Chapter 266
“Yannis, why did you make so much food? Is someone coming over?” Zinnia stared at the dozen or so dishes on the table, eyes wide.
Yannis suddenly making this much food made her feel like she was about to eat her last supper.
“No, just the two of us. I figured you’ve been working hard lately, so I made a little extra,” Yannis explained, “Zinnia, you don’t like it? Then next time I’ll make less.”
He glanced at the table, nearly full. His eyes dropped a little as Jackson’s call from earlier came to mind.
Jackson had said, if nothing went wrong, he and Nathan would be back around February. That was only about thirty days away now.
The news had caught Yannis off guard. His time with Zinnia felt way too short–it passed in a blink.
Yannis was sure that once Nathan returned, Zinnia wouldn’t stay here anymore. Thinking about how little time they had left, he just wanted to cook her everything she liked.
“No, I like it when you make a lot,” Zinnia said quickly, shaking her head. Yannis rarely cooked this much, and now she didn’t even know where to start.
“Come on, eat,” Yannis said, placing a knife and fork in front of her.
Zinnia sat down and started with the smoked ribs. Her eyes curved into a smile. “So good,” she said.
“Try some shrimp.” Yannis placed one on her plate.
“Okay. But don’t just feed me–eat something too.” She had just finished one when he put another shrimp on her plate.
Today Yannis made Cajun shrimp. Zinnia remembered he’d made three different flavors of shrimp alone.
“Okay. What else do you want? Want some fish stew?” Yannis asked. “But no more than three shrimp for you.”
Yannis barely touched his own plate. As soon as Zinnia finished something, he gave her something else.
“Yannis, why does it feel like you’re feeding me my last meal?” Zinnia asked suspiciously.
When he served her a bowl of gumbo, she reached out and held his wrist, looking at him with sincere eyes. Before Yannis could say anything, she asked, “Yannis, is something wrong?”
She felt something was off today. He was too quiet. Normally, whenever she got home, he’d talk nonstop and ask her about her day. But today, he hadn’t said much at all.
“I’m fine. Don’t overthink it,” Yannis said, looking up and meeting her worried eyes,
Then he looked away again, not ready to tell her Nathan would be back soon. Selfishly, he wanted to keep it to himself a little longer.
Besides, Jackson had only said maybe around February. If he told her now and it didn’t happen, she’d just end up disappointed.
“Yannis, are you really okay? If you need help, you have to tell me.” Zinnia still felt something was off about him. He looked like he had a lot on his mind.
“Zinnia, your master might be coming back soon, Yannis pinched his fork slightly, then finally told her the truth.
Zinnia’s eyes were so clear and full of trust–it made Yannis feel like his own thoughts were selfish and low. He knew how much she wanted Nathan to
come back.
“Really? How do you know?” She jumped up from her seat, not even thinking about the food anymore. She dropped her fork and grabbed Yannis’s hands, eyes full of hope.
1/3
wea, 25 Jun
Chapter 266
It had been three months since Zinnia last heard from Nathan. Now, hearing from Yannis that Nathan might be coming back soon, she could barely contain her excitement. She felt like running outside just to let it out.
“You’re not joking, right? How do you know? Do you have any other news about my master? Did you talk to him?” Zinnia held onto Yannis’s hands and shook them hard.
“Tell me, please.” She looked like she was about to grab his shoulders and shake him next.
Yannis looked
at her smiling face. Her eyes sparkled, and the tiredness on her face had completely faded. It hit him like a sharp pain–just hearing Nathan’s name made her this happy. He had never seen her smile like that before.
“It’s true. I don’t know the exact day, just that it’ll be around Christmas,” he said. “As for how I know… I can’t tell you just yet. Once everything’s taken care of, I promise I’ll tell you, okay?”
He looked into her eyes, swallowing the bitterness in his throat. His voice came out low and raspy.
He couldn’t keep it from her. Nathan meant too much to her. She had already been through so much lately. Yannis wanted to give her some good news. And now she really was happy. When Nathan actually returned, she’d be even happier.
But according to Jackson, things were still messy overseas. Some of the underground groups Nathan had taken down still had survivors. That info came straight from Antoine and his son.
Right now, it was safest for Nathan not to contact anyone in Laystoland–especially not Zinnia. She was the one he cared about most. If something happened to her, Nathan would lose it.
So even if it hurt like hell, Nathan had to keep his distance. Even the tiniest risk wasn’t worth it. Anyone could see how much he loved her.
“Okay.” Zinnia was a little disappointed she couldn’t know more, but she quickly cheered up again.
It didn’t matter. Nathan was coming back soon. February was only thirty–something days away–it would fly by.
But before that, she had to fix Yannis’s insomnia.
Once Nathan came back, Zinnia wouldn’t be able to live with Yannis anymore. She had to find a way to help him sleep better, fast. With that in mind, she planned to ask Maisie about it tomorrow.
“Are you happy?” Yannis asked, even though he already knew the answer.
“Happy? Super happy.” Zinnia beamed, her eyes curving like crescent moons, full of excitement. Her eyes sparkled like the whole world had lit up..
Yannis looked at the joy in her shining eyes and gave a bitter smile.
Before he could say anything, Zinnia laughed again. “Yannis, did you know? My master is so kind, and he’s super good–looking. Didn’t you want to know who’s better looking between you two? When he gets back, you can compare.”
A light flickered in Yannis’s eyes. “You’re gonna take me to meet your master?” He caught the key part right away.
He’d thought that once Nathan came back, Zinnia would forget all about him. But she was actually thinking about introducing them.
“Don’t you want to meet my master? Haven’t you all been trying to find him? And even if I didn’t let you see him, would that stop you guys? You already know each other, right? Jackson went to find him, didn’t he?” Zinnia asked, confused.
“Yeah, we know him,” Yannis said with a grin.
He wasn’t scared of Nathan coming back. He was just scared that when Nathan did, Zinnia wouldn’t have a place for him in her heart anymore.
08:10 Wed, 250un
Chapter 267
