We sat side by side at the table, the quiet settling over us like a soft blanket, broken only by the clink of chopsticks against bowls. I dug into the food—warm rice, crunchy stir-fried veggies, and that rich soup Aeri always nailed. I swear, I could eat her cooking every day and never get tired of it.
The flavors hit just right, comforting and I couldn't help but glance at her, a little smile tugging at my lips.
"Umm... it's tasty, Aeri," I said, keeping it casual, my voice light with genuine happiness as I scooped up another bite.
She was mid-sip of her soup, and all I got back was a quiet "thank you..."—barely a mumble, her lips pursed in a pout as she focused on her bowl.
She was still mad, no question, the air between us thick with it despite the cozy setup.
I let out a soft *sighhh*, leaning back in my chair, and flashed her a smile, trying to warm the ice. "Oh, come on, Aeri," I said, stretching the words out, my hands waving in big, exaggerated gestures to sell it. "I'm seriously sorry—and I swear I'll make sure this doesn't happen again." My tone was playful, but underneath, my stomach was tight, tense from knowing I'd screwed up bad.
She didn't even look up, just took another slow sip of soup, her eyes closing like she was shutting me out. "Yeah, okay, sure," she said, her voice flat, dripping with sarcasm. "Same words, same expressions... same mistake." The spoon clinked against her bowl as she set it down, and she finally flicked her gaze to me, one eyebrow arched like she'd heard this song before.
I leaned closer, resting my elbow on the table, desperate to fix it. "Okay, how about this?" I said, my voice perking up. "From now on, I'll message you the second I put my phone on silent—right before I have to focus on work. No more silence, promise." I held up my hands like I was swearing an oath, waiting for her to bite.
She opened her mouth, probably to shoot me down, but then a sharp, teasing sound that cut through the quiet.
"You could've done that a long time ago, you know," she said, leaning forward, her eyes narrowing as she poked at me. "And now you're realizing it when I'm *this* pissed, huh? Huh?" She jabbed a finger in the air toward me, her tone playful but still edged with that lingering annoyance.
"Hehe, sorry again," I said, brushing it off with a sheepish grin, reaching out to nudge her arm lightly. "I'm slow sometimes—give me a break."
She let out a long *sighhh*, rolling her eyes as she scooped up more rice. "You're hopeless sometimes," she said, her voice softening a bit, though the pout hadn't fully left her lips.
She chewed slow, staring at her plate like she was deciding whether to let me off the hook.
"So... we good now?" I asked, tilting my head to catch her eye, my tone hopeful but careful.
"Yes, we are," she said, her voice still a little straight, clipped, like she wasn't ready to let it go completely.
She glanced at me, her blush creeping back, and I could tell she meant it—mostly. The rest would settle with time, like it always did. I'd just have to prove it with more than words next time.
The food was still warm, steam curling up from the bowls, and I savored every bite, letting the quiet settle. Then Aeri glanced at me over her spoon, her dark eyes narrowing just a little.
"So... how was work?" she asked, her tone light but curious.
"It was great," I said, shrugging easy. "Finished everything in time—client was happy." I kept it vague, popping a piece of veggie in my mouth, hoping she'd let it slide.
"Ohh, obviously you will," she shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she swirled her soup. "Ignoring someone's worried calls must've helped you focus, right?" She didn't even look up, just smirked into her bowl, and I could feel the weight in her words.
"Oh, come on now," I said, laughing it off, leaning back in my chair. "And by the way—check this out." I reached into my pocket, fishing out the paycheck Mrs. Elora had left me. I slid it across the table toward her, the crisp paper rustling as it landed in front of her plate.
Her eyes widened, practically bugging out as she snatched it up. "Whaaaa—" she gasped, holding it up to the light like she couldn't believe it was real, the 50,000 USD staring back at her in bold ink.
"Hehe, now you see why it was important work?" I said, grinning wide, leaning forward with my elbows on the table. "Worth it, right?"
"Damn..." she muttered, swaying the check in her hand, her voice softening with awe. "The client must be some real big business. Maybe I should learn website designing too—cash in ." She flicked it playfully, her pout fading into a teasing smile.
I coughed quick, a little too loud, and grabbed the check back from her, shoving it into my pocket. "Eat, eat," I said, scooping some rice with her spoon and pushing it toward her mouth, filling it before she could dig deeper.
"You don't have to worry about money—I'll take care of it for both of us." I kept my tone firm, brushing off her comment, focusing on the food instead.
She chewed slow, the spoon still in her mouth, and I saw her eyes soften, glistening a little with unshed tears. She set the spoon down, her voice dropping low. "I'm sorry, Ezra... for relying on you ," she said, her hands fidgeting with her chopsticks. "Because of me, you have to overwork yourself—push yourself so hard."
"Shhhh... eat," I said, cutting her off, waving a hand like it was nothing. "It's getting cold—don't let it go to waste." I scooped up more soup for myself, avoiding her gaze, not wanting to dive into that guilt trip.
We kept eating, the silence creeping back, but now it felt heavier. I could see it in her face—the way her brows pinched, the way she poked at her rice. She was taking it hard, blaming herself, and it gnawed at me. I set my chopsticks down, leaning closer.
"What's there to feel bad about?" I said, my voice steady but gentle. "I love you—obviously, as a man, I'll do anything for you." I picked up a piece of veggie, popping it in my mouth slow, letting the words sink in.
She froze mid-bite, her face turning pink, that blush spreading fast from her cheeks to her ears.