Whatever this feeling is, it’s intense and shoots straight to my core.
I’ve never felt like this before.
Like an emotional cocktail of happy, worried and content.
And honestly, kind of turned on. I resist the urge to fan myself.
It’s all because of this man sitting three feet away from me.
A man I barely know.
A man who has been coming to my place of work with the sole intention of seeing me.
“Ria.” He addresses me almost cautiously, his voice just a bit louder than a whisper.
Pulling my knees up and resting my back on the arm of the couch, I turn to face him.
I remain silent as I wait for him to say his piece.
“Are you okay? Do you feel safe?”
“Yes, I do. You kept your promise.”
Noah turns to look at me, a grin forming on his handsome face.
“Good. I’m glad.” He expels a breath. “No one does that to you and gets away with it.”
Placing his phone face up in between us, he taps the screen to show me.
“I ordered food while you were in the shower. I saw a menu sitting on the kitchen counter and figured it would be my best bet in getting you something to eat that you like though I’m not too familiar with Filipino food. It should be here soon. I promised you dinner.” He winks at me. “I intend to keep all my promises to you.”
Not wanting to get into it quite yet, I scoot closer to get a good look at his phone, beaming at him.
He ordered the hapunan, which consists of all my favorites: sinigang, lumpia and adobo fried rice. Perfect for the chilly weather and for dealing with the aftermath of what just happened.
“Great choice. I hope you like sour soup, vegetable rolls and fried rice,” I muse.
Tipping his head he says, “So you like it?” A hopeful smile passes his lips.
I roll my eyes. “You managed to choose three of my favorites, stalker.”
My eyes widen at the slip of the tongue.
I reach out and grab his arm when his face mirrors my shock.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t mean that.”
He shakes his head, squeezing the back of his neck. “No. No, it’s okay. I guess after weeks of seeing me so often. You could assume that. I mean, you should assume that.”
Shaking his head again, more profusely this time, he holds a hand up and squeezes his eyes shut.
“Shit. This isn’t coming out right. Can–can I explain?”
Letting go of his arm, I lean back. “Please do.”
“I was curious.”
“Curious?”