Chapter 73
Selena threw him a bewildered look. 'Seriously, is he even human? I'm this sick, and he still...'
Annoyed, she turned her head away, managing to hold back her tears.
Everett took a deep breath, trying to calm his arousal. He set up the small tray on the bed and placed a bowl of plain oatmeal on it. "Didn't you say you were hungry? I just went to get you something to eat."
Even though his words were meant to be kind, his actions and tone came off so irritated that it was hard to feel any gratitude.
Selena's gaze landed on the steaming bowl of oatmeal, the warmth enticing her empty stomach. She couldn't help but swallow.
She remembered Ava wasn't around, so she casually asked, "When did you order takeout?"
Had he timed it perfectly so the food would be ready when she woke up?Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Reading her thoughts, Everett frowned and pushed the spoon into her hand with clear annoyance. "It's just oatmeal, not rocket science." Was he implying that he made it himself?
Did he actually cook? That was shocking for someone of his status, who had never set foot in a kitchen.
Selena paused, hesitating with the spoonful of oatmeal at her lips. She asked sincerely, "It's not poisoned, is it?"
Everett huffed, somewhat incredulously, "Your life isn't valuable enough for me to go down with you."
Suppressing her urge to roll her eyes, Selena noticed Everett wasn't in casual clothes, but rather a shirt and trousers, with three buttons undone and sleeves rolled up, showing off the muscular lines of his forearms-sexy and strong. But his shirt was clearly wrinkled, with dried sweat stains on the chest, his eyes were red, and stubble was showing on his chin.
It seemed he was telling the truth; He had rushed back to take care of her, knowing she'd be hungry when she woke up and had even taken the time to make her a warm bowl of oatmeal.
When he realized Selena figured out
the situation, Everett's expression softened a bit. He nudged the bowl towards her, saying with a hint of something unspoken, "It's my first time making it, but I tasted it, and it's not bad. Go on, aren't you hungry?"
Selena snapped back to reality, looked up at him, and instantly sensed the "fishing for compliments" vibe in his words.
Well, for someone like him to cook oatmeal for the first time, it was kind of touching, right?
Selena pulled out a smile but didn't play along. "Mr. Bennett, it's just a bowl of oatmeal. It's not like you whipped up a five-star meal. Come on, it's 2024. Let's get real here, okay?"
Everett was at a loss.
Selena reached out to him. "Hand over my phone. I want to order something myself. Even if I have to eat light, I'm not having your oatmeal!"
She was no longer the naive girl who could be easily swayed by small gestures.
Everett was taken aback by her lack of appreciation. His face darkened, and his mood turned sour.
Damn Derick for saying women loved these small gestures. Selena clearly wasn't falling for it.
He dragged a chair over and sat down, his dark eyes narrowing, his gaze shadowed.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense in an instant.
18
In the past, Selena hated seeing him upset, not because she was scared but because she cared about him. She didn't want to see him with a cold expression, so she'd end overanalyzing everything, wondering if she had done something wrong.
After mentally beating herself up, she became even more cautious, slowly losing her sense of self.
Did he really think he could still control her like this? He was dreaming!
Ignoring him, Selena kept her hand extended, repeating, "Give me back my phone!"
After a few moments of silence, Everett finally spoke, "Selena, what will it take for you to drop the attitude and just be yourself again?"