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His expression softened. "Scarlett, this is a serious opportunity."
"Yes, but one I don't want, so it doesn't really matter, right? And if you don't stop glowering, I’ll kiss you right here in the middle of the schoolyard, which would be completely inappropriate."
His frown finally dissipated into a smile. It was a small one, but I counted it as a victory too. I should’ve told him earlier, but it was hard to think about anything other than cooking once the kitchen was in full motion.
"Come on," I said. "Let's go inside and see what seats Anthony got. And since Bella was so adamant about having a backup for photos, I'm going to snap some too."
Chad stepped forward, kissing my forehead. "You're right. Let's go inside. We can talk about this later."
There was really nothing to talk about, but I didn’t reply. I didn't want us to linger outside anymore.
Chad put an arm around my upper back as he guided me through the school to the auditorium.
Hmm, is it my imagination, or is he holding me even more tightly than usual?Well, tight was probably not the right word. Oh yeah—possessive. That was the right one. I wholeheartedly enjoyed it.
Once we reached the auditorium, we noticed Beckett grinning proudly. He was still on his feet. They'd secured the first row.
"This place is impressive. It's so huge. And how many kids are participating?" I asked.
"Not that many, but the school is used to half the family showing up. Well, in our case, the entire family."
I smiled at him. "I think that's amazing. It’ll do wonders for Bella's confidence."
"I know," Chad said. "But you know who the most important attendee is tonight?"
"Who?"
"You." He pressed me even closer to him and tilted his head sideways toward me. "You're the most important person to Bella, and to me."
“Hey, you two,” Beckett interjected. “Don’t just stand there. It’s about to start.”
***
Chad
My girl was amazing. I kept my eyes trained on her during the whole competition. She was confident in a way she hadn't been before, and I knew it was all because of Scarlett. The entire family always encouraged her and built up her confidence, but it took meeting Scarlett for this transformation to happen.
My woman was even more excited than Anthony and Beckett to snap pictures. She even took a few videos of Bella when the judges gave feedback. They praised her efforts, but I couldn't fully focus on their words.
My mind was racing, still processing Scarlett's news. Why hadn't she told me before? And why was she so quick to dismiss it? Fucking hell, I should’ve stayed outside with her for a bit longer and talked this out because it was eating at me. Sure, LeBlanc & Broussard's was ten times more famous than Starlight, but for a chef's career, working in a Michelin-starred restaurant was incredible.
And yet the idea of her going back to Seattle was almost unbearable.
I drew in a deep breath, focusing on the stage again. I was going to talk to Scarlett later. This moment belonged to Bella and Bella alone, and I wanted to be present and remember every detail because I knew she was going to rehash this evening for years to come. I didn't want to be a shitty father.
Once the pies were done, the judges themselves put everything in the ovens they’d brought out specifically for the event.
While they waited for them to bake, they interviewed each kid, asking them about their favorite part of the process and so on. After Bella's interview, I stopped paying attention.
My mind was going around in circles. I looked at Scarlett, but her eyes were glued to the stage. Did she truly have no doubts about rejecting that offer? It seemed almost impulsive, and I wanted to make sure that she’d thought about it.
If she only received it this morning, she worked all day, and then she came here. When would she even have had time to properly think about it?
Fucking hell, I was going insane.
"Dude," Xander said, elbowing me. He was sitting on my other side. "You look like you're not here. Pay attention. They're announcing winners.”
Crap. How long did I space out?
