Self

Chapter 37

Once Yara got home, she peeked into the fridge. There were a bunch of veggies left from her previous grocery run. She decided on a hearty beef brisket stew with potatoes, ribs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and, for a green touch, some crisp stir–fried veggies.

She was a whiz with the knife, washing and chopping with lightning speed, which blew Solomon’s mind since he could not cook to save his life.

“Wow, you’re good at this,” he remarked.

Yara flashed a casual smile. “To each their own, right? I have a habit of cooking for myself.”

Solomon watched her bustling about, his eyes taking a tour of the place.

The place was not huge, but it was spotless and thoughtfully put together.

A little bookshelf in the living room was packed with books. He caught a glimpse of them–all professional stuff, but one book stood out, a single book about physics.

He felt it was somewhat rude to eyeball a girl’s room like that, so he kept his gaze in check.

Before long, a feast was laid on the table, the dishes sending their tempting scents his way.

Solomon sampled the ribs and was surprised. “This is insanely good! You’ve got some serious skills.

Het

e was so used to greasy, salty takeout that Yara’s home–cooked meal was like a taste of heaven.

Yara chuckled at his over–the–top reaction. “Dig in if you love it that much.”

Solomon gave a slight nod, his gratitude clear. “Thanks a ton for dinner.”

A shy tremor fluttered through his lashes as a thought struck him. “You’re such a whiz in the kitchen and an all–around amazing person. Any guy would be lucky to call you his girlfriend.”

Before Yara could even respond, a loud pounding at the door cut through the moment.

She scrunched her brows in annoyance and set her chopsticks down. “Keep eating. I’ll go check it out.”

She swung the door open to find Charlotte, who did not waste a second before trying to drag her out.

Yara stood there, totally clueless.

“We need to hit the hospital. My brother’s sick, and he’s been admitted. He needs you.”

Yara stayed put, her gaze falling. “We’re done. His problems aren’t mine anymore.”

Charlotte looked at her like she was speaking another language.

“My brother has a hole in his stomach, and you’re still upset? Where’s your compassion?! You say you love him, but is this love?

“He didn’t mean it when he said it was over. You knew that and took it to heart. Now, you’re the one with the attitude, blaming him for not sweet–talking you.

“For six years, my brother’s given you the works–a villa, designer clothes, jewelry to die for, and a black card for crying out loud…”

Charlotte counted off the perks, feeling a twinge of jealousy–she did not even have a black card.

“And here I am, sticking up for you, just asking you to see him, and you can’t even do that?”

Yara’s face was a mask of ice, her voice steady as a rock. “That’s right, I can’t. You can show yourself out.”

Chapter 37

“Okay,” Charlotte said with a scornful chuckle. “Remember this moment. Stay strong. Don’t come back to me begging to patch things up with my brother!”

Then, she stormed off without a backward glance.

As Charlotte’s footsteps faded, Yara’s hand, white–knuckled on the doorknob, trembled ever so slightly.

“Hey, you’re okay?”

Solomon cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. He could not quite make out the words from inside the room, but he could tell two girls were having a heated argument.

Yara shut the door behind her and flashed him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about that. Let me get you something to drink.”

Solomon quickly read her face–calm, composed, nothing amiss. “Sure.”

As the meal went on, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of tension.

The food was a feast for the senses, yet Solomon felt uneasy with every bite.

He barely managed to finish before he made a hasty exit.

The house fell silent. Yara was left alone, cleaning up. Charlotte’s biting words kept replaying in her head.