ion from the night before still hung in the air, but as she stretched beneath the covers, a strange sense of calm washed over her

, surface-level. Neither of them had brought up what had happened. Neither of them had truly apologized. It

hing new ideas for an upcoming exhibition. It was an unusual time fo

te night. Dinner at your favorite restaurant,

reading across her face. It was just like Ethan to come

hink dinner will fix ever

slice of your favorite cake, extra frosting. And

ew what mattered most was the fact that Ethan was trying and that he was reaching out with humor and

ive you a chance. But i

l be. Promise.

re still going to have to

n the cake to do most

choosing a soft blue dress that made her feel comfortable yet beautiful. Ethan had suggested a quiet little bistro,

e, looking effortlessly handsome in a tailored suit. He stood up as she approached, a she

omeone who's trying a bit too hard. Are you sure you didn't

also wanted to see if I could make you laugh again." He flashed

a side of roasted vegetables. Ethan followed suit, though he seemed to have

how have you been?"She asked, her tone a little quieter now, as if she were

ings last week. I shouldn't have let my pride get in the way. I let things fester, and it

lings, always managing to keep things just at arm's length. But tonight, he was

d. "I was just scared, okay? Scared that you might outgrow me or that yo

the tech mogul," she said softly. "You're Ethan. The guy who can't cook without setting off the smoke alarm, the guy who makes me

feel that way. Because the more I get to know you, the more I realize that

it," she teased. "I'm not the o

out," he said with a wink, his eyes gleaming with

the latest show Clara had binge-watched and the hilarious mishaps that had occurred at one of Ethan's

here a small glass display case held a tempting selection of cakes and pastries. H

ich cake do you want? The world

cake with layers of cream and raspberry drizzl

Really? Are you sure you're not jus

t you to handle it. It's just cake,

re that your dessert experience is perfect, Clara. No on

bout the simplicity of it all-the way Ethan could make her feel so at ease, even when everything around them was chaotic

ight, that