Chapter 119
CILLIAN
“You didn’t have to be sa rude.”
Erica’s tone was short, irritated, as she snapped her seatbelt home.
1 handly gave her a look as 1 steered the car onto the road. Instead, I grinned. “You could just say thank you and be done with it.”
She rolled her eyes, scotting, but I saw the way her fingers played with the seatbelt strap. A tell. She knew I was correct.
“Don’t worry.” I said, smiling, “I don’t carry a recorder around. The
There won’t be any unusual proof of you being thankful
I kept the smugness in my tone, knowing it was one of the few things that irked her.
As expected, she huffed out a breath. “Conversation with Owen now seems reasonably decent compared to having to witness you being all condescending
My hold on the steering wheel grew tighter at the mention of him. I knew exactly whom she was referring to–the same jerk she had been speaking with previously, her face alight with laughter, her eyes relaxed.
I snorted. “Yeah. I noticed the happy look on your face back on the porch. You looked enchanted.”
She turned her head away, gazing out. “Whatever.”
I smiled but didn’t prod. I kept my eyes on the road, allowing silence to fall between us. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, not really, but it had weight to it. A tension.
Erica folded her arms, her head against the window. She wasn’t sulking, but I could sense she was thinking–likely scheming some new means of annoying me.
Then, a loud, unmistakable growl echoed through the car.
Her stomach
The corner of my lip curled. Freya tensed, as if commanding her body to remain quiet.
y from my penthouse.
I didn’t respond. I simply effortlessly changed lanes, making a turn that took us away
Stir caught on in a matter of seconds. Her brows creased as she looked at me. “Where are we going?”
I didn’t look at her “To feed the growling monster”
Her dierks reddened at once, her mouth opening in outrage. “My stomach is not a monster.“
“Could’ve fooled me! ! grumbled
She blow out a breath sharply, crussing her arms over her chest once more. But then, after a moment, she confessed, “Well, I want some fried
my
ling a brow: “For duiner”
Yup” She jupped the p¦ast challenging me to condemn
I shook my head, chuckling Figures
I stopped at a greasy spoon diner that had apprated to be a fire there for decades, doling out more
sure grease than cuisine. The sheen of gold from ilic sign overbrad danced in her eyes, and she sighed contentedly. “Perfect”
The location wasn’t tany, but there were suficient individuals that I could already feel the occasional curious stare in our direction. I disregarded
approached the counter
The cashier, a young man wh
man who appeared furdly out of ha tecus, greeted us with a courteous. “Tu, what can I get your”
Erica didn’t even blink.
She perused die menù. her eyes lighting up as she began ordering. Hey, and get the crispy chicken bucket and the honey chicken traslers”
Chapter 119
The cashier entered her order, nodding. “Of course, Anything else?”
“Yes. Add the large popcorn, large fries, and a coke. She hesitated, then added, deadpan, “And a mousse,”
I looked at her
That was a huge order.
She must have been starving
The cashier stared a little as too, his fingers pausing over the counter as if re
Erica spun to me. “And what do you want?”
r as if reassuring himself that he had heard her correctly.
I smiled at her for a long moment, measured and slow. That was all for you?”
It was not a question. It was half–statement, half–mindless astonishment.
She gasped, her face contorting in mock distress. And before I knew what was going on, she emitted a shrill voice, the sort intended to draw
alterbon
ARE YOU CALLING ME FAT?”
The whole restaurant fell silent
Heads turned our way.
I could sense the burden of at least a dozen eyes boring into me, and I knew precisely what I must have appeared to be at this moment–a jerk boyfriend who had just put down his girlfriend’s weight in public
The condemnation was
i was immediate.
A woman standing by the soda machine made a sound of shock. A couple sitting at the back booth stopped eating, their faces scrunched in distaste as they gazed at me.
Even the damn cashier hesitated, his hand resting on the screen, giving me a disapproving look.
Linted my teeth.
Erica wasn’t fubed.
“You don’t want me to eat!?” Her face was perfectly upset, her voice rising just enough that every single person in the restaurant could hear
A man by the pick–up counter grumbled under his breath. “What a dick!”
Another person ugled
jeze were a few recnagch standing there, one of them actually shaking his head as i
if I was the world’s biggest disappointment
I denned my teeth
This Mo
She knew what she wan
“No.” I said, frustrated. ‘I did not
But she strupiyuusied
arms and exhaled in a dramatic, as if the world had ended kind of way, like this was some sort of mortal betrayal.
