Leif reaches across the table and takes my hand. “You just what?” His tone is soft. Gentle.
“I wish things could be easier without having to sacrifice what I’m feeling.”
Chapter Eighteen
Leif
“I wish things could be easier without having to sacrifice what I’m feeling.”
What he’s feeling…
Whatishe feeling?
I should ask instead of staring at him, but our food comes and Aliko’s attention is pulled. The man loves food. It’s easily one of his top favorite things. Close behind music, I’d bet. Maybe I’m there too.
But I can’t stop thinking about what he said.
Because what does he mean?
Is he feeling the way I’m feeling? Is this a two-way street instead of the one-way I assumed it was? I know how he’s been acting, and I know how it’s made me feel…
I also know that I don’t hate it.
But it doesn’t mean he wants more. It’s just… I don’t know.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Hm?” I look up at Aliko, who has his knife and fork in hand, looking at me with a furrowed brow. The dim light casts shadows across his face, giving him an intense look.
“Are you going to eat?” he asks, his tone gentle.
“Oh. Right. Yeah, of course.” I chuckle and grab my fork, dipping it into the mashed potatoes and putting it in my mouth.
They’re delicious. Of course they are. This restaurant is well known. I can’t imagine their food being bad or even sub-par.
Aliko eyes me carefully a few times until he’s satisfied that I’m eating my food and there isn’t a problem. We both ordered steaks, medium rare. He got his with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts while I got mine with mashed potatoes and honey-glazed carrots.
We don’t speak much as we eat, and thankfully, I don’t think it’s bothering him. He seems to be enjoying his food.
When our plates are cleared, we drink wine and look around at the buildings and people enjoying their night, both full and sated from the food.
But what now? Where do we go from here? After this nice dinner on a rooftop restaurant that was a date and after Aliko said he has some kind of feelings for me. I’m left confused.
We’re halfway through our second bottle of wine, and that always hits me harder than other alcohol, despite having eaten so much food that I feel like I’m going to pop.
“What did you mean by feelings?” I blurt.
Aliko brings his attention toward me, a confused look on his face.
“What?”
“You saidfeelings. You said you wished things could be easier without having to sacrifice yourfeelings. What does that mean? What feelings?”
He holds my gaze for a just a moment before shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me,” I say urgently, my heart pounding just a little faster.
“I just meant it sucks having to hide. Makes things difficult.”
