Chapter 129
Aston
I watched as Kira tended to Brax’s wound, her fingers brushing against his skin with a tenderness that made my gut twist with jealousy. It was as if they were lovers, sharing a moment that excluded everyone else. Was that why she was asking if Brax was okay? Because she cared about him? Ugh!
I felt a tinge of annoyance at how close she was to him, her face inches from his as she cleaned the scratch on his cheek. The way she smiled at him, the way he looked at her, it all made me feel like an outsider in my own f**g home.
And then, to make matters worse, Brax had the audacity to ask me if I could cook. Right in front of Kira and Mara, like he was trying to humiliate me. I could have said no, but my pride wouldn’t let me. Especially not in front of Kira. I didn’t want to appear weak, didn’t want to give her another reason to think less of me. So I agreed, but I wasn’t going to go down alone. I challenged Brax to cook alongside me, remembering how he had once burned water.
As we headed to the kitchen. I realized I was actually going to have to do this.
Cook.
In front of Kira!
What if I messed up? What if 1 embarrassed myself? I thought about all the times I had ordered food to be brought to me, all the times I had never even bolled water. But I pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. I was Aston, the Alpha King. I wouldn’t let anyone see me fail.
As we began to cook. I couldn’t help but steal glances at Kira. She was watching Brax with an amused expression, her eyes sparkling with sheer amusement. I felt my jealousy spike again, wondering if she was enjoying this, wondering if she was impressed by Brax’s cooking skills.
I mostly just copied what Brax was doing and pretended to be cooking the same meal. I figured it was the safest bet, since I had no idea what I was doing. I chopped and sauteed, trying to mimic Brax’s movements, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was going to mess it up.
Things were going well for a while. I was managing to keep up with Brax, and our dishes were looking similar. But then I saw how Kira was looking at him, her eyes fixed on him like she was mesmerized. She was ogling him like it was the first time she had seen a man cook in her life.
Why was she looking at hiru like that? Couldn’t she see that I was cooking too? Didn’t she care that I was trying my best?
I tried to focus on my cooking, but I couldn’t help sneaking glances. They were laughing and chatting, like this was the place. or the time.
As I continued to cook, I found myself losing concentration. My mind kept wandering back to Kira and Brax, and how they seemed to be having so much more fun than I was. I glanced over at Mara, hoping to find some support, but she didn’t seem to be interested in what I was doing either. She was too busy nursing the scratches on her arms, her brow furrowed in discomfort.
I could really use her help, but calling for her now would ruin the point I was trying to prove. I wanted to show Kira that I could do this on my own, that I didn’t need anyone’s assistance. So I gritted my teeth and tried to focus, but it was no use. My attention kept drifting, and before I knew it, I had added too much salt to the dish. I cursed under my breath, feeling frustrated. Why was this so hard? I was Aston, the Alpha King, and I couldn’t even cook a simple meal without messing it up.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
I glanced over at Brax, who was expertly flipping a pancake, and felt a surge of jealousy. Why did he make it look so easy? And where the hell did he learn to cook? He was away most of the time but I didn’t expect him to actually learn how to cook
I took a deep breath and tried to start again, but my heart wasn’t in it. I was just going through the motions, trying to get the dish done as quickly as possible. I didn’t even care if it tasted good anymore, I just wanted to be done with it.
The moment of truth had finally arrived. The food was ready, and we all gathered around the dining table, eager to taste the fruits of our labour. I had cooked for two, and so had Brax, and now we both waited anxiously for Mara and Kira to take their first bites. The tension in the air was almost visible, and I could feel my heart bearing in my chest.
As I dished a portion of my food onto a plate for Mara, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. It didn’t look as bad as I thought it would, and I was relieved that I hadn’t completely embarrassed myself. I handed the plate to Mara, who smiled and thanked me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Brax did the same, handing a plate to Kira, who looked at him with a mixture of amusement and anticipation. We both waited, our hands under our chins, like two eager children waiting for Christmas morning. The silence was deafening, and I could feel my nerves getting the better of me. Why the hell was I nervous? This changed nothing.
Mara took a small bite of my food, her expression unreadable. I held my breath, waiting for her reaction. And then, a small smile played on her lips, and she nodded in approval. “It’s good. Aston,” she said, her voice sweet. “I’m impressed.”
I felt a
surge of pride and relief, and I couldn’t help but glance over at Brax, who was watching Kira’s reaction with bated breath. She took a bite of his food, and her eyes widened in surprise. “Wow, Brax, this is amazing!” she exclaimed, and Brax grinned, looking like a proud peacock
And just like that, after a few seconds, in perfect sync, the both of them spat the food out. It was like they had rehearsed it, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of shock and disbelief. Mara, who had been so kind and encouraging just moments before, was now making a face like she had just sucked on a lemon.
“I lied, it’s awful,” she admitted, her voice laced with disgust. She pushed the plate away from her, like it was contaminated.
Kira, on the other hand, was kinder with her words “Bras, it’s not bad, you just need a little more work,” she said, trying to soften the blow. But I could tell she was struggling to keep a straight face. She glanced over at me, and I could see the amusement in her eyes.
I felt slightly annoyed at Mara’s response, thinking that she could have been more tactful. But when I tasted the food, my annoyance morphed into embarrassment. It was truly horrible. The flavours were all wrong, and the texture was like chewing on leather. I couldn’t believe I had served this at all. How could food go this bad!
“Wow, Aston, this is… quite something. Brax said, trying to be diplomatic. He was trying not to laugh, but I could see the corners of his mouth twitching.
“Quite something” was an understatement. It was a disaster. I looked at Mara and Kira, who were both trying not to laugh, and I couldn’t help but join in. We all burst out laughing, and for a moment, we forgot that we hated each other.
“I guess I need to work on my cooking skills, I admitted, feeling a sense of humility. I shook my head, chuckling. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You think?” Brax replied, chuckling. “Maybe we can take a cooking class together.”
“And suffer through it together,” Mara added, giggling.
We all continued to laugh and joke, and for the first time, I felt like we were all on the same page. It was like we all let our guard down for a minute and I could honestly get used to laughing and having a hearty conversation over dinner. Having healthy conversations just like we used to when our parents were alive. I missed the family used to have even though I didn’t say it out loud and I knew Brax missed it too even though he acts like he didn’t care.
After the disastrous cooking attempt, we decided to leave the culinary expertise to the professionals. We ordered takeout fromma nearby restaurant, and the delicious aromas that filled the room were a welcome relief.
“So, What did you and Kira do on your trip?” Mara asked and I felt all the good energy slowly leave the room.