I rush toward the door as the bell rings. As I open it, I’m greeted by the delivery person, holding a stack of takeout boxes and a small bag of candles. “Perfect timing,” I say, accepting the food with a grin. I thank him and close the door. I can’t wait to see her reaction. I make a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a lighter.
I walk back into the room, carrying the food, a bag, and a handful of small candles. Anya is still in bed, but she’s sitting now, scrolling on her phone. Her head snaps up as I enter the room.
Her eyes widen slightly at the sight. “What’s all this?” she asks, her brows furrowing.
“The candlelight dinner I was talking about.” I grin.
She gasps, sitting up. Her eyes light up. “I love you so much!” she exclaims.
I cock an eyebrow. “You love me because I ordered takeout?” I ask as I set the food on the study table.
She gets up from the bed and walks to me. “No, I loveyou because you went all out and got me food on a bad day. I would have slept hungry if it weren’t for you.” She smiles and rests her head on my shoulder.
“This is not what is known as going all out.” I frown. “You said you wanted to eat a brownie.” I open the container and hand it to her. “Here you go.” She makes a puppy face, and I chuckle.
She takes the first bite and moans. “This is heavenly!” shecries out.
I wrap my arms around her waist. “You are heavenly, too.” I smirk.
“I know.” She smiles slyly. “But if you want this heaven, you will have to feed her.”
I laugh, taking a piece of the brownie and bringing it up to her mouth. “Ah,” I say. “Open wide, baby.”
She sticks her tongue out at me but then opens her mouth. I feed her the brownie, watching her savor the taste. She closes her eyes and moans softly, clearly relishing the sweetness. I am so in love with this woman; I can’t get over it.
“I love you, Firecracker.” I kiss her.
“I love you, too,” she says, her entire focus on the food. “So damn much. You are the best.” She grins, looking at the brownie.
I laugh.I am one hell of a lucky bastard.
∞∞∞
48
DANIEL
Arnav has been staring at me since the moment I walked in. I can tell by the way his eyes are volleying between me and Anya that he isn’t happy about us sitting so close. I have no clue what Siya and Sophia are talking about, but Anya laughs, so I give a polite smile so as not to come off as rude. I can’t shake off his gaze.
Zeke comes and sits next to me. I turn to face him and find him smiling softly at Siya. I raise an eyebrow. So, Anya is right: there’s something going on here. Anya told me she suspects Siya likes him, and the way she was talking about him, I got the feeling that Anya isn’t a big fan of his. She is very protective of Siya. I do not know anything in detail, but I do know Siya has had a tough time, and it’s visible in the way she behaves around strangers, so I get why Anya has this big sister instinct going on with her. They grew up together after all.
My eyes meet Zeke’s. “Hey there.” He smiles.
A soft smirk forms on my lips. “Hey,” I reply casually.
“I have a question,” I whisper to him. “Your friend over there.” I cock an eyebrow towards Arnav. “He doesn’t like me, right?”
“Oh,likeisn’t the right word.” He smirks. “He wants to punch you, throw you at the wall, yes.” He chuckles as my eyes widen.What the fuck have I done?“But you make Anya smile, so he won’t do any of that.” He leans in slightly. “Don’t tell him I told you this, but he’s scared of her. Your girlfriend is quite scary.” I smile. That is partly true. It’s better to remain on her good side.
I chuckle at Zeke’s words, my eyes flickering back to Arnav. “I know that,” I remark, taking in the intense stare he’s still giving me while he mixes the lemonade noisily. “I’ll be back,” I whisper in Anya’s ear. She nods and gives me a small smile.
I push myself from the table and walk towards the kitchenette, away from the group. Arnav eyes me up and down as I stop in front of him. “Hi.” I greet him. He doesn’t say anything in return, just nods firmly. Arnav’s gaze is intense, and I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy. “So, I guess we need to talk,” I say, keeping my tone casual.
“About what?” he asks, his voice low and guarded. I sigh, cross my arms over my chest, and lean against the counter, studying him as he continues to mix the lemonade.
“Anya means the world to me,” I say. I am not sure what I am trying to do here.
Arnav’s jaw tightens, a flicker of emotion crossing his face at my words. He stops stirring the lemonade and sets the spoon aside. He crosses his arms over his chest. “What’s your point?” he replies, his voice cold.
