Kiss Me Not

Brione had a feeling something was not right. She had the urge to ask more questions about that room but she waited until Cedric finished serving their lunch.

"I cooked something that's easy to prepare. It's honey sesame chicken," Cedric commented. He had stir-fried some chicken breast, broccoli, and asparagus in a sweet and savory honey sesame sauce.

"Who buys and stocks your fridge?" Brione asked.

"Well me, since no one can enter the house except for me and now you. I stock up the food in the fridge and clean the house once a week," Cedric said. 

He has been doing it for almost a month now since the project only finished last month. Even Will was not aware of what was happening in the forest. All he knew was that the building of walls to secure the forest was still ongoing.

Cedric had his reasons to keep things from others. But somehow he wanted to be an open book for Brione. If there was one person he wanted to share everything and all about him with, it would be Brione.

"So, what do you call this safe haven of yours?" Brione asked as she began to eat. She was itching to ask him about the other room but she did not want to look like she was prying too much. But she knew she would just ask about it sometime later because not knowing about it was killing her.

"Hmm, The Prince's safe haven?" Cedric replied in a questioning tone and followed it with a chuckle.

"Do you have a better suggestion, Sweetheart?" He asked as he put more chicken on Brione's plate, seeing she was almost finished eating her first helping. He liked to see her eat heartily.

"The Wolf's den?" Brione commented casually. 

She was staring at the food on her plate so she did not notice how his expression changed. Then she added, "You're a good cook, much better than me."

'Like Gavin…' she added at the back of her mind. Gavin was a good cook too. Honestly, Gavin was good at everything!

"I'm glad you like it," Cedric said with a half-smile.

Brione looked at him and asked, "What is it?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Cedric asked with a creased forehead.

"In that room, a while ago, I tried the password and also scanning my biometrics but it's not working," Brione stated.

"Oh, that. It's nothing, just some important things that I want to keep hidden so I'm the only one who can access that room, Sweetheart." Cedric briefed her before suddenly standing up from his chair.

"I'll just go make you a quick dessert," he said before he walked back into the kitchen.

Brione was not convinced. She felt Cedric was lying and was keeping something from her or was she being paranoid and thinking too much? It could just be some treasures of the royal family, right?

Cedric came back and Brione clumsily dropped the spoon she was using to eat.

Cedric quickly put his plate on the table and rushed towards her, picking up the dropped spoon, and said, "Are you alright, Bri? I will get you another spoon."

"No, I'm fine," Brione whispered as she stared at the whoopie pies on the plate Cedric put on the table.

A flash of a memory of Gavin serving her whoopie pies saying she would like them and would definitely ask him to serve her some whenever she was at his penthouse… The penthouse next to hers… flashed through her mind, making her uneasy.

"Whoopie Pies," Brione unconsciously whispered while staring at them.

Cedric heard her and said, "Yes, it's one of my favorite desserts."

"Chewy cookies?" Brione asked. Cedric preferred chewy cookies. She was not a fan of the cookies but she enjoyed Gavin's whoopie pies.

"Yeah, they are chewy. Here, try one. I prefer using chewy cookies," Cedric commented and handed her a whoopie pie.

Brione stared lovingly at Cedric.

'Gavin,' she wanted to call him that but she could not. It was too much of a coincidence! Her Gavin. How she hoped that his memory would return so her dilemma would end soon.

Cedric was staring at her, waiting for her to take a bite, so Brione took a bite and she could not help the tears as they rolled down her cheeks.

'Damn, Brione! Why are you being such a cry baby!' she scolded herself inwardly as she quickly wiped her tears.

"What's wrong, Bri?" Cedric asked. He looked worried.

"Nothing…" she whispered. She could not tell Cedric why she was crying because she always felt bad when she brought up Gavin to him. Cedric had already told her numerous times to look at him as Cedric, to be sensitive and considerate of what he would feel if she kept bringing up Gavin around him.

"I just recalled that my mother loved to make a similar dessert," she lied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want me to bring you a different dessert?" Cedric asked and was about to stand up from his chair but Brione stopped him and said, "No, this is fine. It's a good memory, so it's a good thing that I remember her like this. I'm just the emotional type so don't mind me and please don't worry."

Cedric smiled and gently caressed her face with his knuckles. Then he whispered, "I hate it when I see you cry, Bri. It breaks my heart."

Brione smiled back and asked, "When did you remember that this is one of your favorite desserts? I mean you lost your memory so when did you know?"

"Oh that, I just saw the chewy cookie in the grocery store and I had an urge to buy a lot of them and it was pure instinct that I instantly thought of making this and now crave it often. I guess I liked it way before I lost my memory," Cedric explained.

"Did you like it? I mean, is it the same as your mother or is mine too sweet?" he asked.

"It's the same and I honestly thought it was made by her. The amount of sweetness is perfect and I love it." Brione whispered.

The same like how Gavin used to make it… Too sweet for her yet she loved it...