I shake away the memory as I enter the mansion, following Lucas into the kitchen, where I can smell the delicious scent of baked goodies.
“Quick, sit down.” Lucas tells me all but pushing me down in a seat at the table. He places a plate of scones in front of me, nodding toward me eagerly. I smile, picking one up and he takes it.
“Try this jam,” he tells me, spreading jam and cream across the scone. He hands it to me and I bite into it. I’ll give him one thing – the man can bake. When I finish that one, he is shoving another one in my face. I shake my head but can’t take the upset look on his face, so accept it.
Lucas feeds me scones, every sort of scone you could think of, my stomach feels like it will burst and I think I have tried about twenty of his homemade jams. I didn’t even know so many types of jams existed and he made them all.
The man sure enjoys baking, and the jams aren’t half bad. But I am feeling it now.
“Try this one. This is peach and mango jam,” Lucas says. I shake my head, trying to swallow the last scone down. My pants feel like they are about to burst. Feels like that since half an hour ago. I have to undo the top button on my pants. I don’t want to be rude, yet he keeps feeding me them. I don’t think I’ve ever had that many scones or tried that many varieties of jams in one sitting.
“No, thank you,” I tell him, feeling woozy. Kora even feels queasy, and it is my body, not hers.
“I feel like he is trying to fatten us up. You sure he ain’t a witch too, the sort that tried to eat Hansel and Gretal?” Kora whines, also in a food coma. I try not to giggle, not wanting to upset my stomach. Right now I am full right up to my neck.
“You shouldn’t be complaining. Just think, if you feel awful about how I must be feeling,” I tell her.
“How about some tea? I will make you some tea,” Lucas says with a jovial smile. Is he really that happy to have company in this morbid place? I think so because he hasn’t left my side or stopped excitedly talking about his jams.
“I have a feeling he doesn’t get too many guests here,” Kora whines, and I totally agree. Ah, I feel so queasy.
“No, thank you. What time did you say Kyan would be back?” I have texted Jonah, but haven’t received a reply yet. Kyan’s phone just keeps ringing out, so I have no idea what I am supposed to do with myself, besides allowing Lucas to fat me up for Kyan’s cauldron.
I snicker to myself, and wonder if he actually has one. I can just picture him in a witch’s gown and hat standing over one, in which he would happily cook me. All the sugar is getting to me and making me giggly.
“Ah, sometime soon, I am sure,” he answers vaguely, moving around the kitchen. God, I hope he isn’t looking for more things to fatten me up with.
“Okay, can I look around, maybe borrow a shirt, and shower? This one has Jonah’s blood on it,” I tell him, lifting Jonah’s hoodie to show him my top.
“Oh absolutely! Why didn’t you say something? Follow me, you can use Kyan’s one, feel free to steal one of his shirts. I will have to organize some clothes. Kyan did say you didn’t bring any, and he was supposed to have some sent to Jonah’s apartment. Must have slipped his mind,” he says, dusting his hands off on a tea towel.
I feel so bloated as I stand and my god does every limb feel heavy. The room spins slightly as I wobble on my feet. I have to clutch the table and I am glad I have a hoodie on because I have the sneaky suspicion my belly is bulging.
I follow him to the stairs and groan at how many steps I am about to walk up. Does it look like someone added extras? The staircase looks so steep suddenly and I don’t remember it being this many stairs. Lucas rattles on the entire way. The man can talk. I nod and make noises. I am listening but his words sound like one long one I can’t keep up. Why do I feel so heavy? How much did I actually end up eating? I really should have told him no… this is my fault and now I have overdone it.
“Come on, three more steps, you can do it, mush, mush, mush,” Kora chants in my head as I stumble up the steps. Urgh, I feel so nauseous. “At least you can work off those scones you just ate, I swear I can feel my ass growing wider already,” Kora mumbles as I make the terrible climb up them, before sluggishly making my way into Kyan’s bedroom.
“Just help yourself and if you need anything, I am just downstairs. Give me a shout.” Lucas says, shutting the door as he takes his leave after I have stepped inside his room.
His room is perfectly made up, not a thing out of place, and I glance at his bed, wanting to crawl in and die from overeating. The thought becomes better and better as I waddle my swollen gut over to it and fall face first.
“I am never eating another scone,” I mumble to Kora. Oh god, this was not a good idea. Stop thinking about all the scones. Make it stop!
“I don’t blame you. I lost count after the thirteenth one. If it was a scone eating competition, it was Marabella for the win, woo hoo!” She mocks me and I can’t blame her, I really did overdo it. I snicker at what she says, feeling drunk.
“Don’t make me laugh, it hurts, and it wants out and I am not sure which end,” I tell her, rolling on my side. She scrunches her face up at me before yawning. Who would have thought stuffing one’s face would be so exhausting? I place my hand on my stomach, thinking it sure feels so tender now.
“Let’s take a wolf nap,” Kora suggests sleepily.
“Think the term is cat nap,” I groan, unbuttoning my pants and kicking them off. They are far too tight to keep on!
“Wolf nap,” Kora argues, but I am too exhausted to correct her. My dignity went out the window with that last scone. I don’t care how Kyan will find me. I am dying here, and I refuse to move. He will have to roll me out. I’m not walking.
“Cat nap… I mean, I guess I do feel like the wolf who ate all those little goats? Yeah, he was super sleepy after that too…” I mumble, feeling sleep coming to me. She replies, but I’m far too gone to understand….