Chapter 23 - Dinner

I pulled him in by his arm and then still holding his hand I walked to the fridge, one of the many which were there.

It was everything so clear that I almost changed my idea thinking about having to clean afterward.

I gazed around in look for the knife and when I finally saw it I pointed it, "start cutting out some vegetables."

He shook his head, "I'm fine watching you."

"No, no!" I slouched forward to grab a knife and rest it on the table in front of him.

He sighed and started to cut some zucchini into small cubes.

He was doing better than I expected, he proceeded to cut some peppers and carrots then we added all the vegetables on a big pan.

I put some water to boil and then turned around, "now we wait." I walked closer to him, "I hadn't cooked in a long time. I was always scared Carl wouldn't like how I cooked or that he liked more to order. We came back in different times of the days so when I saw that whenever he came back early or late he always had dinner alone I started to do the same."

I shrugged, as I heard the noise of the oil freezing the vegetables and the bubbles of the water starting to form I smiled. "I missed cooking," I confessed.

He joined in my smile and wrapped his hands around my hips, I felt like I was the only one who stuck the knife, Carl also didn't have time for me nor wanted to put effort or he would have found time to have dinner with me.

He wrapped the vegetables and added some salt on them and some other species.

"I always liked to cook," he whispered as he walked one step closer to the pans and threw in the boiling water the rice.

I was glad his main focus was the pots so that he didn't notice my surprised facial expression.

"My family was never home, so I was bored all the time. I began to cook to fill the free time I spent alone at home, then I kept cooking in the hope that making food for them would bring them back together. As if some well-cooked dish could fix a divorce."

When he turned around I was smiling, he tossed my hair behind my ear, "I am sorry," I said, and I truly was. I had never expected that inside a man so controllative and successful was hiding a vulnerable kid who probably had to grow too fastly for his age.

His eyes squint with a shake of his head and I understood he didn't like to hear that, maybe he hated the idea of being pitied by someone as much as I did.

"I haven't cooked in a while too. I am glad I am cooking again with you." He said, as I stared at him I noticed when he smiled he narrowed his eyes slightly and two little almost unnoticeable wrinkles appeared surrounding the corner.

I drained the rice while Cameron poured coconut milk on the vegetables, he then added curry in it and started to melt slowly. The cream assumed a yellow color and a delicious smell come from it.

After preparing two big dishes we sat on the edge of the kitchen shelf.

"Admit it the real reason why you don't date it's because you want to conquer all the women alive with your cooking skills!" I exclaimed pointing my fork at him before taking another bite of my rice. It was delicious.

He ceased to eat to dedicate my full attention, he smiled, "I don't know why it's so easy to open up and tell you those things when I am with you."

He replied seriously and I immediately regretted having jested, I cleared my voice and my face grew more seriously within my mood.

"I feel the same with you," as soon as he heard me he seemed more relieved as if he still doubted I didn't like him.

"I had never brought any girl I dated before with me to travel, just like I had never cooked for anyone before." He continued, his voice turned slightly high-pitched, revealing both the sincerity and the shyness in his voice.

I didn't know what to reply but my heart grew of happiness, eating something so simple like rice, cooped up in an empty room and with an almost unknown guy was making me more special than anyone else in my life ever made me feel.

He settled into his seat and leaned forward the wall, he rested the now-empty bowl on the shelf and looked at me from there.

I could feel a source of heat in my cheek, he was staring at me in his usual way but I felt honored by his gaze. I felt I was worth enough to be stared at the way he did, almost like he was enchanted by me.

"I feel sorry and a bad person to admit it but I am glad you broke up with Carl because if you didn't I would have never met you."

I let the words simmer in, a smile played on my lips.

Maybe sometimes life does pay you back for something you've suffered for to create some kind of balance.

He leaned forward, his fingers rested on my chin, their coldness due to the porcelain bowl made me shiver, or maybe the shivering wasn't due to that.

He caressed my cheek and smiled as he got even closer to my lips.