Free Breathe by Ani San Page B

did. He didn’t think it was absurd.
    ‘And we should keep it that way,’ he said seriously, and went back to the espresso machine and replaced the mug. He handed me the finished one. Suddenly I felt dirty. I didn’t like being the secret. I ran from that in Norway. I didn’t want to be hidden away like something to be ashamed of. I should deserve better. Then I started to think about the consequence if somebody knew he was here. I pictured the headlines again. Maybe it was best to stay hidden, and enjoy the time I had with him. I could save the regret and shame for later. I shouldn’t waste my time with him now. I was going to focus on the positive, and be happy the rest of the day.
    We took both our mugs back to the living room again. My stomach did a nice job of informing me I hadn’t eaten yet, but I was experienced in ignoring it. It wasn’t a smart thing to do. I knew I had to be careful not to fall back to my old ways, I was recovered, but not cured.
    ‘ What do you want to do to day? We can do anything. You decide.’ We sat down again as he said it.
    ‘ Well,’ I answered him, trying to hold my face serious, ‘I was thinking we could take a walk through Kensington Gardens, it’s such a lovely day. Then maybe we can have lunch. I know a perfect café in Notting Hill. Oh, and I can text Alice, and have the gang meet us at Red Lion, it’s a bar not far from here.’ He’d frozen, and I tried hard not to laugh at his reaction.    
    ‘ No, I meant anything here. We can’t go out together.’ He was actually blushing. I thought that was my thing. I couldn’t hold myself. I started laughing.
    ‘ You were kidding!’ He seemed relived. ‘Ha ha!’ He fake-laughed.
    ‘ Oh! I know! Why don’t you tell me your story again? I could probably use a couple of hours of sleep.’ That comment got me a pillow in the head, but now he was laughing too.
    He did tell me the story again, but I didn’t fall asleep this time. Then he’d ask about my home country and how it was growing up there. I didn’t like to talk about that, and changed the subject over to him each time. We sat there for an hour just talking, when the caller buzzed. I got up and answered it, praying it wasn’t Alice showing up unannounced.
    ‘ Miss Nord, there is a deliverance for you. The carrier says he is Mr Charles, and that you are expecting him.’ I didn’t know why Frank sounded unsure.
    ‘ Yes, that’s right. Thank you, Frank. Just send him up.’
    A few minutes later, I opened the door to a big, muscular black man with larges tattoos on his biceps. He would have scared me if I weren’t expecting him. Frankly, he scared me anyway. But Christopher was right b ehind me, greeting him and asking him to follow into the kitchen. Charles put five full bags on the dining table, and then handed a backpack to Christopher. I started to unpack it all while Christopher showed him out. I heard them mumble something to each other in the hallway. To minutes after he came, Charles was out the door again.
    ‘ This is insane!’ I told Christopher as I placed the groceries on the kitchen counter. ‘This is a month worth of food.’
    ‘ No, it’s not. You need to eat more. Is there anything here your missing?’ He started to look over what we got.
    ‘ I think the whole store is here.’
    He shakes his head laughing. ‘Do you mind if I use your shower again?’
    ‘ Sure, I’ll make us some lunch in the meantime.’ I started putting away the things I didn’t need right now, wondering how I would fit it all. I needed to find a way to pay him back the money; I couldn’t take all this food for free. I decided to make some sandwiches for lunch, and hoped he liked pastrami. Anna had made sure we had fresh bread, salad, vegetables and mayo. And fresh squeezed orange juice; I loved that.
    I could hear the shower running, and I started picturing him inside. I’ve been staring at his perfect naked chest all day, and knew every curve. My