Beast's Demands (Crude Hill High 3)

“Then stop taking the blame for shit that’s not yours.”

She touched her head and groaned. “I feel a little sick.”

The doctor had warned me this might happen. After climbing off the bed, I helped her to her feet, and we made our way down to the kitchen. There were guards everywhere, but I ignored them. I put Ashley into a seat and went to the fridge.

“Do you know how to cook?” she asked.

I pulled out some eggs and glared at her. She held her hands up. “You’ve never cooked for me before.”

“Ashley, you like things overcooked and burnt.”

“No, I don’t. I like my eggs overcooked, according to chefs. To me, they are perfection.”

I didn’t cook.

I hadn’t cooked in a very long time. In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever had a reason to cook for myself. When I was a young boy, food was a reward. My father would toss me some bread, or a snack, or something. Real food came when I went to my grandfather, and again, there were times that was held over my head as some kind of reward. I didn’t get the chance to learn to cook. In the world I was raised, women cooked, not men.

With her gaze on me, I tried to think of how to cook.

She tutted at me.

“You’re doing it wrong.”

“Then tell me.” I’d rather have her distracted by helping me cook her food.

“I can do it.” She went to stand up, but I put out a hand to stop her.

“No. I can cook. Instruct me.”

She hesitated, almost like she didn’t believe me. I waited.

“You really want to cook?”

“Does anyone truly love cooking?”

“You must think I’m very weird then. I happen to love it.”

I smiled. “Doesn’t make you weird.” I’d always found her passion for food endearing. There were so many other things that could take away her time. This at least made her happy, and it was easy for me to accept.

She instructed me on how to make her food. I listened, and she taught me. I ended up smashing shells into the bowl, but she was there to guide me. Telling me how to remove it, and then whisking it up.

I burned the toast, and the eggs had some dark brown bits on it.

After plating it up, I put it in front of her and waited with bated breath. She took a bite and smiled. “It’s really good.”

“You’re lying to me.”

She wrinkled her nose but laughed at the same time. “Maybe a little.”

“You don’t have to eat it.”

“I want to. It’s nice that you cooked for me.”

After serving myself some, I had to say, they were downright awful. Ashley though, she didn’t complain. She ate the food, and I watched her, tentatively eating my own. They weren’t great. In fact, on the last mouthful, I was close to vomiting.

Ashley finished all of it.

I made her stay seated while I made us both a cup of coffee. This wasn’t so hard to do.

“Is it all really over?” Ashley asked as I put a cup of coffee down in front of her. I sipped at mine and nodded.

“It’s all over.”

“That means we’re going to be leaving soon, doesn’t it?”

“There’s no reason for us to stay here, Ashley. You know that.”

She nodded and pushed some hair off her face. “Being here, does it make you wish you’d gotten to Emily first?”

Her question took me by surprise. Being back here didn’t make me yearn for anything other than to get the fuck away from it all. I’d never been attracted to Emily. How did I tell this woman that Emily was just business? They were friends.

“No. I don’t want Emily.” I finished my coffee, relishing the burn of it.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“It doesn’t seem right,” she said.

“Now that you’ve seen Emily, do you want to back out of our deal?”

“No. I don’t.”

Silence settled between us. This pissed me off. I didn’t want Emily getting between us. “You need to be prepared for us leaving. At the first opportunity, we’re going to leave.”

Chapter Seven

Ashley

“I don’t think you should be going,” Emily said.

We both sat out in the yard. Guards were all around. Earl was with Emily’s four guys, making arrangements for us to leave.

“There’s nothing here for me right now, Em.”

“There’s me. I’m here.”

I pushed some hair off my face. I still hadn’t cut it even though I’d been tempted. There were times when I was around Earl when he seemed like the nicest man in the world. Then the reality of who he was and what he did set in, making me realize I was naïve.

“You know I will always love you. You’re more than just my best friend, you’re the sister I never had.” I reached for her, holding her close. I wasn’t going to tell Emily about the threat Earl still had over her.