Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Ariana
For years, I couldn’t stand the smell of garlic and tomatoes. After my mother started slipping away, it only reminded me of everything I’d lost. Of laughter in a kitchen that no longer existed.
Not anymore.
Now it reminded me of our second chance.
To most, tonight would have seemed ordinary. Just a mother and daughter cooking dinner together.
To me, it felt monumental.
Like reclaiming something sacred I’d thought was gone forever.
We’d made lasagna from scratch, her guiding me through the steps the way she used to when I was a teenager.
There were still moments she got tired or lost her train of thought, but the doctor said that would fade as the drugs continued to work their way out of her system.
For now, he wanted her to rest when her body told her to.
So after we’d finished eating, I helped her up the stairs and into her bedroom.
When I came back down, the kitchen felt both too quiet and too loud, my thoughts immediately drifting to Henry.
Had he eaten dinner? Or was he still locked in his office, surrounded by a wall of screens and unanswered questions?
The image of him all alone in that big house tugged at my heartstrings.
I tried to ignore it. Told myself to finish cleaning and go to bed. That Henry was a grown man and could take care of himself.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Despite my better judgment, I spooned a few pieces of leftover lasagna into a glass container, sealed the lid tight, and grabbed a sweatshirt.
The air outside was cooler than I expected. Crisp. Clean. It carried the scent of pine and something faintly metallic, like rain on gravel.
The path to the main house wound through the garden, lined with solar lights that spilled a soft glow across the stone.
It wasn’t until I reached the back door that I considered it might be locked. But as I touched my hand to the knob, it gave way and I stepped inside.
The house was dark except for the dim under-cabinet lighting that bathed the kitchen in warm, golden tones. The only sounds came from the faint hum of the refrigerator and the steady tick of the clock on the wall.
I tiptoed to the fridge and was about to open the door when a movement flickered in the corner of my vision.
I turned and froze.
Henry stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders backlit by the hallway light. His sleeves were pushed up, revealing his strong forearm muscles.
For a heartbeat, neither of us said anything. Then I lifted the container with a small, awkward gesture.
“I didn’t know if you’d eaten. I, uh, brought you some leftovers. We made lasagna.”
He stepped closer, the movement unhurried but deliberate. When he reached for the container, his fingers brushed mine. It was just a graze, but it ignited a spark inside me.
“Thanks.”
No smile. No follow-up. Just a single word, hanging in the space between us.
Since he didn’t seem interested in talking, I turned to head back to the guesthouse.
“How have you settled in?” his voice cut through.
I came to an abrupt stop and glanced over my shoulder. “Fine. I didn’t have much to unpack.”
“And your mother?” he asked, setting the container down on the counter. “How’s she doing?”
“Better.” I fully faced him. “She still gets confused sometimes, but the doctor says it’ll pass.”
“Good.”
The word felt strained, and I hated how we’d become strangers in all the spaces that once felt charged and alive.
“I’m not sure if I ever properly thanked you,” I said, trying to fill the silence, if for no other reason than to remain in his presence a little longer.
It was a strange thought, considering I wanted to put as much distance between us as possible earlier.
But was that really what I wanted?
Or did I just want to see how far I could push him? Prove to myself he was an asshole keeping me prisoner.
Instead, he let me go.
He listened.
I’d forgotten what that felt like.
“For what you did,” I continued. “Getting her out of that place. And…” I hesitated, searching for the right words. “Taking care of Schaffer.”
His jaw tensed. “It was nothing.”
I shook my head, taking a step toward him. “It was everything to me. Having her back, the woman she used to be. It’s the greatest gift anyone’s ever given me. So…thank you.”
He looked at me for a long moment, something shifting in his expression. “Despite what you may think,” he said quietly, “or what my previous actions made you believe, I do care about you, Ariana.”
He took a step closer. Then another.
Each one chipped away at my resolve.
The familiar pull I’d tried so hard to suppress roared to life, everything I shouldn’t still crave returning to the surface. The memory of his touch. His breath. His voice.
“More than I’ve cared about anyone in a very long time.” His throat worked in a hard swallow. “Maybe ever.”
Time seemed to stand still as he leaned in, hesitation etched in every movement. As if giving me a chance to stop him.
Or, more accurately, a choice.
I should have stepped back. Reminded myself who he was. What he’d done.
But all I could think about was the way his voice could strip my defenses bare, the way his touch once made me feel safe and seen in a way no one else ever had.
So I remained perfectly still as he inched closer and closer, his lips gently brushing against mine.
The kiss was barely there, just a whisper of contact. But it was enough to unravel me.
My breath caught, my pulse stuttered. Every nerve in my body seemed to awaken at once, remembering what it felt like to want him. To need him.
To choose him.
But before I had a chance to deepen it, he pulled back.
“You should get some sleep.”
His voice was full of restraint, as if he had to force the words out.
I blinked, trying to steady my breathing. “You should, too. You look…tired.”
His mouth quirked. “Is that your polite way of saying I look like shit?”
Despite myself, I let out a small laugh. “You could never look like shit, Henry. You’re far too handsome for that.”
“Glad you think so.”
I felt my cheeks heat. “I just meant you look like you’re carrying the weight of the world again. Some sleep might do you good. And not in your office. In your actual bed.”
He waggled his brows. “Care to join me?”
My lips parted. I wasn’t sure whether I was shocked or tempted. Maybe both.
“I’m kidding.” He winked, and warmth bloomed in my chest.
God, I’d missed this. The teasing. The hint of light beneath all his darkness. The reminder he was still human.
“I promise not to stay up all night working,” he said when I remained mute.
“Good.”
Another silence fell as we stared at each other. But this one felt different. Gentler somehow. Easier to breathe in.
“Well…” I stepped back, increasing the distance. “Good night, Henry.”
His gaze held mine. “Good night, Ariana.”
I lingered for a beat, unsure what more I wanted him to say.
Unsure if I wanted him to say anything more.
So I turned and continued through the house, stepping into the night.
The air outside felt colder now, but my skin still burned from where his lips had touched mine, a quiet fire I didn’t think I’d ever be able to put out.