Chapter 25- Chicken Soup for the Soul

Belle's POV

"Ahem!" I knocked on Adam's door. "Room service," I called out playfully.

I could hear Adam's gruff voice mumble something along the lines of "this isn't a hotel," causing me to stifle a giggle. Adam opened it hesitantly, only halfway. I could see that he was in a towel waist down.

"Belle?"

"Oops! Sorry, I can see I caught you at a bad time." I looked away bashfully. My! Was he handsome!

"No, it's ok. Let me just change into some clothes. Wait out here," he insisted as he closed the door. I looked around the hallway. No one really seemed to be in view. Thank goodness. I would've been mortified if anyone found me at Adam's door while he was half naked.

The door opened once more. "Come in," he said.

"Wow you got ready really fast," I said as I set the bag of food down on his table as he dried his hair with a towel. "I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd come in and check on you. "

He set the towel around the back of his neck hanging, and looked into bag to explore its contents..

"Looks like you took a trip to the market Belle."

"Yeah, I went to the one near the quad. I figured maybe since you weren't feeling well I could cook you some dinner."

"Belle, that's really thoughtful of you. But you didn't have to do this. I can always ring for my personal assistant to bring something for me. Really you didn't have to go to any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all really. I just wanted to check on you," I said.

"No one's ever offered to do something like this for me before," Adam said softly as he went to set his towel on the back of his desk chair. He sounded amazed that anyone would ever think of cooking for him.

To be honest it surprised me too. I knew he had been with plenty of girls and I assumed that those girls would spoil him like this. Maybe I didn't understand the dynamics of all that...canoodling stuff.

"So checking up on me huh?" he said with a wink causing me blush a bit.

"Don't flatter yourself, it's just soup," I said trying to deflect flirtation. "Also...I was really concerned."

"Sorry about earlier," he said regretfully.

"Don't be," I said dismissing his apology. "I could tell you were definitely not yourself considering the drastic change I saw from you this morning compared to last night."

"I feel much better now. I got some sleep, had some tea. I tidied up the place and as you saw just took a shower. I feel refreshed. I just needed some time to myself, hope you didn't mind-"

"No worries. You're entitled to your own alone time. I get it," I said with a smile. "After all, burying my nose in a book is always heavenly alone time for me." Adam's lips curled up to a smile.

I went to his kitchen to look for the pots and pans.

"Have you ever cooked around here?" I asked noticing that the kitchen seemed to be unusually tidy as if it were untouched.

"No, not really. Once in a while I make a cup of coffee or boil an egg or something," he replied shrugging his shoulders. "I usually go out find something to eat or if I'm in my room, my servant takes care of all that I guess."

I nodded, as I finally found a Dutch oven pot. Placing it on the stove, I looked around once more.

"What are you looking for?" Adam asked.

"Matches?"

"Oh. Here," he said as he went to his desk and brought a box, placing it in my hands. I opened the cover of the stove which raised the burners from the gas pipe. As I turned the switch I lit a match and instantly a blue fire emerged. I filled the pot with water and set it on the stove to boil.

"Do you like chicken noodle soup?" I asked.

"You can cook that?" He asked.

"Um…yes. Got the recipe from of my….maids." I said trying not to give any hint of village life to Adam.

Adam cocked one eyebrow up. "You know, I spent a lot of my life in servant's quarters. Eric did too. I'd hang out with them all the time. They were more fun. Plus, I was very aware of the kitchen surroundings. I actually do know how to cook you know, I just never really bothered to do it here."

"What made you stop cooking?" I asked as I took a few vegetables out of the bag.

Adam shrugged. "It was something I did with my mom a lot."

"Oh," I said fully understanding what he meant. I didn't want to pry any further and went to the large basin style sink to begin washing the vegetables. Adam came up next me, grabbed the peeler I had just set on the counter, and peeled the carrots I had washed.

"She was an amazing cook. Once or twice a year, she'd cook this large feast herself just for the servants. They'd all of course insist on helping her with the prepping, but she never took up their offer. It was this one thing she wanted to do, and without fault every year it would be done. She loved it. She said showing appreciation was one of the kindest things we could do, and ironically, it wouldn't require much effort. Eric and I would help and join in on the prepping and cooking. It was just- fun." He said pensively as he went on peeling.

