Page 217 of When a Soul Cries

“Thank you.”

I reached toward the table behind me and picked up the flowers.

Her eyes widened the second she saw them.

“Those are for me?”

I kept my expression serious. “Nah. Kai asked me to pick him up some flowers.”

Her mouth dropped open before she shoved lightly at my chest.

“Shut up.”

I laughed and held them toward her. “They’re yours.”

Sol accepted the arrangement carefully, cradling it against her chest. The teasing disappeared from her face as she looked down and brushed one fingertip over a petal.

“They’re beautiful.”

“So are you.”

Her hand stopped.

Slowly, she looked up at me.

For a few seconds, neither of us moved.

I wanted to kiss her.

Badly.

Instead, I stepped back, grabbed my keys, and nodded toward the door.

“Come on.”

Dinner started easy.

That was exactly what I wanted.

No pressure. No heavy shit the second we sat down.

We ate, talked, and laughed. Somewhere between the appetizers and our entrées, I learned that Sol made a little face whenever she tasted something she didn’t like but was too polite to complain about.

I also learned she had no problem stealing food off my plate.

The third time her fork crossed the table, I caught her wrist before she could pull it back.

Sol froze with a piece of my food halfway to her mouth.

I looked at the fork and then at her.

She blinked innocently. “What?”

“That’s mine.”

Her eyes dropped toward the food before returning to me.

“You weren’t eating it.”