Free A Protector's Second Chance (Unit Matched #2) by Mary Smith, Rebecca Cartee

rom.” He ignored my comment.
    “The date is over?”
    “Yes, I’m tired; I’ve had a long few days.” Oliver gave me a sad smile.
    I wanted so badly to force him to tell me what he was talking about, but something deep down told me not to push it. Typically, I ignored that voice, but tonight I listened.
    He held my hand all the way up to my room. He opened the door. I wanted him to kiss me again, but instead, he hugged me.
    “I’ll see you in the morning,” he whispered in my ear.

Chapter 22
    Day 48 of 90
     
    I woke up refreshed and felt like a brand new person. I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d slept through the night with no nightmares, or if it was Oliver and his lips.
    The sun was shining bright in the room as I rolled out of bed to get ready. I hummed an absent tune through my shower and getting dressed. As I looked in the mirror, I noticed that my cheeks were rosy, my green eyes were gleaming, and I had a goofy grin on my face.
    When I made it downstairs, I assumed that Oliver was already up, but he was nowhere to be found. I decided that he must have still been sleeping.
    I strolled into the kitchen and the idea of cooking breakfast for Oliver popped in my head. I had cooked for him before, but I wanted to do something special.
    As I started to gather everything, I realized that I couldn’t stop smiling. Last night was very special to me. Actually, ever since I told Oliver about my parents, I’ve felt different. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Even though banishment still lingers over my head, having Oliver has helped.
    He wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.
    “Something smells good.”
    I turned to see him leaning against the doorway.
    “It’s breakfast,” I smiled.
    Oliver smirked. “Need any help?”
    “I’m almost done.”
    “I’ve got to shower; I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
    I nodded and went back to cooking. I wasn’t sure what Oliver would like, so I kept it simple with a ham and cheese omelet, hash browns, and toast. I did know that he didn’t like orange juice, so I fixed him a glass of milk.
    I set the table and had plated out food by the time he came back downstairs.
    “Wow, this looks delicious,” he glanced over everything.
    “I hope it’s good. The hashbrowns are a little darker than golden brown,” I mumbled.
    “I’m betting it’s all perfect.” Oliver scooted closer to the table and began to dig into the food. “This is really good. Did Mom teach you this, too?”
    I nodded. Mrs. Thomas would come over after school and sometimes we would have breakfast for dinner. Dad hated nights like that, but I enjoyed them.
    “I guess you’re working all day, huh?” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice.
    Oliver shook his head. “Actually, I have a surprise for you, but I’m not telling until after breakfast.” He winked.
    I rolled my eyes, because I wanted to know now, and he knew it, too. I was going to childishly stomp my foot, but I stopped myself.
    Oliver went into detail about his newest client, the demanding one. The client wanted more and more on the website.
    “He’s making it look too cluttered and unorganized.”
    “You don’t like that, do you?”
    He shook his head. “The website is a reflection of my work as much as his.”
    I nodded, listening intently to Oliver. I never noticed before how passionate he was about his work. There was a lot I’d never noticed before. It was different now. My eyes were open now, and in front of me was a great guy.
    And he was my Matched.
    “You okay?”
    I smiled at Oliver. “I’m fine. Are you finished?”
    He nodded, and together we started to clean up the kitchen. I could tell that we were much more comfortable with each other as, with ease, we finished up our chores.
    “Are you ready for your day?”
    “Day?” I asked, confused.
    Oliver’s smile was wide, and I knew that there was more going on than what he was letting on. “Come on.” He handed me my jacket and helped me slip it