"One time," he paused for a moment from peeling and let out a soft chuckle, "she got the royal quartet to come down and play music in the kitchen while she cooked. One of my fondest memories of her was when she taught me how to make beef stew."

"Beef bourguignon?" I asked.

He looked at me, and nodded smilingly. "Yes. That was my mom's most favored dish among our home."

"I love beef bourguignon too. My mom made it as well. We didn't have it as often but I attempted to try it once in a while. It never came out quite the same."

Adam nodded as if he could understand what I meant.

"You miss her?" he asked me as he set the peeler down, leaning against the counter looking at me.

"Everyday."

Adam nodded, as he went to chopping the carrots. I was very impressed by his knife work. He was quick and precise when it came to dicing the carrots, for all pieces looked so even.

"Cooking reminds me a lot of my mom," Adam said.

I nodded. "For me it's reading. She taught me how to read."

"It's an escape," we both found ourselves saying at the same time. I smiled shyly at Adam, while he smiled back, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"At least you didn't stop reading," Adam said as he went on to chop up the stalk of celery I had just separated and washed.

I shrugged my shoulders. "You can't really get away from reading it's around you all the time. Whether your studying, traveling, or even ordering lunch. But I guess you're right. I'm fond of it and still turn towards a good book to brighten me up on a dreary me it truly is an escape. Ironically she gave me the right antidote I needed when dealing with the grief of her own death. She taught me a form of healing I never knew I would one day need. That's something I've always been thankful of her for."

"Since my mother passed away I haven't cooked like this in years," Adam said as if he were thinking out loud.

I paused as I grasped the countertop. "Adam? Are you comfortable with cooking here right now? I mean I didn't even ask you if it was ok, I just barged in here-"

"Belle, no. Please don't think that. You didn't barge in here. You were genuinely concerned for me. That was really sweet of you," he said looking at me from the side as he put the chopped up celery into a bowl. "Besides, I'm just helping you. I'm your sous chef. Tell me what to do but you put everything altogether!"

I giggled. "Okay. Well in that case why don't you chop this onion up? I always tear up at this task!"

Adam took the onion from my hand and began to peel it. "I suffer from getting watery eyes too, but I can be your cooking hero I guess and do this unwilling task for you!" he said with a wink, causing me to blush a little.

After we made the soup, Adam took out two bowls and plates from his tallest shelf. After trying myself for a couple of minutes, he relieved me from the task and did it with such ease. We filled our bowls with the warm soup and Adam set a table out on the balcony. He even lit a candle in the middle. It was the little touches Adam would make that made me feel more and more comfortable to be around him.

"Just some added ambiance to the moonlight. You won't be cold out here will you? We can always eat inside."

I shook my head. "I brought my shawl, I'll be fine," I insisted.

We talked about many things. Adam said a lot about his mom and more shenanigans that he and Eric got into. I just listened on amazed by the way his life had sounded like such an adventure. I wish my life had been like that. I loved my father, my memories of my mom, life on the farm, but it was in no way as adventurous or as lively as Adam's. We ended up wanting to talk so much that he decided to bring the baguette of bread I had brought and cut it up for us to nibble on.

"Why do you crave adventure so much?" Adam asked.

"It's my greatest fear. To live a mundane life or worse, one filled with no purpose or risk."

Adam nodded his head as he went on nibbling on his bread. "That's why you came here to the Parthenon."

I shrugged my shoulders. " Yeah, I certainly think so." He nodded again, as if he knew exactly what i mean.

Adam brought another pitcher of water for us as we went talking and talking. I forgot all about the assignment, and didn't even bring it up. He brought up the induction ceremony on Thursday.

"So speaking of risks, have you decided?"

I shook my head, "No afraid not."

"What's holding you back?"

"Honestly?" I asked him looking at his piercing blue eyes. Nodding he motioned me to continue. "I know it sounds petty but it's Aurora. I know, I know! I should let a girl get to me but it's not her per say as it just all being uncomfortable for me. I don't like to divulge a lot about myself. I'm just, naturally a private person I guess. I'm friendly but I don't feel I need to know everything about their life history or the skeletons in their closet to be friends with someone. And she well-"

"She wants to know everything about everyone." Adam said finishing my words for me.

