05 - Chapter Five - Cora Bradley's Point Of View.

Grey, as Zack called him, moved out of the way and even offered to help with the groceries, Which Zack turned down like he was too good for help. I wasn't surprised though, Zack was like that.

Kalib angrily showed me to a room at the end of the hall.

"You can stay here."

"Hey, thanks."

"Whatever."

Kalib clearly still wasn't happy about this. But there was little he could do about it now. He was going to have to suck it up until he was better. I understood why he wasn't happy about it. I was invading his space against his will.

The bedroom was surprisingly nice. It was simple with a bed, dresser and nightstands. The closet door on the far wall. Everything matched in the room. It looked right out of a home magazine. I unpacked my bags carefully, putting everything away. Turning around, Kalib was standing there, his arms crossed.

"How long do you plan to stay?"

"As long as I can help you."

"I don't want your help, but no one seems to care about my wants."

"Sadly, sometimes this is how it needs to be."

The frown set on his face made me realize he would not be easy to sway into accepting this.

"Let me show you where everything is."

"Alright."

Kalib walked down the hall, pointing at the door beside the room I was staying in. That was his room. He made it clear to me that I wasn't allowed in that space for any reason. I nodded.

As we walked through the house, he pointed out things and places I could go. His office, which I had already been in, was a spot I wasn't welcome. Reaching the kitchen last, the groceries were on the island counter. While Kalib talked about rules and other things, I put away the groceries.

"Where do you put these?" I asked, holding the bottle of my absolute favorite spice mix.

"That top cupboard above you."

The cupboard was just out of my reach. Kalib left the room when someone called his name, and that was the perfect chance to kick my shoes off and get up on the counter and put away my spice that I needed to survive. Opening the cupboard, I slid my spice into it, and closed the cupboard.

"Get the hell off my fucking counter top!"

I whipped my head around. Just in the doorway stood Kalib. He was very unimpressed with seeing me up here.

"I couldn't reach."

"I don't care that you couldn't reach. It's dangerous to stand on the counter."

I rolled my eyes as I slid off the counter.

"Relax, I'm fine. It's not the first time I've scaled cupboards."

"If you need something, ask. I'm sure Zack would have helped you."

"I don't need to ask for help. I had it under control."

"That's rich. I tried to say the same thing, and many parties ignored it."

Kalib wasn't wrong. We had done that to him, or at least Zack had. Grabbing my shoes, I took them to the front door and set them down. There wasn't a shoe rack, and he definitely needed one. I made a mental note to pick one up.

I checked my watch and frowned. It felt so much later than it actually was. Zack was bitching at Kalib about something I couldn't quite hear, but the tone was unkind. Heading to the kitchen, I needed to find something to cook before I starved to death. It took me way longer than it should have to find the pots and pans. They looked damn near brand new.

Pulling out a few of the vegetables I bought, I hunted around for a knife and cutting board. Somehow, I didn't think he would like to see me pulling a knife across his countertops.

"Kalib?"

"Yes?"

"Where do I find the knives?"

"Why?"

"I want to get started on making something to eat before I starve to death."

"I think that is hardly a possibility here."

I blinked. Did he just call me fat? That's really what it sounded like. This man.

"Eh, did you just call me fat?" I asked.

"Not intentionally. What I meant by that was there are enough people in the pack that they wouldn't let you starve. And I doubt Zack would allow it, either."

"You're lucky." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"The knives are in the drawer beside the fridge, and I store the cutting board in the cupboard under that drawer."

"Thanks."

I washed a few stalks of Celery. Kalib sat at the table in the kitchen, watching my every move.

"You're not allergic to anything, are you?"

"Just cats."

"You're allergic to cats?"

"Yes. Though I just put up with it."

"I see. I will try not to bring too much cat hair back with me. From work."

He just nodded.

