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My eyebrows went up and Bennett released his hold on me so I could go take a look. I felt cold without him, but I didn’t look into it too much. I’d been cold since Alan dumped me.
When I looked through the pass-through and saw the massive amount of food spread out on the counter, my mouth fell open. “I didn’t order that much. Did they send the wrong thing?”
Mr Andrews shook his head, his eyes running over the receipt. “Doesn’t look like it. They signed the receipt saying ‘feel better soon’. Do you order from there often?”
My cheeks burned, and I ducked my gaze. I ordered from there more than I wanted to admit. More than Alan liked, that was for sure. I knew it was bad for my figure, but the store was locally owned and the little family who worked there didn’t get enough patrons. On days when I was too tired to cook, I almost exclusively ordered from their restaurant, so at least I could say I was helping the local community while I was eating unhealthy.
Bennett’s hand settled on my shoulder, and he gripped it tightly. It was a supportive gesture, but it didn’t stop the tears or the embarrassment. I had both of them in abundance since the break up.
“Ugh. I’m jealous. I’ve ordered from the same Thai place for years and I swear, the owner charges me extra,” Luka commented.
“That’s because you keep flirting with his wife. I’d charge you extra, too,” Bennett replied.
Their banter lacked any venom and relaxed me a little. When I looked up, no one was giving me a judgmental look or making any comments on how it was fattening. When I tipped up my head to look at Bennett, he smiled softly at me.
“There’s a lot to choose from. What’s your favorite?”
Sucking in a shaky breath, I moved into the kitchen to join the others. Bennett followed behind me, keeping his hand on my shoulder. I frowned at the boxes of Chinese food as Luka opened them up to peek inside.
“There’s no way I could eat this much. Are you guys hungry?”
Luka shrugged. “I could eat. Grayson?”
He studied me for a moment before nodding. “I’d love some. Thank you.”
Bennett didn’t need any convincing, and it made me feel a little better that I wasn’t going to be eating alone while they all stared at me. We each made a plate and moved back to the living room to eat. Mr Andrews took the armchair, Bennett and I got comfortable on the couch, and Luka sat on the floor across from us, his plate resting on the coffee table. He looked around the room curiously.
“Ya know, when I saw the hallway, I was really worried you lived in a shithole. I was about ready to whisk you away to stay with me.”
A ghost of a smile crossed my face, and I shook my head. “It looks worse than it is. The landlord puts more effort on the units themselves than the hallways.”
Bennett frowned. “It’s still not safe, especially for a woman living alone in a ground-floor apartment. You should think about moving somewhere safer.”
I grimaced. “I’d… I’d been hoping to move in with Alan, so I kept waiting it out.” Something that apparently was never in the cards for us. I spent a lot of the time wallowing, going over every discussion we had in the future. Alan wasn’t wrong. I was so desperately clinging to our relationship that I never noticed that he never outright said that we were a forever thing. I made an assumption based on what I hoped for. The realization wasn’t comforting, and I only felt more embarrassed as time went on.
“Sweetheart, stop. You aren’t at fault for what that douchebag did. It’s his loss.”
I shook my head. “It is my fault. I wasn’t good enough, and I was so desperate that I let myself believe that I was.”
All three of them jerked to face me, and I winced. This wasn’t what I wanted. They came all this way. I didn’t want to make things awkward. It was better if I kept my mouth shut.
Bennett’s big hand cupped my jaw gently, forcing me to look up at him. His expression was solemn and his brow furrowed. “Tell me you don't actually believe that.”
I lifted one shoulder, my lip trembling despite my effort to hold back my tears. “It’s not like I’m making an assumption. He told me himself. I should’ve known better. There’s no way someone like me could get a guy like him.”
“Someone like you?” Luka growled.
“Yes.” I gestured to my body, my face burning.
He was on his feet in an instant. He took my plate and set it on the coffee table before pulling me off the couch and cupping my cheeks.
“Sweetheart, you’re perfect. In every single way possible. You’ve got it backwards. He’s not good enough for you. Not the other way around.”
He looked so intense about it. If I was anyone else, I’d have butterflies with that kind of statement. It sounded like he was interested in me, but that was impossible. He looked like a model. There wasn’t a chance he’d be into me.
“I don’t–”
Before I could argue with him, he dipped his head and captured my lips. It stunned me and I stood there frozen for way too long before I responded to him. My heart raced uncontrollably, and a tremble worked its way up my spine. When he pulled away from me, my body swayed without my permission. I searched his face, trying to understand why he would do that, but he just rested his forehead against mine, whispering to me.
