Self

Chapter 62

They chatted as they walked.

“How’d the test go?”

“Pretty smooth,” Yara replied.

Wade just gave a soft chuckle and kept quiet.

Night fell early in winter, and by seven, the streetlights cast their cozy glow on a chilly evening, making the darkness a little less daunting.

There was a bustling strip of shops between the subway and Bellmere University, where vendors sold everything imaginable.

As they crossed the bridge, Yara’s ears perked up at the sound of a vendor nearby, his voice ringing out as he sold sweet potatoes. She rubbed her wind–stung eyes and said to Wade, “Hang tight, I’ll be right back.”

Wade waited, and in just a couple of minutes, Yara was back, her hands full with two piping hot sweet potatoes.

“Here you go.”

The sweet potatoes were so warm they fogged up the air around them. She bit into hers, the sweetness mingling with the heat that almost bit back. She blew on it gently, took another nibble, and her face lit up with a delighted grin.

Yara glanced at Wade. “Is yours as sweet as mine?”

He nodded, amazed by the rich flavor–it was the first time he had tasted such a perfect sweet potato Yara beamed with a hint of triumph. “I told you; I’ve got a knack for picking the sweetest ones.”

Her smile was contagious, and Wade could not help but crack a grin, a spark of joy twinkling in his eyes. They got home around seven. When the door swung open, the warmth of the house wrapped around Yara like a snug blanket. She carried her haul of books and pens to the study.

The desk was a mess of books. She tidied them up, placing each back on the shelf, and came across a professional book Wade had loaned her the previous week.

Book in hand, she knocked on the door next door.

Fresh from the shower, Wade’s hair was still damp when he heard the knock and opened the door.

“I’ve got the book you lent me last week–the one in German. I almost forgot to give it back,” she said, a trace of mint in the air making her heart race just a bit.

He took the book from her, his eyes catching the sticky notes she had left inside. Her handwriting was familiar to him then, and in the corner was a little doodle of a character with a headband, looking all energetic and ready to take on the world.

Yara caught the teasing glint in Wade’s eyes and, blushing, snatched back the doodle–filled bookmark she had accidentally left in his book.

“Uh, just some sketches I do when I’m bored,” she mumbled.

His grin only widened, so she quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.

“Hey, are you free these days? I’d like to take you out for dinner to say thanks. You’ve been such a huge help with everything.”

Chapter 62

22

She had been meaning to thank him properly for his support during her grad school exams and that one crazy weekend at the villa, but the right moment just had not come up.

Wade saw how earnest she was and could not say no. He said, “Why not here? Your cooking beats anything else, hands down.”

Yara’s laugh was light and easy. “Tomorrow then? I’ll finish my last exam in the afternoon, grab some groceries, and you can swing by after the lab. Dinner will be ready.”

*Sounds good.”

The rain had cleared up by the next day. After her exam, Yara stepped outside to see sunlight fighting its way through the clouds. She did her grocery run and headed home.

At six, there was a knock on the door.

Yara greeted Wade, who slipped into the comfy slippers she had picked out just for him and headed straight for the kitchen like he owned the place.

Without missing a beat, Yara handed him the veggies to wash. Your turn, as always,” she said with a smile, then turned to tackle the chopping board.

Wade watched her, a secret smile playing on his lips. Domesticity, like the one he was experiencing with Yara, was something he had never had before.

It was surprisingly fun.