allowing myself to have with Knight, and as such, I needed to enjoy it wholeheartedly. "I'm sorry," I started and exhaled deeply as I watched him cram the last bit of sandwich in his mouth. "I'm just still in shock, I guess. I just ... never thought you'd be standing here, that they would have released you."
He tilted his head and raised his brows as if he, too, were surprised. "Neither did I." Then he propped his hands on either of his thighs and faced me with a crease in his forehead. "What happened after you left prison?"
I swallowed hard, realizing my lies would start now. The time for telling the truth was long past and I had to inwardly take a big breath to prepare myself for what I was about to do. In general, I prided myself on my honesty. Well, things were about to change. "Nothing really. Caressa took me to the portal and after lots of paperwork, she sent me on my way."
"Which portal?" he asked, looking at his plate, picking at the crumbs that littered it and bringing them to his mouth. He was obviously still hungry.
I swallowed harder, hoping my answers wouldn't come back to bite me later. "Um, the one at the airport. The same one Bram took me through when we arrived in the Netherworld." I tried to sound confident. "Why, which one did Caressa take you to?"
He shrugged. "The same one." Then he eyed me squarely. "I never said Caressa escorted me."
I felt my stomach drop for the nth time and tried to act nonchalant, unconcerned. "Well I figured as much, since she accompanied me to the portal."
Knight just nodded as if he bought my indifference and I sighed inwardly with relief, but before I could change the subject, Knight was at it again. "So did Caressa just drop you off? Or did she see to it that you arrived safely in Splendor?"
That was a quick decision I'd have to make, and given the fact that I didn't think Caressa liked me much, I opted for, "She just dropped me off."
Knight nodded, but was interrupted from further questioning me when the doorbell rang. Knight stood up to answer it and when he pulled out his wallet, I figured it was the pizza delivery guy . He thanked the man and brought the pizza inside, laying it on the table while I tried to replay everything we'd just discussed to ask myself if I'd made a mistake in any of my lies. I didn't think I had.
"Plates?" Knight asked.
I reached inside the cupboard closest to me and offered him a paper one. In general I liked paper as it was easier to clean up. I detested doing dishes. He smiled in thanks and took the plate, placing a generous piece of pizza on it and handed it to me. I accepted it and started picking off the things I didn't like until I was left with a piece of plain cheese pizza.
"Why did you order all that stuff on it if you won't eat it?" he asked with a smile.
I shrugged. "I thought you'd appreciate it fully loaded."
We continued to make small talk for the next twenty minutes, after which time, Knight had polished off the entire pizza, minus my one slice. I'd made it about halfway through mine. It seemed there was something in the air that I couldn't put my finger on, but neither Knight nor I had said much after the pizza arrived. I'd been overwhelmed with thoughts regarding whether or not Knight suspected I was involved in his release somehow, but as to his silence, I couldn't guess.
He stood up and carried the empty cardboard pizza box to my recycling bin, forcing it to fit, then faced me with a smile. "I have to get back to my place, Dulce," he said. "I need to do laundry, get myself situated for tomorrow."
I guessed he meant he was going into the office tomorrow. "Okay," I started.
"Do you want to come by later? We can get a movie, relax, try to put all of this behind us?"
I wanted to desperately, but I knew I shouldn't. I shook my head and didn't miss the disappointment in his eyes. "I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment with everything that's happened," I said softly. "I feel like I need some alone time. That and I
He tilted his head and raised his brows as if he, too, were surprised. "Neither did I." Then he propped his hands on either of his thighs and faced me with a crease in his forehead. "What happened after you left prison?"
I swallowed hard, realizing my lies would start now. The time for telling the truth was long past and I had to inwardly take a big breath to prepare myself for what I was about to do. In general, I prided myself on my honesty. Well, things were about to change. "Nothing really. Caressa took me to the portal and after lots of paperwork, she sent me on my way."
"Which portal?" he asked, looking at his plate, picking at the crumbs that littered it and bringing them to his mouth. He was obviously still hungry.
I swallowed harder, hoping my answers wouldn't come back to bite me later. "Um, the one at the airport. The same one Bram took me through when we arrived in the Netherworld." I tried to sound confident. "Why, which one did Caressa take you to?"
He shrugged. "The same one." Then he eyed me squarely. "I never said Caressa escorted me."
I felt my stomach drop for the nth time and tried to act nonchalant, unconcerned. "Well I figured as much, since she accompanied me to the portal."
Knight just nodded as if he bought my indifference and I sighed inwardly with relief, but before I could change the subject, Knight was at it again. "So did Caressa just drop you off? Or did she see to it that you arrived safely in Splendor?"
That was a quick decision I'd have to make, and given the fact that I didn't think Caressa liked me much, I opted for, "She just dropped me off."
Knight nodded, but was interrupted from further questioning me when the doorbell rang. Knight stood up to answer it and when he pulled out his wallet, I figured it was the pizza delivery guy . He thanked the man and brought the pizza inside, laying it on the table while I tried to replay everything we'd just discussed to ask myself if I'd made a mistake in any of my lies. I didn't think I had.
"Plates?" Knight asked.
I reached inside the cupboard closest to me and offered him a paper one. In general I liked paper as it was easier to clean up. I detested doing dishes. He smiled in thanks and took the plate, placing a generous piece of pizza on it and handed it to me. I accepted it and started picking off the things I didn't like until I was left with a piece of plain cheese pizza.
"Why did you order all that stuff on it if you won't eat it?" he asked with a smile.
I shrugged. "I thought you'd appreciate it fully loaded."
We continued to make small talk for the next twenty minutes, after which time, Knight had polished off the entire pizza, minus my one slice. I'd made it about halfway through mine. It seemed there was something in the air that I couldn't put my finger on, but neither Knight nor I had said much after the pizza arrived. I'd been overwhelmed with thoughts regarding whether or not Knight suspected I was involved in his release somehow, but as to his silence, I couldn't guess.
He stood up and carried the empty cardboard pizza box to my recycling bin, forcing it to fit, then faced me with a smile. "I have to get back to my place, Dulce," he said. "I need to do laundry, get myself situated for tomorrow."
I guessed he meant he was going into the office tomorrow. "Okay," I started.
"Do you want to come by later? We can get a movie, relax, try to put all of this behind us?"
I wanted to desperately, but I knew I shouldn't. I shook my head and didn't miss the disappointment in his eyes. "I'm just a little overwhelmed at the moment with everything that's happened," I said softly. "I feel like I need some alone time. That and I
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