Chopping carrots, celery, potatoes and, lastly, the meat. I found a pot for it all to fit and set it on the stovetop. Finding some olive oil, I poured a touch of it in the pot after turning the stove on. Picking up all the ingredients, I tossed them in the pot to brown the meat and some of the vegetables. I turned to wash my hands and Kalib was right there. He turned on the water and held out the bottle of soap. Pouring a touch in my hands for me, I washed them.

"Thank you."

He nodded again. Zack came into the kitchen to say he was taking off because there were things he had to do before the day was over, but not to hesitate to call if we, as in Kalib and I, needed anything. I jumped to reach the cupboard to get some spices.

"Stop that. You're going to hurt yourself or break something."

"Then help me. I need some spices."

I heard him sigh, but he came over. He didn't give me a moment to step out of the way, though. He pressed his body against mine. I was trapped between him and the countertop. He pulled a bunch of spices down and retreated like nothing had happened just now.

"Thank you." I muttered.

"You're welcome."

I seasoned the pot and smiled when the scent of the spices filled the air. The man from before came back, inhaling deeply in the kitchen.

"Oh my god, that smells amazing."

"Thank you, It's just beef stew."

"It smells really great."

"It does. Oh, Kalib. Where are your glasses, so I can add water to the pot?" I asked, stirring the pot.

"Here, I'll get you the measuring cup." Grey, I believe his name was, said, completely cutting Kalib off and even getting in his way to prevent him from helping.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

He sat down after, across from Kalib, and I didn't miss the harsh looks between them. Getting water for the pot, I filled it halfway, before turning up the heat a little. I needed to look in the cupboard and see if there was beef stock. Kalib looked exhausted, so I didn't bother asking him, and I wasn't about to ask his brother.

Hoping up on the counter again. I looked through the cupboard, finding some beef stock. Wrapping my hand around the bottle, I was yanked off the top of the counter by my hips and I yelped in out of fear. Kalib was annoyed. It was so visible on his face.

"Did I or did I not just tell you not to get up on the damn counters?"

"I need this." I said, holding up the beef stock like it might save me.

"I don't care what you need. Both of us were right there. You could have asked."

"You looked exhausted, and I had it."

"You could have asked Grey to get it for you."

"I wasn't sure if he knew what I wanted or where it was."

Kalib frowned at me, removing his hands from my waist finally. The room fell into silence as I mixed the beef stock into the water and turned it down. Finding a lid to slow cook it. I was hungry now, but this would be so worth the wait. I knew there were snacks in the fridge that wouldn't spoil my dinner, like an orange.

Kalib and his brother Grey seemed to watch me as I ate the orange, slice by slice. It was kind of awkward, so I offered them some. Grey wouldn't take one, but Kalib did. I couldn't help but watch him as he slipped it between his lips and chewed. Grey cleared his throat, and I looked at him. He smiled at me softly, his eyes telling me he saw me watching his brother.

"I have to run, but definitely save me a bowl of that stew, yeah?"

"Alright, I'll save you some. I'll tuck it away in the fridge somewhere."

"Thanks, See you later."

Grey left, and Kalib was staring at the last piece of my orange. He reached out and took it before I could ask if he wanted it. Which was fine. I really didn't mind. He licked his bottom lip, and I had to look away. Kalib was a good-looking man, and I didn't want to make the mistake of trying to make this more than what it is, a job.

Getting up, I checked the pot to see if my vegetables were finally soft and the stew was done. When the fork I had slipped into a potato and broke it apart, I knew the stew was done. Last thing was just to make sure that my meat was done. For my safety, not Kalib's. He could eat raw meat with no worries. I couldn't.

"Where do I find your—"

I turned, and he was right there again. My face was nearly touching his chest. He moved around me, still limping, and grabbed two bowls. He set them on the counter before finding a large serving spoon.

"Let's eat, I'm starving." I said, taking the spoon from his hand. He seemed shocked, but took the full bowl when I passed it to him. He came back after setting the bowl on the table and he took my bowl from me, too. I was confused, but didn't comment on it. He must have just wanted to help, and I would not stop him from helping. Last thing I wanted was for Kalib to feel useless.