (Completed) √

Chapter Forty

Tiana

"Come let's get some food in you." Tristan says after some time.

"Not hungry. I feel nauseous." I lied. My stomach choose that moment to growl. Traitor.

Tristan snickers. "We can snuggle as much as you like, after I get some food in you." He said.

I groaned in protest. Tristan grasps my shoulder gently. I tried snuggling back against his body, but Tristan was immovable.

"Fine!" I said, sulking. I crawled away from him. Throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, i sat up hesitantly.

"I'll see you downstairs." Tristan says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I glared daggers at his retreating back. Ugh he is the worst. My phone sat on the night stand. Grabbing it, I pressed down on the power button. The screen glows. A few miss calls were on my phone, from the same number that called me earlier. I threw the phone on the bed, i will deal with that later on. I needed time to think and breath. I stalk after Tristan.

Tristan was opening and closing the cupboard when I stalked into the kitchen.

"You want pancakes?" He asked, over his shoulder.

"No." I said, in distaste.

"Toast?"

"I hate bread."

"You're a picky eater."

"No i'm not. I'm not a picky eater. There are just some things I don't enjoy."

He finally turns around, leaning against the counter top. "What do you want to eat?"

"I dunno surprise me."

Tristan rolls his eyes. Grabbing a deep green bowl from the cabinet, he slides it on the counter. I sat down around the island. He grabs a few things from the fridge and the locker. "You eat waffles right?"

I scrunched up my nose.
Tristan didn't say anything, he turned his attention to the task at hand.

He dumped half a cups of all purpose flour in the bowl, then he added three teaspoons of baking power. Half a teaspoon of salt. Half a cup of white sugar.... after a moment of watching him adding random stuff to the bow. I stared at him quizzically.

"What are you making?" I asked.

"Chocolate waffles."

My mouth waters in anticipation. "Chocolate?"

"Yes chocolate...." He started to whisk everything together. "Are you not a fan of chocolate?"

"Of course! Chocolate is life!" I said, practically drooling.

Tristan chuckles. "Well then you're gonna love this."

"Oh I think i will." I said beaming.

After whisking everything together. He turns on the waffle maker. He grabs two coffee cups from the cupboard, pouring some hot black coffee into each cups.

"So when are we leaving?" He asked, pushing one of the cups towards me. I stopped it with my left hand.

"Probably tomorrow morning. I need to book a flight and pack." I said.

"You can always leave the flight booking to me."

"I um.... don't want you to pay for my ticket. I can take care of it." Can you? You don't have a summer job remember.

I groaned, lifting the cup. I took a sip of my coffee. This caught me off guard. If I had known I would have to make ends meet, I would have tried looking for a summer job after Taylor got me fired. Fuck! I wanted to scream.

The sweet aroma of chocolate wafts up to my nose. My stomach growls again. I tap my fingers on the table impatiently

"I know you don't have any money to pay for your ticket. So I'll pay for you."

"No you will not!" I said, slapping my hands on the counter. How the hell does he even know that?!

"Then what will you do? Borrow money from some stranger who will probably want to take advantage of you?"

"I'll look a day job!"

"A day job? That still won't be enough to pay for your ticket. Look I'll pay for your tickets and if you want you can pay me back, whenever." He said, flipping the waffles.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

"Because I wanna help you out. I wanna be there for you, to give you emotional support."

I stared at the marble counter top. Tears stings my eyes once more. Why the hell I'm I like this? Haven't I cried enough?

"I already know you're not taking advantage of me. I can tell you're different, just let me help you out this one time." Tristan squeezes my hand. I stared at our entwined fingers. Tristan sighs. He pats my hand, before pulling away. "Think about it." He said.

Tristan turns his attention, to flipping over the waffle again.

"I don't know what I should do." I said, Tristan puts two of the waffles on the plate.

"That's totally understandable. You're in a hard place right now."

"I wouldn't be in a hard place if Taylor hadn't appeared out of nowhere and tried to fuck up my life." I said in exasperation.

"That boy wants to fuck up more than your life." Tristan chided, he turns off the waffle maker.

I picked up the fork on the side of the plate. "Just this once. I'll only accept your help only this once and I'll pay you back as soon as I start working."

Tristan sprinkles some white cheese on his waffles. "Sure. Just know you don't have to pay me back. I'm doing this because I wanna."

"I don't want you to offer to do stuff like this for me again."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not an invalid. I can take care of myself. I'm strong and independent."

"I already know that." Tristan said in a patient tone. I hate that tone of his. He cuts into his waffle.

"I just....."

"Lets not talk about this. You've been through more than enough today. Just eat your breakfast."

"I won't eat, not until you promise me you won't try to wriggle your way into helping me with my personal problems ever again."

Tristan sighed. He took a sip of his coffee. "Fine Tiana. I promise." He said.

Something in his gaze told me he was lying to me......

Night pumpkins.