Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 784

Larissa paused, her knife and fork hovering over her plate. "What for? I told you, I'm not angry."

"You're just telling yourself not to be," Haskell observed gently.

She pushed another set of silverware toward him. "Are you going to eat or not?"

"I'm eating," he said, taking the utensils with a small smile.

They ate in a comfortable silence, but Haskell’s eyes never left her. He watched the way she moved, the way she ate, the occasional hint of a smile that touched her lips, and a profound warmth filled his chest.

When Larissa finished, she wiped her mouth and looked up, her gaze meeting his.

"Larissa," Haskell began softly, "whether you believe it or not, I have never wanted you to act weak. When I said you were too rational, it was only because I don't want you to carry so much on your own."

"You are brilliant and strong, and you've probably grown past the age where you need someone to save you. But I just wish that sometimes, you would allow yourself to be reckless, instead of always preparing for the worst as if that could prevent you from getting hurt."

"But the truth is, you do get scared. You do get hurt. You just feel like you have no safety net, so you force yourself to never show vulnerability, to never admit you need anything."

Larissa wiped her lips with a napkin, then tossed another one at his face. "Alright, I get it. And you're one to talk, trying to hide the truth about Lucius's backer from me."

Haskell caught the napkin and dabbed his own mouth with it. "So, you're not angry anymore?"

"If you keep talking, I will be," she retorted, opening her medical case and shooting him a glare.

He chuckled. "Okay, I'll stop."

Larissa took out her case of needles and began his treatment. As she looked down at his knees, a small smile played on her lips.

This was probably why she liked him. He was always so direct, so willing to guide her out of her own dark thoughts, never letting her bottle things up inside.

Lucius turned to see his cousin, Fergus, walking in.

"I'm fine," he said slowly. "I'm not dead."

Fergus sat down, his eyes fixed on Lucius's bandaged face. "Who would be so bold? To set off a bomb at the Royal Bowling Alley and hurt you?"

Lucius knew that even if Milton had betrayed him, he wouldn't have the guts to pull something like this. Larissa had to be the one pulling the strings.

Fergus watched his cousin’s expression and quickly drew his own conclusion. "It was Larissa again, wasn't it? The trouble at Neverending Night, Grandma being taken in by the police… it was all because of her, right?"

"Lucius, is she giving you a hard time?"

"Just focus on getting better," Fergus offered. "Leave Larissa to me. What do you say?"