Cuts P.O.V

Things have been quiet around the apartment for a couple days. Neither Horn or I have brought up our drunken night together. In all honesty, that's probably for the best.

Horn left the status of our relationship as my decision. I'm glad that I have the say, but I feel rushed to give an answer. I want to make sure that I make the right decision. This isn't just about me. I'm not the only one who would be affected.

Horn is currently at work. I'm home alone, occupying myself with a book. Unfortunately, even one of my favorite pass times can't keep my mind from the situation.

"What am I going to do?" I ask myself softly, resting my book on my forehead.

After getting out of a relationship with Ricky, I feel nervous to suddenly jump into another one. Horn doesn't seem anything like Ricky, but that applies to almost everyone I've dated. They always change over time. The last thing I want is to get trapped in another nightmare of a relationship.

As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not ready for a relationship. It's simply too soon for me. I'm more comfortable taking a slower pace. This pace makes me feel rushed.

"I really hope you don't hate me for this," I whisper to myself, hugging my book to my chest.

Now I wait for Horn to come back home. I don't feel comfortable telling him my decision over the phone. It wouldn't be right. Horn is also at work. I don't need to stress him out right now.

In order to clear my head before Horn gets home, I decide to do some prepping for dinner. Cooking is relaxing to me. The only time I'm not calm when I cook is if I accidentally cut myself. Other than those times, I'm calm and relaxed.

I rummage through the fridge and cabinets so I can decide what I want to make. Horn wasn't lying when he said that he could make pasta, pasta, or pasta. It seems like that's all he knows how to cook. Unfortunately, I wasn't planning on making a pasta dish tonight. It seems like I'll have to leave the apartment and go grocery shopping.

I toss on a hoodie and grab my wallet before I leave the apartment. Horn gave me his spare key so I'll be able to get in if he's not home. I'll also be able to lock the door if I decide to leave.

I take the stairs down to the lobby of the apartment building. The elevator would most likely be faster, but I prefer to avoid confined spaces. It makes my anxiety easier.

Since I'm new to the area, I'm not familiar with where most places are. I take out my phone and pull up a map of the area. Within a few seconds, I find a grocery store just a few blocks away.

I follow the map until I reach the grocery store. It doesn't take very long. The store is relatively large and has a family-owned kind of vibe.

I walk in and look around. The weather has been slowly getting colder, so I'm thinking that soup would be a good route to go in. It might even last us a few days, depending on how big of a pot I make.

I grab a small basket and head directly for the fresh produce. I grab several larger potatoes, inspecting each for any bad spots. I grab carrots and heavy cream. The heavy cream will give a more creamy texture to the soup. I also grab several more spices to add flavor to the soup.

Once I'm done, I get in line to check out. There are a couple people ahead of me, so I'm forced to wait. After a few minutes, I can finally put the groceries on the conveyor belt.

"What are you doing here?" a familiar voice asks.

I look up, only to see Horn in front of me. This just happens to be the supermarket where he works. I wasn't aware of that, not that being here is a problem for me.

"Well, I was going to cook dinner and I wasn't in the mood to make pasta," I tell him.

Horn laughs softly as he slides the groceries across the scanner and bags them. "Something other than pasta would be a nice change."

"That's why I'm here."

Horn rings up the price and I hand him the cash. He hands me the few bags I have and smiles.

"You know, if you wait another ten minutes, we could walk home together," Horn says with a smile.

"That sounds nice. I'm not too familiar with the area yet," I tell him honestly.

"Then stay here for the next ten minutes and I'll walk you home."

I nod and walk out of line. I stand against the wall and wait for Horn's shift to end. After ten minutes, his shift ends and he clocks out.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

"Yep," I say, a small smile spreading across my face.

Horn and I walk out of the market together. He leads the way back to the apartment. It's a good thing that Horn is with me because I honestly didn't remember the route. The last thing I would want is to get lost in a completely new state.

We walk up the stairs until we reach our floor. Horn unlocks the door and I carry the groceries inside.

"Need any help cooking?" Horn asks while closing the door.

"No, that's okay. I'd rather not risk one of us getting burned with the scolding soup."

Horn sits down at the bar and rests his chin in the palm of his hand. I can see that he's tired. I've worked retail before, so I know that feeling.

"Did I really bite you that many times?" he asks, obviously referring to the many hickeys he left on my neck.

"You did," I answer, feeling my cheeks grow hot.

I begin to chop vegetables to busy myself. I don't want to show my embarrassment.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine," I assure him. "I scratched you up."

"I suppose that makes us even," he says with a small laugh.

"For now."

How could I possibly bring myself to tell Horn that I want to wait?