Is this destiny?

"Are you sure you want me to prepare dinner?", Chloe asked Noah when they entered Noah's apartment with two bags full of groceries.

As they walked, Noah held both bags in his left hand, so that he can hold Chloe's hand with his right, and he didn't let go unless it was absolutely necessary.

Noah kept the bags on the kitchen's island. "I'm positive. You offered to make dinner yesterday, and since then I am thinking about it. You sounded confident when you made that offer, are you taking it back now?"

"No, no…", Chloe said quickly. "Of course, I will cook for you... I mean... for us."

She exhaled and did her best to calm her nerves.

Chloe was fairly confident in her cooking skills. She never cooked at the Long mansion, but she attended cooking classes and she is a fast learner who doesn't forget things easily.

However, cooking for Noah is a totally different thing, and she feared that she will mess it up and embarrass herself in front of him.

Chloe glanced at Noah and saw him leaning on the kitchen's island and facing her with a small smile at the corner of his lips. Is he going to do that while she is cooking? Everything will be oversalted and burnt!

"You will need to help in washing and chopping.", Chloe said while thinking about how to get him to do something other than look at her.

Noah agreed immediately. "I'm on it."

He put the chicken in the fridge and swiftly arranged groceries from the bags on the kitchen counter based on their names in alphabetical order, starting from asparagus and ending with zucchini. He placed fresh herbs like sage and rosemary on the side.

"I am your assistant, so I will assist you in the kitchen. Your sous-chef is ready for further orders, chef Chloe."

Chloe stifled a laugh when she saw Noah's eager expression.

"How about we change and freshen up first?", she suggested.

"Sure."

Chloe quickly showered and got ready before dashing to the study room. When Noah asked in the store what groceries to get, she just picked the ones she was familiar with, but now she needed to find dishes that can be made with those ingredients. Ah, what a mess.

In the master bedroom, after a quick shower, Noah was checking his messages. He guessed that Chloe might take longer, considering that she is a girl.

When he stepped out to find her, Noah noticed that the door of the study room was ajar. He found that strange because he was confident that it was fully open. He peeked inside and saw Chloe fervently typing on the keyboard while searching for recipes.

Noah was touched that she went along with his demand to cook dinner without complaining, but then... she does everything in her life without complaining. Noah stepped away carefully not to disturb her, and he made a silent vow to eat whatever she makes.

Noah expertly washed, peeled, and chopped vegetables that Chloe asked for and then he sat on the barstool and looked at her dreamily. She was focused on handling the ingredients, and he liked how she would narrow her eyes while assessing the spice level.

He chuckled when he saw her sneakily pull a piece of paper from her pocket, but he didn't call her out on using cheat-sheets for cooking.

The food was more than fine, and they chatted in a good mood about their day at the youth center. Chloe had many questions about the upcoming event, and Noah was happy to answer them.

"This was delicious, thank you.", Noah said honestly while refilling their wine glasses.

"You are welcome. I'm glad you liked it.", Chloe responded shyly.

"What else can you make?"

Chloe shrugged. "I don't cook regularly but I am pretty good at following recipes so if you want something specific, just let me know."

Noah liked her answer. It sounded like she was giving up on leaving. "I will take you on that offer."

After clearing up the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher, they went to the terrace.

Chloe held onto the steel railing that was framing the reinforced glass panels while gazing at the nightlights of the Boyle Heights neighborhood and Los Angeles in the distance. "I really like the view."

Noah's elbow was resting on the railing and he was facing Chloe. No view was better than the young woman in front of him. "You know that you are welcome to stay here as long as you want."

"That is nice of you to say."

"I'm not only saying it, Chloe. I mean it.", he said, and Chloe responded with a tight smile.

"Chloe…", Noah called, and he felt his patience running thin. Just when he thought that they made a progress, she regressed into her shell again. "Why don't you let me in?"

Chloe looked at him nervously. "This is not simple."

Noah held Chloe's shoulders and turned her to face him. "Explain it to me. I want to understand."

Chloe looked into his eyes which stirred with emotions and she felt a lump in her throat. "I don't want you to be implicated. There is nothing you can do."

"Are you confident that I'm powerless?"

Chloe lowered her head. She didn't mean that he was powerless, because he is amazing, but these are her problems, and she didn't want anyone to be troubled by it. Especially not Noah. "Why are you so persistent?"

"You know why, Chloe.", Noah said and cupped her cheeks with his palms, forcing her to look at him. "I know you feel the same. Why are you shutting us down without giving us a chance?"

Chloe's vision was blurring from the tears that formed in her eyes. Right in front of her was Noah, a handsome, caring, overall wonderful person, and he was asking her to open up, yet she was helpless. "No matter what we feel, I will need to leave, and it will only be more difficult if we start something. I don't see us working out, Noah."

Chloe's answer was not outside Noah's expectations, and he was glad that she shared her thoughts.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me, Chloe?", Noah repeated.

Chloe thought about his question. They met only two weeks ago, but in those two weeks, he was there for her when she needed help, and he made her nervous, happy, excited, needed, important, and safe. Does she trust him?

"Yes.", she said in a whisper.

"Then, close your eyes."

On a reflex, her eyes did the opposite and she stared at him. "What?"

Noah didn't miss Chloe's reaction which told him that she is not used to trusting people and he couldn't blame her for it. But he was set on showing her that he will not harm her in any way and in order to do so, he needed to get through the walls she built around herself.

"You said that you don't see this working out. If you trust me, close your eyes and let me show you the way."

Chloe saw that Noah was inching closer while his eyes keenly observed every inch of her face.

Her heart started thumping wilder than any time before, and she feared that it will break out of her ribcage.

"We can't ignore who we are… my family…"

"Shh…", Noah put his finger over Chloe's lips, preventing her from speaking further. "Did you forget that right now it's just the two of us? There are no backgrounds, no jobs, no families, and status doesn't matter. It's only you and me. Chloe and Noah. Close your eyes, Chloe, and show me who you are… show me what you want..."

His soothing low voice cast a spell on Chloe, and she closed her eyes.

"Do you see the way now? Will you give us a chance? What do you want to do, Chloe?", Noah urged her, and she felt his breath splashing against her lips when he called her name.

Chloe was dizzy and she grabbed his shirt in an attempt to steady herself.

Noah glanced at the way she fisted his shirt and he knew that she will not run away. His scared rabbit will not run away this time.

"This is a mistake…", Chloe said weakly.

"Maybe…", he drawled, and she could hear that he smiled.

"Even if it's a mistake, there is no one else with whom I would want to do it…", Noah murmured before closing that last inch of space between them and finally getting a taste of her lips.

Chloe's knees quivered as his lips danced over hers in sensual movements, giving her an invitation she was unable to refuse.

Noah's kiss was soft and gentle, and he tasted like wine, and it went perfectly with his solid embrace which gave her a sense of stability.

Chloe's arms moved around Noah, and she held onto him tightly because her world was spinning rapidly with Noah at its center, and the way her heart flipped when he deepened the kiss told her that things will never be the same.

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