AllFreeNovel
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“Well, this is amazing. I can’t wait to taste it.” Much as I’d rather like her to stay in my tee shirt because she looks absolutely stunning in it, I hand her the bags of shopping. “But first, here are all the clothes for you.”
She roots through them, her eyes lighting up like a beacon. “You got it all! I thought you were just going to get me an outfit. This will take me forever to pay you back. I can’t believe you did this for me.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, resisting the urge to tell her that she doesn’t have to pay me anything back since I can afford it. By this point, it’s become a pride thing, she doesn’t want to owe me anything.
“You can take all the time in the world to pay me back, there isn’t any rush at all.”
“There are two pairs of shoes in here! I only need one to run if that’s what I want.”
“Well, we don’t know how long you’re going to be here, do we? So, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
We share a smile and I can feel the intense emotions flowing between us again. There’s something so powerful about staring into her pale green eyes. It makes my heart skip and dance in my chest.
“I might go and slip some of these clothes on.” She finally breaks the magic. “Then dinner will be done.”
“Great, I’ll go and sort out some drinks. Then I might go change myself.”
As she bounds up the stairs, two at a time, I try to wrap my head around what’s happening. I don’t understand why it’s so normal to have Nova here. She’s virtually a stranger, someone it should be awkward with, but being around her is as easy as breathing. She’s like oxygen, I need her around.
Be careful, you idiot, I warn myself. This could be a recipe for disaster.
But I don’t listen, I continue into the kitchen, whistling happily to myself as I pour myself and Nova a glass of red wine. This might well be the craziest thing that I’ve ever done, but I don’t hate it. I can’t seem to meet anyone that I like in the conventional sense, and maybe this is why. Normal love isn’t for me…
Not that this is love. I’m not that delusional. It’s just something that feels nice right now.
“Oh… wow…” I spin to see Nova standing in the door frame. She’s really wearing those leggings and tee shirt in a way I wasn’t expecting. It’s just comfortable, casual clothing, yet she’s breathtaking. The air literally strips from my lungs, it’s hard for me to even form words. “You look lovely, Nova…”
“Oh, thank you.” Her smile is so bright, it makes her even more st
unning. “Thanks for getting them.”
I hand her a drink and she took it before heading over to the oven. I watch her for a moment, reveling in how beautiful she looks in my kitchen, before forcing myself to leave and get dressed. I don’t always wear something too casual after work, but today I have the need to be in a tee and shorts myself.
By the time I reach the bottom of the stairs, the meal is set up on the table. It immediately hits me how much effort she’s put into this. I’m so touched, I want to hold her so tightly…
“Thank you so much for cooking this. It looks lovely.”
We take our seats and dig in. It’s been a while since I’ve had a home cooked meal, and it tastes amazing. Nova is a phenomenal cook, I want to keep her around for the food as much as anything else.
“When did you learn to cook so well?”
“I learned a bit when I was in the orphanarium, but mostly over the last couple of years.”
I nod slowly, knowing that’s a topic I shouldn’t push since it links to Jeremy.
“So, you don’t know how to cook?” she asks with a smile.
“I do a bit. I used to help my mom with cooking, but then I just get so busy with work I don’t have time.”
“Ah, it sounds like you’re waiting for someone to take care of you. A wife of some kind.”
“Oh, no it isn’t that at all, I just…” I suddenly realize that she’s joking. “Oh, come off it.”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t resist teasing you. I don’t know what it is.”
I love her giggle, it’s the most musical sound I’ve ever heard. I can’t resist joining in.
“Okay, so I might not be as self-reliant as you, but I’m coping just fine. Just about…”
