Plus Size Luna Obsession

Chapter12

Aurora's POV

“We're not fighting over the food. We just want you to eat what's more healthy.” Smith answered.

I stared at the breakfast spread in front of me for a good five seconds before slowly lifting my eyes to the three men sitting around the table then I looked back at the food and back at them again.

“This,” I said, poking the avocado with my fork, “looks like punishment.”

“It is food.”

“It looks like something a doctor would prescribe after discovering I had committed a crime.”

Rio leaned over and whispered, “Eat the pancakes.”

“I am trying.”

Marcus reached across the table and took the syrup before I could grab it.

Slowly, very slowly, I looked at his hand. “Give it back.”

“No.”

My mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”

“You've barely eaten since yesterday.”

“I am aware.”

“You need proper nutrition.”

“I know what I need.”

“You clearly don't.”

The fork in my hand stopped halfway to my mouth. I stared at him in utter confusion. “Did you just tell me I don't know what my own body needs?”

Marcus seemed to realize he had chosen the wrong words, but instead of apologizing like a sensible man, he simply leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

“I said you need to eat properly.”

“No, no, don't change it now.” I put my fork down and sat straighter. “You said I don't know what my body needs, and somehow you think that's supposed to make me calmly eat your sad little breakfast?”

Rio was biting his lip so hard he was practically turning red. “Don't,” I warned him and he held up his hands.

“I didn't say anything.”

“You're laughing with your face.”

“I can't control my face.”

“Try.” He failed and I rolled my eyes and reached for the syrup but Marcus moved it again.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“You are acting like my father.”

His expression tightened. “I am trying to take care of you.”

“I didn't ask you to take care of me like I'm some helpless child.”

“You nearly collapsed yesterday.”

“And I am still standing today!” I threw my hands into the air so dramatically that the healer nearby immediately looked toward me. “See? Standing! Walking! Eating! Talking! All the things perfectly capable adults do!”

Rio coughed into his fist and I turned toward him. “Do you have something to say?”

“No.” he shook his head.

“Good.” I turned back to Marcus. “And for the record, I can shower, dress myself, eat my own food, walk around this penthouse and probably fight all three of you if you annoy me enough.”

Smith finally spoke. “You shouldn't fight anyone right now.”

I whipped my head toward him. “Oh, don't start.”

“I was only saying—”

“I know what you're saying.” I pointed around the table. “You're all doing it. Every single one of you. One person tells me what to eat, another tells me when I should sit down, and the third one is sitting there pretending he's innocent while secretly enjoying the whole thing.”

Smith's eyebrows lifted. “I haven't said anything.”

“Exactly.”

Rio started laughing again. I groaned and dropped my forehead into my palm. “I'm surrounded by idiots.”

A tiny squeal came from beside me. My daughter was sitting in her baby seat, kicking her little legs while chewing enthusiastically on her teething toy, completely unconcerned by the argument happening around her.

She babbled something that sounded suspiciously like, “Ba-ba-ba.”

I immediately softened. “Oh, sweetheart.”

I reached over and picked her up, settling her against my chest. She grabbed my shirt with one tiny fist and started tugging on it while babbling into my neck.

“There you go.” I kissed the top of her head. “You're the only sensible person here.”

Rio leaned over. “She can't even talk.”

“She still makes more sense than you.”

He placed a hand over his heart. “That hurt.”

“It was supposed to.”

My daughter suddenly reached toward him and Rio's entire face changed. “Oh, look at that. She wants me.”

“She wants everyone.”

“No, she knows I'm her favorite.”

I looked at him. “Are you seriously competing with an eight-month-old?”

“Yes.” He grinned.

I shook my head, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing. My daughter babbled again, grabbed my necklace and immediately tried to put it into her mouth.

“Hey, no.” I gently pulled it away. She frowned and tried it again causing me to laugh.

“You are stubborn.” Rio pointed at her. “Definitely your child.”

“I know.” I kissed her cheek before carefully placing her back in her seat.

When I turned around, Marcus was holding the bowl of fruit toward me.

I groaned. “Again?”

“Eat.”

I looked at the ceiling. “Why are you like this?”

“Because someone has to make sure you recover.”

“I will recover.” I retorted but he wasn't having it.

“You'll recover faster if you listen.”

I stared at him then, very deliberately, I picked up another pancake. Rio's smile appeared immediately and Marcus's expression darkened.

I took a huge bite. “See?” I said around the mouthful. “I'm eating.”

Rio burst out laughing, Smith shook his head while Marcus looked like he wanted to argue but knew he would only make things worse.

For a few minutes, things settled. While I ate, my daughter played with her toy. Rio stole fruit from my plate whenever he thought I wasn't looking. Smith quietly drank his coffee. Marcus continued watching me like I might spontaneously fall apart.

I tried to ignore him, I really did but after a while, I couldn't.

“What?”

He frowned. “What?”

“Why are you staring at me?”

“I'm not.”

“You are.” I looked down at my plate. “I'm eating so please stop looking at me like I'm about to die because I had a little bit of sugar, okay?”

“Yes Ma'am,” he teased and gave me space to continue eating my food.

Nobody said anything for a moment. I understood why they were acting like this.

They had almost lost me and maybe they were still afraid to breathe too deeply in case everything disappeared again.

I picked up my glass and took a sip. “I'm okay.”

Marcus nodded. “I know.”

That should have ended the conversation. Instead, Rio suddenly stole another piece of fruit from my plate.

I slapped his hand to stop him from taking it and he yelped in pain.

“Stop stealing my food!” I yelled.

“You weren't eating it.”

“It was mine!”

“You weren't going to eat that.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you were arguing.”

“I can argue and eat at the same time!”

Smith quietly pushed another piece of fruit toward me.

I looked at him. “Thank you.”

Rio gasped. “Betrayal.” he glared at Smith who was totally unfazed by his melodrama.

By the time breakfast ended, I was exhausted from arguing more than I was from eating, and I leaned back in my chair with a long sigh.

“I need a shower.”

Immediately, Marcus straightened. “You shouldn't shower alone.”

I slowly turned toward him. “Why?”

“You're still injured.”

“I can shower.”

“You could slip.”

“I won't.”

“You don't know that.”

“Oh my God.” I dragged both hands down my face. “Can everyone please stop treating me like I'm made of glass?”

Marcus opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, Rio spoke. “I'll help her.”

Smith looked up. “I can help.”

I slowly looked at each of them. “You're all volunteering to help me shower?”

Nobody answered, then I let out the longest sigh of my life. “I survived an attack just to end up trapped in a penthouse with three overprotective lunatics.”

How nice.