Chapter 19 A Normal Morning
Adeline leaned against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed, watching Julian move around as if he owned the space. He had already opened the fridge twice and pulled out eggs, vegetables, bread, and something wrapped in paper. He wore the same dark jeans from the night before and a fitted shirt that made it very hard for her to focus on anything else.
She tilted her head slightly, a grin spreading across her face. “Look at you,” she said lightly. “I didn’t realize you had hidden talents.”
Julian did not look at her as he cracked an egg into a bowl. “It’s called having basic survival skills.”
“Oh please,” she replied, pushing herself off the counter and stepping closer. “You look like you’re hosting a cooking show. With that face, you’d make a great host.”
He finally glanced at her and rolled his eyes. “Would you like to learn a thing or two while you’re here?”
She gasped in mock offense. “Are you suggesting I don’t know my way around a kitchen?”
He raised a brow. “Do you?”
She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. “That’s not the point.”
He let out a quiet sigh and poured the eggs into a heated pan. The soft sizzle filled the room. “I won’t be here every day,” he said calmly. “And getting takeout here isn’t as easy as it is in the city.”
Adeline waved her hand dismissively. “I’m not planning to stay here that long anyway. I can survive on coffee and snacks if I have to.”
He paused mid-motion and turned to face her fully. “Coffee and snacks?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?” he asked.
She shrugged. “However long this lasts.”
Julian shook his head slightly and turned back to the stove. “You can’t live on that.”
“Watch me,” she challenged.
He flipped the eggs carefully, his movements smooth and controlled. “At the very least, tell me you know how to fry an egg.”
Adeline pouted slightly, though there was humor in her eyes. She shook her head.
“You’re joking,” he said flatly.
“In my defense,” she began, lifting her chin slightly, “my father always made it seem like a woman’s only purpose in life was to be domestic and prepared for marriage. Cooking, cleaning, hosting dinners. All of it.”
Julian listened without interrupting.
“So,” she continued, “to rebel against his foolish beliefs, I avoided the kitchen entirely. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me trying to learn how to be a good wife.”
“And now?” Julian asked.
“And now,” she said with a small shrug, “I can’t cook anything to save my life.”
There was a moment of silence before Julian let out a soft laugh, not mocking. Just amused. “That might be the most ridiculously dramatic reason I’ve ever heard for not learning how to fry an egg.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You think I’m being ridiculous? Come on, Julian, I’m pretty sure we’ve both had our moments when it comes to being a little rebellious against our fathers.”
“You’re not wrong, but compared to me, I think you commit to your rebellions quite well,” he responded with a light chuckle.
She folded her arms again. “It worked, didn’t it? I’m not some quiet housewife waiting for a husband to come home.”
“No,” he agreed softly. “You’re not.”
There was something in his tone that made her glance at him again. He wasn’t teasing anymore. He sounded almost thoughtful.
He turned off the stove and moved the eggs onto two plates. He added toast and sliced vegetables with quick, practiced motions, and Adeline watched every step carefully, as if he were performing some kind of magic trick.
“You really enjoy this, don’t you?” she asked.
“Cooking?” he replied.
“Yes.”
He shrugged. “It’s simple. All you have to do is follow certain steps, and voila, you see results.”
She leaned against the counter again, studying him. “You certainly love doing things by the book.”
“I just like knowing for sure what I’m doing,” he corrected.
“That’s the same thing. I’d say you’re not spontaneous if I didn't know you better.”
Julian rolled his eyes. “Well, you don't know me better, but saying I’m not spontaneous is like saying the sky isn't blue. Just because I like to follow steps doesn't mean I can't have a little fun once in a while.”
He handed her a plate and gestured toward the small table in the corner of the kitchen. “Now, sit.”
She looked down at the plate in mild surprise. It actually looked good and not as rushed and as careless as she expected it to look. The eggs were fluffy, and the toast was golden.
