Chapter 21 Let's do it again!
Adeline was still staring at the dark ceiling when the knock came. At first, she thought it was her mind playing tricks on her again. The house had been silent for so long that even the smallest sound felt louder than it should. She held her breath and listened carefully, her body going stiff without her telling it to. Maybe it had been the pipes, or maybe it had been the wind. She almost convinced herself it was nothing.
Then the knock came again, and this time it was clear.
Fear moved through her before logic did. Her heart began to beat harder, and she sat up straight on the couch, her fingers curling slightly into the blanket still wrapped around her legs. No one was supposed to know she was here, no one except Julian, and Julian had not called. He had not texted, and he had also not given her any reason to believe he was coming back tonight.
For a second, she wondered if something had happened. If someone had followed him. If someone had figured things out.
The knock came a third time, steady and patient.
Slowly, she pushed the blanket off and stood up. The room felt colder now, and she walked toward the door carefully, her steps quiet against the floor. She told herself not to panic. If it was not Julian, she simply would not open it. She did not owe anyone anything.
When she reached the door, she paused and leaned forward to look through the peephole, and her breath caught in her throat.
It was Julian.
He stood there like he had come straight from the office. His shirt was slightly wrinkled now, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. His tie that she suspected he had on was gone, but everything else looked the same. He looked tired in a way, like someone who had worked all day and still decided to come here anyway.
In one hand, he carried a paper bag that looked almost identical to the one he had brought whiskey in the night before. On the other hand, he held a grocery bag filled to the top with what looked like food.
Confusion replaced the fear almost instantly.
She unlocked the door and opened it slowly. “I wasn’t expecting you,” she said, her brows pulling together as she looked him over.
Julian grinned at her like nothing was strange about this at all. “I know.”
She stepped back slightly, still holding the door open. “You didn’t call.”
“I had a feeling,” he said calmly, lifting the smaller bag a little, “that you’d miss me.”
Her eyes narrowed at him automatically, but she hated that her chest had already warmed at the sight of him standing there. “That’s bold of you.”
He shrugged. “I take risks.”
She glanced at the bags again. “What’s all that?”
“This,” he said, raising the paper bag slightly, “is not one, but two bottles of wine.”
“Two?” she repeated.
“In case one isn’t enough,” he replied simply.
“And the groceries?” she asked.
He shifted the larger bag in his other hand. “I figured we could try a different kind of breakfast tomorrow. Something that isn’t just bread and eggs.”
She stared at him for a moment, trying very hard not to let her face show what she felt. He had thought about tomorrow. He had assumed he would be here in the morning, and that simple fact should not have meant anything, and yet it did.
“You really think ahead,” she muttered.
“Someone has to,” he said lightly.
She rolled her eyes, stepping aside to let him in. “Fine. Come on in, my new personal chef.”
He walked past her into the house without hesitation, like he belonged there and like this was normal. The door clicked shut behind him, and just like that, the silence that had felt so heavy earlier seemed to lift.
As he moved into the kitchen, setting the bags down on the counter, she watched him quietly. He began unpacking things without being asked, fruit, cheese, pancake mix, bacon, and a small container of berries. It was more than necessary.
“Are you planning to feed an army?” she asked, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed.
He shook his head. “Just you.”
The words were simple, but they landed harder than she expected.
She looked away first. “You really didn’t have to come back tonight.”
“I know that, but I wanted to,” he said.
She swallowed and forced a small smirk back onto her face. “So you rushed back here because you thought I’d miss you and starve without you?”
“Pretty much,” he replied.
“That’s very arrogant of you,” she playfully retorted.
He turned to look at her fully now, one hand resting lightly against the counter. “Did you eat anything besides cookies today?”
She hesitated just long enough to answer the question without words, and he raised an eyebrow.
“That’s not the point,” she muttered.
He gave a quiet laugh and reached into the wine bag, pulling one bottle out and setting it on the counter. “Red or white?”
“You actually brought both,” she said.
“I like having options, don't you?” he answered with a shrug.
She walked closer and looked at the labels without really seeing them. “Red.”
After she said she wanted the red wine, Julian picked up the bottle and reached for the opener without hesitation. The soft light above the counter caught the side of his face, and Adeline simply watched him, but suddenly, it didn’t feel right to her.
“Wait,” she said quickly.
Julian paused mid-motion, the bottle still in his hand. He looked up at her with a small crease between his brows. “What?”
She stepped a little closer, folding her arms without realizing she was doing it. “What happens after we finish drinking?”
He blinked once, clearly not expecting that question. “After we finish drinking?” he repeated.
“Yes,” she said, holding his gaze. “Then what?”
For a second, he just looked at her, and then a slow smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “What do you want to happen?”
The way he asked it made her stomach tighten. He tilted his head slightly. “If you’re asking whether I’d say no to a repeat of last night, I wouldn’t. Not for the life of me.”
The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “That’s exactly what I want.”
There was no teasing in her voice this time, and Julian’s smile faded into something softer and more serious.
She swallowed and pushed forward before she could lose her nerve. “But if we’re going to have sex tonight, how about we skip the alcohol and save it for later?”
For a brief second, she wondered if she sounded ridiculous. Maybe she did. Maybe she sounded impatient or reckless, but the truth was simple. She did not want to have to get drunk first. She did not want an excuse or a blurry memory to hide behind, and standing there, looking at him, at the way his shirt fit across his shoulders and the way his eyes had darkened at her words, she did not think she had the patience to sit around for an extra hour pretending to care about random conversation.
Julian did not answer her right away. Instead, he slowly set the bottle back down on the counter. Then he walked toward her.
He did not rush, but there was no hesitation in his steps either. The space between them closed quickly, and before she could think too much about what she had just admitted, his hand came up to cup the side of her face, and then he kissed her.
It was not gentle. It was immediate and intense, like he had been holding back all day and finally decided to stop pretending. Adeline responded without thinking, her hands gripping the front of his shirt as she kissed him back just as fiercely. There was no awkwardness between them, no pause to ask if this was still what they wanted. It felt like they had both been waiting for the same moment.
He tasted like mint and something faintly sweet. She leaned into him, pressing closer, and the kiss deepened naturally. It felt less like something planned and more like something that had been building all day.
For a moment, it felt like breathing did not matter, like nothing outside of that small kitchen existed.
When he finally pulled back, it was only enough to rest his forehead against hers. His hand remained at her jaw, his thumb brushing lightly along her cheek. Both of them were breathing harder now, and the air between them felt warmer.
“You’ve always been impatient,” he murmured.
She opened her eyes slightly, meeting his gaze. “Maybe I just know what I want.”
A faint smile touched his lips at that, and he leaned in again and kissed her again, slower this time but no less certain. His other hand slid to her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them.