<b>Chapter </b><b>212 </b>
<b>One </b>hour earlier, Dweniced the fridge was nearly empty.
He grabbed his phone <b>to </b>head out, but as he passed the door across the hall, he paused.
Last <b>night</b>, he’d had a dream–a vivid rey of the first time he’d ever seen
<b>Ana</b>. In that dream, he’d managed to tear away her mask.
Underneath wasn’t the teenage girl he remembered, but the woman she’d grown into.
She’d smiled at him and said, “Owen, it’s been a long time.”
<b>In </b>that moment, nothing else existed.
Their eyes met, and a wave of emotion crashed over him, so strong that even after waking up, his heart refused to settle down.
For the first time, Owen couldn’t deny it–he was drawn to Aria.
He’d never had a problem with the idea of falling in love, but all these years, he just hadn’t met anyone who could make his heart race.
If he kept his distance, maybe these new feelings would fade, but honestly, how could he keep away from someone like her?
Falling for Aria felt natural–almost inevitable. So Owen decided to just ept it.
He took a breath and rang her doorbell.
Aria opened the door in a fitted, pale sweater and jeans, her feet in house slippers.
She wore her hair up, a few wisps brushing her cheeks<b>, </b>softening her usual air of reserve.
Owen remembered the day he first saw her at Seacrest Law Firm–she’d worn <b>a </b>crisp shirt with loose, dark cks and ck shoes.
Turns out, he’d remembered her all along.
Seeing Owen standing there, a little dazed, she called out, “Owen?”
Snapping back to reality, he smiled. “Sorry, I spaced out for a second.”
“I was about to go out and get groceries,” she said, then hesitated, suddenly self–conscious about all the meals she’d freeloaded off him. “<b>Or</b><b>… </b>I could go get them this time?”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “How about we go together?”
Sunlight filled the hallway, bright enough that Aria could see every subtle change in Owen’s expression–and today, his smile was more radiant than
ever.
“If you tell me what you need, I’ll get it,” he offered./
She shook her head. “I’ve got experience. Do you have time now?”
Aria nodded, pulling on her coat. “Yeah, I do.”
“What do you want for dinner tonight?” Owen asked as they headed out.
“I’m not picky. Anything is fine,” she replied–then paused, realizing how natural it had be to eat at his ce.
<b>Chapter </b>212
<b>Well</b><b>, </b><b>so </b><b>be </b><b>it</b><b>. </b><b>If </b><b>he </b><b>invited </b><b>her</b>, she’d go,
<b>When </b>he <b>found </b><b>someone </b>else, <b>she’d </b>quietly step <b>back</b>.
<b>After </b>all<b>, </b>sharing a meal with another person was much nicer than eating alone.
It was actually <b>Aria’s </b>first time inside a fresh market.
It was a bit crowded, but there was a warm, everyday buzz in the air.
Owen went for the cart, but Aria took it from him. “Let me. You focus on picking out the food,”
He grinned. “Alright.”
She followed him through the aisles, pushing the cart as he carefully selected vegetables and fruit.
When they finished, Owen took the cart from her hands. “All set.”
“I’ve eaten at your ce so many times–let me pay this time,” Aria insisted.
“If you want,” Owen said simply, making no move to argue.
They waited in line together, and when their turn came, Aria paid and quickly picked up one of the grocery bags.
But Owen gently grabbed her hand for a second before switching the bags, passing her the lighter one. “You take this one.”
She didn’t argue, just epted his gentlemanly gesture. “Alright.”