She sat down slowly. “If this tastes terrible, I’ll be sure to judge you.”
“Fair enough,” he said as he took the seat across from her.
She picked up her fork and took a cautious bite. The warmth of the food felt comforting in a way she had not expected. She chewed slowly, then nodded once.
“Not bad,” she admitted.
He smirked. “High praise.”
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and it felt strange to Adeline, sitting across from him like this. Domestic in a way she had always avoided, and yet, it didn’t feel suffocating.
The kitchen felt warmer after breakfast, filled with the soft smell of eggs and coffee. The plates were almost empty, crumbs were scattered across the table, and two half-finished cups of coffee sat between them. Adeline leaned back in her chair and let out a quiet breath. She had not expected the morning to feel so calm. It almost felt normal, like something she had seen in other people’s lives but never really had for herself.
Julian stood first, collecting his plate without a word, and Adeline watched him for a second before quickly standing up as well.
“I’ll do the dishes,” she said, reaching for his plate before he could move away.
He shifted it out of her reach easily. “No.”
She frowned. “Why not?”
He gave her a look that was both amused and doubtful. “Because I don’t trust you not to break one of the few decent plates I have in this house.”
Her mouth fell open in mock shock. “Excuse me?”
He walked to the sink and turned on the water as if the conversation were already over. “You admitted you can’t even fry an egg.”
“That has nothing to do with washing dishes,” she argued, crossing her arms.
“It has everything to do with it,” he replied calmly. “Coordination, balance, and a sense of responsibility, which you lack.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, trying very hard not to smile. “You’re out of your damn mind.”
He only shrugged and began washing the plates, his movements steady and careful. The sound of running water filled the kitchen, and Adeline stood there for a moment, pretending to be angry, but the truth was she didn’t mind watching him. There was something steady about him when he did small tasks like this.
“You’re enjoying this,” she accused lightly.
“Enjoying what?” he asked without turning around.
“Acting like I’m completely useless.”
He glanced over his shoulder with a small smirk. “You said it, not me.”
She huffed and leaned back against the counter. “For your information, I can wash dishes just fine.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But I’d rather not take the risk.”
She let the fake anger fade, deciding it was not worth fighting over something so small. Instead, she watched the way the light from the window caught in his hair and the way his sleeves were pushed up slightly, revealing his forearms.
When he finished, he dried his hands and turned to face her fully. “There,” he said. “All safe.”
She tilted her head slightly. “What now?”
The question came out softer than she meant it to. She shrugged after asking it, as if it were nothing important, but there was something underneath it. Something uncertain.
Julian paused for only a second before answering. “I have to leave.”
Her expression did not change right away, but her shoulders stiffened slightly. “Oh.”
“I have work,” he added. “There’s a meeting at two, and I can’t miss it even if I wanted to.”
She nodded slowly. Of course he had work, and he had a life outside of this house. She had known that, but still, the thought of the house going quiet again made her chest feel tight.
“That’s fine,” she said, forcing a small smile. “I understand.”
He studied her face for a moment, as if trying to read what she was not saying.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” she continued quickly. “Just in case you were.”
He let out a quiet scoff, though it was not unkind. “I certainly wasn’t.”
She blinked. “Wow. That was harsh.”
He stepped closer and gave her a small wink. “You’re a big girl, Ade. I know you can handle yourself.”
Adeline laughed, but it felt a little hollow. She didn’t want him to go. The cabin had felt less empty with him here, but she wasn’t going to say that out loud. She had pride, and she had already asked him to come last night. She wasn’t going to beg him to stay.
Julian picked up his jacket from the back of a chair. He slipped it on. “You’ll be okay?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I’ll survive. Coffee and cookies, remember?”
He smiled. “Call if you need anything. I mean it.”
She nodded. “I will.”
He walked to the door, paused for a moment, and looked back at her. “Lock it behind me.”
“I will.”
He gave her one last look, a long one, then stepped outside, leaving Adeline by herself.