She scrunched up her nose. “Celebrate? I don’t know if I agree with that.”
I nodded. “Yes. This is big. We could go out somewhere. This is a big milestone.”
She didn’t look pleased; if anything, she looked like she could vomit. I quickly realized she probably didn’t want to go around town after everything that happened last week. She was probably trying to lay low until everything started to blow over, or at least until everyone stopped whispering about it.
“Or, just dinner at home instead,” I offered. “I have some nice steaks in the fridge, and you could take an extra hot shower while I cook. We can watch a movie afterward.”
She smiled. “I’ll take that offer. A hot shower sounds like heaven right now.”
I felt the tug to hold her closer, wanting this moment to last a little longer. I liked this path we were on. We were getting along, and she was starting to trust me again. I found myself constantly wanting to spend more time with her, wanting to see her progress and watch her bloom into this new person.
Chapter 17 - Gabriella
I took a long, hot shower. I stood underneath the water, letting it warm every inch of my freezing cold body. I felt my mind drift back to the water and the way that Westley wrapped his arm around my waist. The way he spun me around and smiled at me. My heart had skipped a beat because of how proud he looked.
I tilted my head back, letting the water flow over my head. I was enjoying the time I had with him, but I still felt that ache deep in my chest. I wished I had known what went wrong before. A part of me wondered if it would happen again. Was Westley going to wake up one day and decide he didn’t want to help Hazel and me anymore?
I turned the water off and stepped out. I wrapped my hair up in a towel and wiped my hand over the fogged window. I stared at myself. I put on a little weight since moving in with Westley, and more muscle since we started training. My face had more shape, and my skin wasn’t as pale as it used to be. It was strange seeing myself, remembering what I used to look like.
I looked at my hands, remembering that feeling. That tingle and that release that went with it. I wondered just what else I would be able to master over time.
I headed to my bedroom and searched for something to wear. I was warm, but I wanted to cling to this heat for longer. I threw on a pair of fuzzy pjs, wondering if Westley was expecting me to dress up nicely. Had he dressed up nicely after his shower?
I opened my door and leaned out, looking at what Westley was wearing. He was wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants and a white shirt. I decided not to change.
I dried my hair with a towel and headed out. I knew that Hazel would be home soon, so it wouldn’t just be him and me for long.
I stepped into the kitchen and found it smelled amazing. Westley had three steaks on the stove cooking with sauteed onions and mushrooms on the side. He had rice in another pot, with some green beans cooking in a third pan. The room smelled of spices, and my mouth watered.
“Do you want a bottle of wine?” he asked, pointing to the two wine bottles he had sitting next to the microwave.
“Sure, do you want a glass?”
He nodded. I poured two glasses of wine and set them on the dining table. I pulled my phone free and frowned. “Has Hazel let you know when she’s going to be home?”
“Oh, she said she was staying out late. So, I’m just going to leave her a plate in the microwave.”
“What?” I looked away from my phone at him. “Since when?”
“She called me while you were in the shower. She said that they needed an extra hand tonight, so she was going to stay and help.”
My shoulders dropped slightly. So, it was just going to be him and me. I swallowed, suddenly nervous.
“Is that a problem?” he asked, flipping the steak.
I quickly shook my head. “No, I’m just surprised, that’s all. I figured she would be home early since she left the house early this morning. She’s going to be tired when she gets home.”
I turned back to the dining room, chewing on my lip. It wasn’t like Westley, and I didn’t spend time alone, but recentlyI’ve had too many feelings and thoughts. I needed someone to be a buffer for us.
Westley and I sat down to eat ten minutes later. The food looked amazing, and I was stunned at the smell of everything. “This looks amazing. I didn’t know you could cook so well.”
“I took a couple of cooking classes when I was younger. Wanted to make sure I knew how to cook for myself rather than eating junk.”
“You took cooking classes?” I was shocked by this. Another thing about him that I never knew. Westley seemed full of surprises.
He nodded. “Yeah, did a basic one for cooking, a couple of advanced classes, and some cultural classes. I can make some pretty good Chinese orange chicken with some egg rolls.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, imagining him with other people in a large space cooking. I suddenly found myself wishing that I knew more. We had spent so much time sitting in silence, reading, that I didn’t know much about Westley. I knew he was sweet and that he cared about people. But I hadn’t known he was an orphan. I didn’t know that he lived such a solitary life. I didn’t know his hobbies or what he liked to do in his spare time. I didn’t know him as a person.