"Exactly."

The corner's of Adam's mouth curled up a little.

"I don't think you have anything to be intimidated about Belle. You can hold your own. I've seen it. Just pretend she's me and you won't have any problems putting her in line!" he said with a chuckle making me do the same.

"Come on! Was I really that bad? I didn't recall always having to put you in line," I said bashfully.

"Not always, but enough to make me want to be a better person. Or I guess at least more self-aware, which isn't a bad thing. You've brought a lot of positivity into my life Belle. Just look I mean you brought cooking back into my life."

I could feel the heat rush towards my cheeks. "It was nice to cook with you."

"Seems like we make a great pair in the kitchen as well as in sonnet class huh?" he said with a smirk as he took a sip of his water.

"Seems like," I said nodding my head in agreement.

"You know we both lost our moms, but you found a way to cope. I did too, just wasn't healthy at first. Then Eric got me a diary and I began to write in it. After that I never stopped."

"No wonder you're such an avid writer," I complimented noting his great work on the project.

"Thanks," he said with a smile as he looked out to the star studded sky, "I am pretty passionate about it."

"I can tell," I said.

"I've written poetry you know too," Adam said with a testy grin.

"I know that look."

"What look?" he said with playful eyes.

"You're trying to see if I could believe that about you. Kind of like testing me like you always do best."

"And," he said prompting that I divulge my thoughts.

"Hmm. Yes. I guess I can believe you've written some poetry before," I said with a little smile. Adam clapped his hands, entertained that I got the answer right.

"Never to any women though, if you can believe that."

Now that was hard to believe. "Never?" I asked completely astonished.

Adam shook his head. "You keep your life private, I keep my poetry private. It's all in the diary."

"You've never shared with any girl you've wooed?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nope. Not yet anyway" he said grinning.

Fearing that this conversation might escape into uncharted waters I decided to reluctantly end the night. "It's getting late. I better head back to my dorm," I pointed out.

I almost didn't really want to leave. Adam's room was huge. His kitchen and bedroom was probably the size of mine. We didn't even have our own kitchen. He definitely had a beautiful suite all to himself. Plus Ariel wouldn't be there. I would feel so alone, but it wouldn't be proper to be with him, overnight, in the same room.

Adam looked a little reluctant with my leaving as well. We really did have a splendid evening and we talked a lot too.

"I understand. Want me to help you take the bag of items you bought from the market to your room?" he asked.

"No. Besides Ariel and I don't have a kitchen to cook in. Maybe you can look around those ingredients inside and stir up something delicious. Seems like you haven't lost your cooking touch from how well our soup turned out today," I pointed out.

Adam combed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, maybe." He said.

Adam's POV

As soon as Belle left my room I felt the void. I looked back at our empty plates outside on the balcony. The candle now dripped on to the wine bottle it was held on, hardened from the cool air outside, and its light had long gone out. As I washed the plates I stared at the suds on my hands. I hadn't washed my own plates or silverware in a long time. Nor had I cooked in a long time either.

Deciding to write in my diary a bit before I turned in for the night I headed to my desk. That's funny. I remember setting the thing on my desk. Where was it? I looked in the drawers and shelves. Scratching my head I turned to my armoire.

"Why the hell would it be in here anyway?" I asked myself out loud, internally chastising myself as I closed the door of the armoire with a loud thud! Turning back to the kitchen I looked at the countertops and dining table. Even ventured outside. I usually wasn't so absent minded with the item. In fact, I was always very careful about it. It held a lot of my private thoughts which included intricate details of how I came to find out of my mom's death and how I dealt with the pain using narcotics, including illegal ones. I had also documented my recently my nocturnal whereabouts posing as an incognito guest at the tavern with details of me saving Belle from that night of disgrace and our conversations. In fact, it had a lot about Belle too, including her secret job as a personal barmaid to me. If anyone found that a lot of people's lives would be ruined.

I retraced my steps again and again that night. Where did I put it? I never remembered leaving the room with it ever, I just written in it this afternoon…this afternoon. I was beginning to feel numb as the realization where my diary had gone hit me. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise. I took my coat and headed out the door. Hopefully I wasn't too late!