Page 53 of Come Back to Me

“No, but I understand why you reacted the way you did. I would’ve reacted the same way if I saw the love of my life standing in front of me, especially if I haven’t seen them in six years.”

Covering my mouth with both of my hands, I let what I said marinate for a little while. My eyes wander all over the apartment as what I’d describe to be my attempt to not lock eyes with him.

“The love of my life, huh?” He asks.

Bringing my legs up to my chest, I wrap my arms aroundthem, burying my face to hide my embarrassment. “Okay, let’s pretend I didn’t say that.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I won’t be able to forget you said that because I could tell it wasn’t an accident. It was intentional.” He gets up and goes into the kitchen, leaning on the counter that has a built-in sink. “Anyway, I’m making us dinner.”

“Do you know what you’re going to make?”

“That’s a good question.”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

He points his index finger at me. “You’d be correct on that one.”

“I’ve heard you’ve been practicing the art of cooking more.”

“I wouldn’t say practicing, I’d say improving.”

“I guess I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

I make my way over to where Grayson is. “We’re wasting precious time now. What do you have in your fridge?”

“Let me look.” He walks over the fridge, opening the door and studying the contents inside.

I get closer to him. His body heat is making the light blonde hairs on my arms stand up.

Scanning the interior of the fridge, I see fruits, vegetables, a carton of fat-free milk, eggs, plain greek yogurt, deli-sliced mild cheddar cheese, and tons of other ingredients. “Can you manage to find something you can make for us?”

“Yes, I’m totally capable of finding something.”

I back away from the fridge, leaning against the countertop across from the sink with my hands. “Good.”

He scours through the fridge without looking back at me, not even once.

After several minutes pass by, he piles a bunch of thingsagainst his chest. “Vi, can you grab these and put them on the counter?”

“Sure.” I take all of the food items out of his hands, placing them on the counter in an organized fashion.

My eyes roam through every single ingredient spread out on the counter. There’s a head of garlic, a stick of unsalted butter, parsley, little balls of buffalo mozzarella cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, and a package of shredded Italian cheese.

“What are we making?”

“I didn’t know this was going to be a two-person job.”

Giving him a fake laugh, I flip him off. “Shut up, and let me help you.”

“Let’s be honest, I couldn’t stop you if I tried.”

“That’s true.” A big smile appears on my face as my cheeks get increasingly warmer.