I cursed under my breath, glowering at her. “Joss, wonun, when did i say that”.
didat reply she simply blinked up
Be cashier, utterly uninterested, cleared lus throat “Will that be all”
Erica was grinning now. She was playing along
breathed out through my nose Hard Then griting my teeth, Isaid. “A cheeseburger, Make it à Thế
The cashier acknowledged, completing the order
24
Chapter His
I paid hastily, wanting to leave the limelight, but not before I caught a few more disapproving glances on our way to the pickup window.
The moment we picked up our food and headed towards a table, I gave her a glare. She sipped on her coke, not even flinching
“You’re evil.” I grumbled, sitting across from her.
She fluttered her lashes innocently. “What? You were being a bit too sming earlier. Needed to humble you a bit.”
I let out a sigh, daking my head. Unbelievable.”
She smiled and began to unwrap her chicken. I slumped back in my seat, rubbing my hand over my face.
It was a long day.
And this woman still managed to make me feel totally entertained and totally drained.
Sighing, I picked up a fry from the tray and bit into it.
was halfway through my cheeseburger when I saw the old man at the table next to us. His stare wasn’t very subtle. His creased face was focused on Freya’s lees, his beady little eyes not even blinking as he absorbed the view of her crossed thighs under the table.
I swallowed the hire, setting my burger down with slow deliberation.
The man continued staring
I crouched forward, my tone in danger of being too low. “I will rip out your eyeballs if you don’t look away.”
The old coor spit and coughed, almost choking on his beverage before seizing his cup in trembling hands. He rapidly downed the remainder of it and darted away, not having the guts to sneak a peek back.
Erica cocked an eyebrow. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing” I grumbled, grabbing my fries
Her eyes didn’t leave mine. She was looking at me, waiting. I sipped my drink, acting like I didn’t see her.
At last, she sighed. “You’re ridiculous!
“I said to her, nudging her food in front of her.
Enca devoured another late of chicken, releasing a theatrical sigh. This is so good
I rolled my eyes, unimpressed. “It’s literally just fried chicken
Slie gasped, putting a hand to her chest. Txcuse me. Just fined chicken? That’s like saying Van Gogh just painted some swirls,”
I smirked. “Did you really just compare your fried dimer to Starry Night?” ||
“Art it everywhere, Cillian‘ She waved at der meal. “This? This is a musterpiece”
I rolled in y
She strugged sweetly before stuffing another chunk of chicken unto her mouth.
in silence for a couple of minutes. Or rather, she ate as I watched the utter devastation occurring on her plate
Hallway though she had slowed down. I could see her appetite quiting on her. She took a few pieces of chicken and pushed thein in my direction
“Have suthE
back, one brow rising “No thank you”
Inca sconded. “Ta delicious”
She huffed. “Oh, why are you always so hard to de
I pointed to her plate. “Then why did you under
“Iyas hangry at the time”
Can’t possibly eat st of these?”
- Chapter 119
I gave her a look. She gave me one right back.
There was a mulish set to her jaw, the kind that said she wouldn’t let it goranti I did what she desired.
I breathed out through my nose. “You’re impossible”
Freya smiled. “And yet, here you are, across from me, having dinner?
“Against my better)
r judgment”
She nudged the plate towards me. “Eat,”
I glared at the chicken for a very long time before eventually taking a piece and eating it, chewing deliberately.
Erica looked at me eagerly. “Well?”
“I’s.“I swallowed. “Tine”
She gasped. Fine? Fine!”
1 shrugged, smiling. Tve had better?
Ha mouth dropped open. “Where!”
I paused for a moment. “Singapore.”
Freya scowled. “You would say something ridiculous like that.”
It’s not ridiculous if it’s truc
She blew an over–exaggerated breath out, shaking her head. Unbelievable.
We returned to eating a comment or two sneaking its way in here and there.
I sat and mainly listened, interjecting with a sarcastic comment here and there, but I couldn’t help but admit that it was… pleasant.
Too pleasant. It bothered me
The food rani low, and then she reclined, stretching her arms overhead. She let out a sigh of content before grumbling, “I’m tired. Let’s go home.”
Not to my
to my apartment. Not to your penthouse.
Home
She had uttered it so casually, so naturally, as if it was the most natural thing on earth, As if my penthouse was not a temporary abode above her
tray Walking to the exit with her. I couldn’t shake it out of my head.
I pushed back the orld sensation in my chest and stood, reaching for the tray
Home. It ought to have been intruding Not wekome. However it felt oddly satisfying
