His Purple Heart

40 - Cookies & Tears

"Debra, girl, put the box of cookies down," Addison said with a scowl on her beautiful face.

I smiled and dug my hand in the aluminum container housing the best butter cookies I've ever tasted. "I can't help it, Addi. You should have never let your mom bake them for me." The aroma wafting from the box was enough to make me drool.

"I was just trying to be a good best friend, but now you're truly overdoing it. Thirteen cookies in–" she glanced at her watch. "–thirty minutes."

I grabbed two cookies at a time and stuffed them in my mouth. "Fifteen now." Closing my eyes, I moaned, while chewing slowly. "So good." I moaned again.

"I actually miss the sound of you moaning like that."

My eyes flew open and I almost choked when I saw Trystan walk into the kitchen with Ziggy at his side. Ziggy saw me, barked, and then ran up to me and licked my hand. I scratched the back of his ears absentmindedly, because I only had eyes for the demigod opening the fridge and wearing nothing but a white vest and grey sweatpants.

Grey sweatpants that left nothing to the imagination.

Trystan took out a bottle of water and then his arresting, emerald gaze landed on me. He was looking at me like I was a snack.

Fuck me.

Why did he have to be so hot? His almost black hair was even longer now, grazing the back of his neck and softening his rather chiseled and manly features. He twisted the cap off the bottle and threw his head back. I watched his adam's apple bob in awe. In a matter of seconds the bottle was empty. The tattoos covering his arms and neck brought that distinct rough edge back, making him look like a sexy killer, or a menacing Marine, or a rowdy biker, all depending on my mood. My mood right now was leaning more toward rowdy biker.

"What is he talking about, Debs?" Addison asked, coming around the counter to stand next to me before leaning on the counter and whispering in my ear. "Please, don't tell me the sex is whack already."

I ssh'd her and then turned my attention to Trystan and his abs. "How was your run?"

"Good. You should join me tomorrow."

I stuffed another cookie in my mouth. "Are saying that I'm fat?"

He peered into the open box of cookies. "Did you eat all of that in half an hour?"

"Of course not. Addison ate some too."

I picked up another cookie and was about to shove it in my mouth when Addison slapped the back of my hand. "I did no such thing," she said. "I don't even like those cookies. Ate them too much as a kid."

I watched in horror as the cookie fell out of my grasp. It rolled on the tiled floor like a broken wheel from a horse carriage and came to a stop at Trystan's foot. He picked up the fallen cookie and threw it in the garbage.

"My god, Addi, look what you did. What a waste." I pouted and then tears welled up in my eyes. Without any warning whatsoever, they spilled over my cheeks and a drop landed in the box of cookies.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" Addison wondered. "Like, are you for real? You're crying 'cause a stupid cookie fell on the floor? You have plenty more where that came from."

"Addison, give us a moment please," Trystan said, and then a heartbeat later I felt his large hands on my shoulders like a protective cloak. They settled over me, slightly heavy, and I found them comforting.

Using my fist, I wiped furiously at my tears. Ever since Alvarez had kidnapped me, I haven't been able to stop crying. It was highly annoying. I was more emotional than a teenager with massive insecurities.