Bake Me a Mate

Chapter 7：Elise 's probing/testing

Elise hurried back to the shop, holding the bouquet of cherry blossoms. Even though the sun felt warm, she felt an empty feeling in her chest. She decided to put her complicated thoughts aside for now and focus on her work at the bakery.

She put the cherry blossoms in a simple white vase and placed it in the window where everyone could see it. The pink and white petals, along with the warm yellow lights inside the shop, made the place look even more inviting.

That evening, Elise watched Lucien cut his steak and suddenly asked, "Lucien, do you like cherry blossoms?"

Lucien stopped moving his knife and fork, which made a clinking sound on the plate. "Why are you asking that?" he asked, looking at Elise with a questioning expression.

"Oh, nothing much. I just bought some cherry blossoms today, and they looked pretty," Elise said casually, but her eyes were fixed on Lucien's face, trying to read his expression. She put down her knife and fork and traced the edge of her plate with her finger. She felt uneasy.

Lucien also put down his silverware, wiped his mouth with his napkin, and said slowly, "Cherry blossoms are beautiful, but they don't last very long."

His voice was low and very attractive, like the deep notes of a cello. Elise felt a shiver go down her spine.

Her heart began beating faster. She grabbed the tablecloth, her fingernails digging in. She felt like Lucien's words were more than they seemed, and his cold voice made her nervous.

"Lucien," Elise said, deciding to get straight to the point, "what do you know about my childhood?"

Lucien's eyes suddenly became very intense, like two swirling pools that could s*ck you right in. "What do you want to know?"

Elise took a deep breath and asked, trying to sound brave, "When I was little... did something happen to me? My parents... how exactly did they die?"

As she asked that question, Elise felt her heart beating so loudly that it seemed like it was about to jump out of her throat.

Lucien didn't say anything, just stared at Elise, his eyes like they were trying to see right through her. His eyebrows were scrunched up, and his lips were tightly closed.

Elise felt her skin crawl under his gaze. She twisted her hands together under the table, her nails digging into her palms. "Auntie Marianna... she told me some things, said I was in a car accident when I was little, and that my parents..."

"What did she tell you?" Lucien suddenly interrupted her, his voice sounding angry.

"She said... I was in a car accident when I was little, and my parents... they died saving me," Elise said, her voice shaking as she tried not to cry. By the end, her voice was barely audible. "I've forgotten most of what happened before. I can't remember much."

Lucien's face showed a mix of sympathy, regret, and other complicated emotions she couldn't quite read. He said, "Elise, sometimes it's better not to know."

"But I want to know!" Elise said angrily, looking up at him with her big, stubborn eyes. "I don't want to keep living like this, all confused. I want to know about the past, about my parents. I want to know... who I really am. I have to understand, no matter how terrible or painful it might be."

She'd had enough.

Lucien looked at Elise's determined expression and finally softened. "Okay, whatever you want to know, I'll try to tell you. But you have to be prepared, because some things might be scarier than you think. It might even be impossible for you to continue living your life the way you are now."

Elise nodded her head in agreement. She was ready for anything. She looked at Lucien, waiting for him to continue.

"You were in a car accident when you were young," Lucien said, his voice low and slow, each word sounding heavy. "It was a very bad accident."

Elise felt her heart sink. She imagined the accident, the terrible scene, and her parents crying out for help. She was shaking, and tears began to stream down her face.

"Your parents... they died instantly, protecting you," Lucien's voice broke. He turned his head away, like he couldn't bear to look at Elise's eyes.

Elise continued to cry. She bit her lip, trying not to sob out loud, but it was hard to do.

"Were... were you there too?" Elise asked, her voice shaking with emotion. She wanted to know all the details of the accident.

Lucien nodded. "I was... near by at the time."

"Then why didn't you save my parents?" Elise's emotions became very strong. She didn't understand why Lucien, if he was nearby, would just stand by and watch her parents get hurt.

Lucien's face contorted in pain, as if he had been stabbed in the chest. "I... I didn't... I didn't have the ability back then."

Elise didn't believe him. "Didn't have the ability? How could you not have the ability? Aren't you... aren't you..." She wanted to say, "Aren't you a werewolf?" Werewolves are supposed to be strong. But she stopped herself, unable to finish the thought.

Lucien saw Elise's pain, and it made him sad. He knew he had to explain things to her, tell her who he really was and what he'd done in the past.

"Elise, there are some things I can't tell you right now," Lucien said, his voice low and filled with helplessness. "But I promise you, someday, I will tell you everything, every single detail."

Elise wiped away her tears and stared intently into Lucien's eyes, trying to see through him. "I hope that day doesn't come too late."

"And," Elise said, her voice a little shaky, like she was afraid of something, "Auntie Marianna said I really loved a cherry blossom hairpin when I was little... have you ever seen it?"

Lucien's eyes flashed away for a moment, as if he had been pricked by a needle, as if he had remembered something but was trying to hide it. He was silent for a moment before finally saying slowly, "I don't remember."

Those four words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing the little bit of hope that had just sparked in Elise's heart. She had hoped that Lucien might know something because he was connected to her childhood. Maybe he even knew more than she did.

"Really... you don't remember anything at all?" Elise asked, still not giving up. Her voice was filled with disappointment and pleading. She really wanted Lucien to remember something.

Lucien looked at Elise, whose large, watery eyes showed her hope. His heart ached. He really wanted to tell her everything, but he couldn't. Not yet, anyway.

"Elise," Lucien said, his voice gentle, "sometimes, it's better to forget things. Aren't you happy with your life now? Don't think too much about the past."

Elise looked down, not saying anything. She knew Lucien was probably right, but she just couldn't let it go. Those memories felt like a huge black hole, sucking her heart right in.

"I just... I just want to know who I am," Elise said softly, as if she was talking to herself.

She looked up, out the window. It was completely dark, and the streetlights were on. Their yellow glow made her shadow stretch long and thin.