Chapter 102

He drew out the chair like a true gentleman would, and before long I realized the others had already left. We were alone now. I swallowed hard before sitting down, my heart thudding so fast it felt like it might burst. I wasn’t used to this kind of closeness, and I just hoped he couldn’t hear the wild beating inside my chest. He sat too and began dishing his food, still quiet. For some reason, the silence between us felt heavy, almost awkward. “Not hungry?” he finally asked. “I’m not used to this,” I admitted, staring at the plates of food before me. “Just pick anyone and start from there,” he said. But I just sat there, not moving. “Or you don’t want to eat with me?” he added, and the way he said it made guilt creep into me, so I quickly snapped my head up. “It’s not like that,” I defended myself. He didn’t look at me as he replied, “How do I believe that? You’ve made it clear you hate my guts.” He spoke so calmly, yet the words stung as he played absently with his fork. I sighed and