320 Stubborn

320 Stubborn

I tried to push the door open, but it was locked. I swallowed and reached for him through the mind link. “Lennox… please open up,” I pleaded.

When I stepped into the kitchen, the staff froze, surprise flashing in their eyes. They hadn’t expected to see me in the pack house, much less in the kitchen. Without a word, I tied an apron around my waist and began pulling out ingredients.

Of course, I knew he’d recover from his injuries. That wasn’t what worried me. What about the hurt I’d caused with my words? What about the way I’d looked at him?

Wiping my hands on the apron, I lifted the first two trays and carried them out to the sitting room where Levi and Louis still sat.

Louis exchanged a quick glance with Levi, but neither of them tried to stop me.

“He’s gonna be okay,” Levi said gently.

Finally, Louis shook his head. “Give him a few moments alone.”

I sank to the floor just outside his door, setting the tray beside me. “I’ll be here,” I told him softly, through the mind link. “When you’re ready to open the door… I’ll be here.”

By the time I was done, three trays sat on the counter–one for Lennox, one for Levi, and one for Louis. I arranged them neatly, adding the little touches I knew they loved: extra gravy for Levi, a sprinkle of herbs for Louis, and Lennox’s favorite hot sauce on the side.

“Lennox… please,” I tried again through the mind link, my voice barely above a whisper in my own head.

Among the three, Lennox was the most stubborn–stone-willed and impossible to move when he’d made up his mind. He could shut the world out for days if he wanted to, and I knew I was asking him to open a door that was more than just wood and metal.

That day, I’d stood right here, nervously serving them the meal I’d made from scratch. The moment they took the first bite, their faces lit up like I’d just given them the greatest gift in the world. They’d eaten like it was the most delicious thing they’d ever tasted, and between mouthfuls, they kept showering me with praise.

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“You… cooked this?” Levi asked, his brows lifting.

Frustration and desperation tangled inside me. My hands tightened around the tray until my knuckles ached. “You can remain angry at me if you want. You can ignore me forever. But you’re not going to starve because you’re too stubborn to see me.”

The memory made me smile faintly as I stirred the pot. I couldn’t just make Lennox’s favorite. If I was going to mend the cracks between us, I wanted Levi and Louis to feel it too.

I closed my eyes. This was Lennox–strong-headed, proud, the one who never bent until he was ready. I could beg all night, and it still might not matter.

I frowned. “I can’t wait. I can’t let him remain angry and hurt. I have to fix this.” Neither of them stopped me as I turned and walked away.

I took a breath, tightening my grip on the tray, and knocked softly.

I gave a small nod. “Yes. For both of you. But…” My gaze shifted toward the hall. “I’m going to take Lennox’s to him now.”

Louis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Rushing in right now might make it worse. Sometimes space is better-”

But I wasn’t leaving.

Olivia’s POV

I knew he heard me; I felt the deep inhale he took, but there was still no response.

I remembered laughing as they fought over the last piece, promising–no, swearing–that I would cook for them until we all grew up. I didn’t realize then how much that promise meant to them… or to me. The way they’d looked at me that day—it was like I’d just promised to be by their side forever.

They both looked up in surprise as I set the plates down in front of them.

“Lennox,” I whispered again, pressing my forehead to the door. “I made your favorite. You don’t even have to talk to me. Just… eat. Please.”

“Not for me,” I cut him off firmly. “I’m going to the kitchen to cook for him. It’ll be my apology.”

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So, I reached for more ingredients, deciding to make Levi’s favorite dish and Louis’s as well. Maybe if they could taste a piece of the past, they’d remember what we used to be… before everything got so complicated.

He didn’t answer. I could sense he already knew it was me at the door, and he didn’t want me in.

No footsteps. No sound of the lock turning. Just stillness.

Then I followed the pull of his scent–strong, familiar, and achingly comforting–down the hallway. Every step brought me closer until I was standing at the door to his room. If words had failed me, maybe Lennox’s favorite meal could speak for me.

Silence.

Silence.

Another deep inhale from him—audible this time, like he was trying to keep himself from reacting. But still, no response.

I swallowed hard. “Can I go to him?” I asked quietly, my gaze darting between Levi and Louis, searching their conflicted expressions for any sign of approval.

An awkward silence settled in the air, thick and heavy. Neither Levi nor Louis spoke, but they didn’t need to–one look at them told me all three of them were disappointed in me. The weight of that truth sat like a stone in my chest, and I felt utterly miserable. I turned back toward the kitchen, my heart pounding a little harder now. His tray was waiting, still steaming. I balanced it carefully in my hands and inhaled deeply.

The smell of ingredients began to fill the air as I moved around the kitchen, my hands working on instinct. It had been years–years–since I’d cooked for them. The last time, we were barely more than teens. I could still picture it clearly…

My chest tightened. I could feel him on the other side–his presence heavy, steady, but locked down like a fortress. His emotions were there too, faint threads of hurt and anger that he kept wound tight, refusing to let me near them.

I glanced in Levi’s direction. When our eyes met, he offered me a faint, comforting smile–one that didn’t quite reach his eyes–but still, it was something.