~~PEYTON~~
Odin scoffs, rolling his eyes as if I’d just pulled off a minor miracle.
“Don’t sound so surprised. Beginner’s luck.”
Then when his gaze is set on the plate I placed on the table, he raises a skeptical brow.
“Right. Let’s see if it’s edible.”
I feel like hitting him in the face right now.
No one chimes in on our conversation.
Thankfully.
I just shake my head as I take this opportunity to switch seats with Raphael.
That’s the reason I suggested cooking in the first place.
Charlotte’s face looks like it wants to crumble as I slump in the chair beside her.
And then Axel’s eyes dart between Raphael and me.
No smiles, no smirk.
Yep, problem solved.
I wink at Raphael, and the bastard’s response was a flat face.
I just saved his ass…
Well, I saved my ass too.
So I guess we are even.
The dinner was winding down, but Natalie, ever the worrier, couldn’t bear the thought of her son going hungry the next morning.
Odin’s wife can’t cook; I’m pretty sure it’ll get pasted on the headlines.
All thanks to Odin.
She packs some food and hands it to him.
“I can’t believe you’ve been eating junk food all this while,” she says, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
Odin just smiles, not bothering to correct her, and takes it all as a joke.
Odin and I finally make our exit.
Rap and Axel are at the entrance, both leaning casually against the wall, watching keenly.
For a moment, I thought their gaze was fixed on Odin and me, but as we drove out of the long, winding driveway, I realized their eyes had been on me all along.
Just me.
A shiver traced its way down my spine.
And yet I can’t look away from the side mirror like it’s some kind of magnetic pull.
It wasn’t Axel’s intense stare that got to me; it was Raphael’s quiet, unreadable gaze, like a heavy weight pressing down even from far away.
“That was… quite a dinner,” Odin breaks the silence, trying to sound casual.
Looks like he’s in a good mood.
That’s the effect of mommy.
I don’t answer, but he continues anyway, pointing to the batch of packages on my lap.
“Mom means well.
She just worries.”
”She packed enough food to feed an army,” I tease flatly.
He grins.
“Tell me about it. We’ll be eating leftovers for weeks.”
“Yeah, good thing you’ve brought a girlfriend home.”
Odin’s grin shrinks.
He sighs and glances at me.
“Really, Peyton?
Now?”
”Did I say something wrong?” I shot back, and he just shakes his head, his jaw tight.
“Jealousy at its peak.”
I stay silent, and he does too.
Good.
Now I can think of how I cheated on him with his brother right in their mother’s bathroom.
And just like that, I’ve involuntarily reminisced about the intimacy with Axel.
My lips twitch, a nervous tic I can’t quite suppress.
My heart slams against my ribs.
Loud and fast.
I tug at the neck of my shirt, dragging it down for no absolute reason.
I really do have to make Axel vacant in my mind.
He’s not good for my health.
*******
We pull up to the house, and I’m met with a surprise — all the lights are on, blazing bright.
I frown and immediately hop out of the car, totally forgetting the nylon bags on my lap as I stride towards the entrance.
“Hey! The packages!” Odin grumbles from behind me, but I’m already halfway to the door, my legs moving on autopilot.
Once inside, the bright light gives way to something much softer, almost muted.
It’s dim, but not too dim, and the only source of light is coming from the dining room.
There, a warm, flickering glow dances, revealing a scene lit entirely by candlelight.
I chuckle, disbelief roaring inside me.
Is this what I think it is?
I hit the main lights, and the room gets all bright.
And there, at the dining table, is Kira.
She’s in this slinky red dress, legs crossed.
No makeup, just that short, bold dress.
And the table?
It’s a mess of food, but like, neatly splattered.
“Is this a freaking date?” I blurt out, my voice tight and a little too loud.
“Kira.” Odin steps out from behind me, a little smirk playing on his lips.
“Wow.”
”Speechless?” Kira winks, totally ignoring me, then taps the table with a perfectly polished nail, a smug grin all over her face now.
My jaw hangs open, nothing coming out.
My eyes fly from Kira to the crazy food mess and then to Odin.
Odin—who’s not bothered and had forgotten the little talk we had not long ago about her not staying in our home.
My stomach tightens.
“Did you really have to do this? And besides, aren’t you supposed to be home by now?” He glances at his wristwatch.
“It’s 9 PM.”
Kira waves with a flick of her hand.
“There’s still time.” Then she pulls out a chair.
“Come on, sit. I made your favorite.”
Odin’s eyes narrow, pretending to hesitate, but he complies anyway.
His eyes fix on Kira.
Only Kira.
While I am invisible.
Fists clenches by my side, yet I can’t say a word, suddenly feeling speechless, drained, and exhausted.
“What’s the occasion?” Odin asks as he sweeps over the table, lifting the lids of one of the plates.
The smell of grilled fish fills the air, but it smells sour in my nostrils.
Kira shrugs.
“For the … you know.” She rubs her two fingers together.
“I saw the alert a few hours after you left, and I just wanted to thank you in my own way, with what I can do.” She lets out a small laugh.
Then it hits me.
So he sent her money?
I thought he said he was broke.
Like, really broke.
I feel my exhaustion snap.
That feeling of invisibility, the anger, the shock, it all starts to swell up.
Odin’s blatant disrespect…
His two-sidedness and infidelity.
It’s all too much.
There’s a limit to what I can take.
Without thinking, I march up to them.
Odin’s still smiling, talking…
“You… didn’t have to—”
He’s interrupted as I yank the corner of the tablecloth.
Plates clatter, cutlery skitter, and that perfectly grilled fish, along with everything else, slides, crashes, and splatters onto the floor.
“PEYTON!” Odin jumps.
Kira flinches, eyes wide as she covers her mouth with her fingers.
“What is wrong with you?” she spit with a grimace as she crouches down to her feet to see if she’s hurt.
I look at the chaos, then back at their stunned faces.
A slow, bitter smile spreads across my own.
“Bon appétit.”