Clarissa stammered, "I..."
She paused for a second, then finally said slowly, "I don't think so. This is actually pretty okay. I mean, sure, you're kinda sarcastic sometimes, but you're capable, and... well, you'd probably make a great husband."
Elian lowered his gaze and chuckled softly.
Then he suddenly asked, "Great as a husband... or something else?" He leaned in close, voice sultry and warm against her ear, the heat from his breath making her earlobe feel like it was burning.
He murmured, "Or as the father of your kid?"
Clarissa's breath hitched, heart skipping a beat. His voice was way too gentle-it sent ripples through her like someone had dropped a pebble into her chest, stirring everything up inside.
Truthfully, that thought had crossed her mind, but it felt too early to say it out loud. There were just too many unknowns about the future... What if he ended up falling for someone else? Then wouldn't he be someone else's-
Elian still had his head tilted, staying right beside her ear. He added, "I'm not the type to cheat. So unless something major happens, this'll probably be my one and only marriage."
Even his laugh sounded like it was teasing her ears, but Clarissa just stood there, kind of dazed.
It wasn't until Elian walked over and opened the car door for her, saying, "Come on, let's eat, Mrs. Langley," that she snapped out of it.
Her fingers were still tightly gripping the hem of her jacket, heart stuck on what he'd just said-
This'll probably be my one and only marriage...
She looked out the car window at him, then picked up her purse to follow. But the second she stepped out, her legs wobbled a bit and everything kind of spun.
She thought she was going to fall, but Elian caught her just in time, one arm steady around her waist.
She held onto his arm for a moment, taking a breath to steady herself.
"What?" he teased, his voice smooth with a lazy kind of amusement, "Was I really that moving just now? You're about to throw yourself at me to prove your undying love?"
For some reason, those words brought up the image of Sebastian in her mind.
Clarissa looked up at him and asked, "Do you say that kind of crap to other people too?"
Letting go of his hand, she walked toward the restaurant.
She wasn't even sure why, but something about that "throw yourself at" line rubbed her the wrong way.
"Clarissa, are you that desperate to throw yourself at me?"
"If you had an ounce of dignity, you'd stop clinging to me."
"Stop spreading lies to my family. I feel nothing for you. If you're that eager, go throw yourself at someone else-maybe they'll pay better than my parents."
"Clarissa, your constant throwing yourself at me is just disgusting."
...
All those chaotic thoughts flooded her mind at once.
Elian caught up just as they reached the restaurant entrance and gently grabbed her hand. His eyes softened when he noticed the flush at her lash line, the shimmer caught in the tips of her curled lashes.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, don't cry," he said, voice low and full of concern.
Clarissa pulled her hand back, her voice catching as she said, "I've never thrown myself at anyone."
That's when Elian finally realized what his words had triggered. He reached out like he wanted to hold her again, then hesitated, worried she'd pull away once more. So he bent slightly to meet her gaze, speaking softly.
"I get it. Hey... are you hungry? Let's go eat, alright?"
His voice was deep but calm, carefully chosen word by word. There was no frustration, no annoyance in it.
Clarissa stood there a few beats longer, then pulled a small pack of tissues from her purse and dabbed away her tears gently.
Once she felt a little more composed, she glanced up at Elian.
Maybe... she had overreacted a little.
This really had nothing to do with Elian. He wasn't obligated to sit through her emotional swings, let alone take on the weight of them.
Clarissa reached out and lightly tugged at his sleeve.
"Sorry... I kind of took it out on you just now."
Elian simply lifted a hand, his slender fingers gently tapping between her brows. The touch was cool, feather-light, and his voice came out soft and breezy.
"It's fine. Let's go eat."
Without missing a beat, he caught her wrist and led her inside.
He picked a small private room. The air throughout the restaurant was filled with the spicy, numbing aroma of pepper.
"This place is pretty famous for its Creole dishes. Since you like spicy food, you'll probably enjoy it."
Clarissa poured him a glass of water. "And you? You like spicy too?"
Elian nodded. "Yeah, I do."
Clarissa pulled out her phone and checked her reflection in the screen, quietly wondering if she'd messed up her makeup earlier.
"I'll just run to the restroom real quick," she said, standing up.
She left her phone facedown on the table, grabbed her clutch, and walked out.
A while later, there was a knock on the door as the waitstaff came in with the food. Someone at the entrance shot a fleeting glance inside.
Once the waiter left, another knock came, followed by someone entering. Elian glanced up, assuming it was Clarissa again-but instead, it was someone else.
"Liam?" He blinked.
Liam gave a warm smile. "Small world, Mr. Langley. I'd heard you were back, hadn't had a chance to say hi yet. Didn't expect to bump into you here."
Elian casually flipped his phone over on the table, still smiling. "Yeah, what are the odds. But hey, we went to uni together, no need for all the 'Mr. Langley' formality. Just call me Elian."
Liam hadn't really expected that. They weren't exactly close in school-same school, not the same classes-so it wasn't like they were old buddies or anything.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"Dinner with my wife."
Wife? That clicked something in Liam's mind-he'd just seen Elian's wedding post on his feed yesterday.
He gave a faint chuckle, those charming eyes narrowing slightly. "Then I won't interrupt. Let's catch up properly another time."
As he stood, his gaze briefly landed on the phone with a familiar-looking case.
Seeing Liam eye Clarissa's phone, Elian casually replied, "Next time for sure."
After Liam stepped out, Elian flipped the phone over again and quietly tapped the pause button.
It had become a habit over the years-recording his conversations with people he wasn't too familiar with.
Maybe it was just a reflex.
Moments later, Clarissa stepped back into the room. She'd thought she'd seen someone leave a second earlier, but it was too far to see clearly.
The silhouette felt familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Was someone here just now?" she asked, glancing curiously at Elian.
"Yeah," he answered casually. "It was Liam. You know him, right?"
Clarissa froze for half a second at the name, but quickly pulled herself together.
"Liam was here? That's unexpected."
Elian gave a small laugh. "Just ran into him, I guess."
Then, he picked up a small piece of fish soaked in broth and dropped it into her bowl.
She looked at him again. "Did you two talk about anything?"
He shook his head. "Just a bit of small talk. I only mentioned I was having dinner with my wife. He did seem to notice your phone case on the table before he left."
"You think he recognized it?"
Elian set his fork down and let out a quiet sigh. His lips lifted in a faint smile, but somehow, he still looked a little downhearted.
"Clarissa, is being my wife something worth hiding?"
Is it that hard for you to be okay with people knowing?
Or... is it about keeping it from people around Sebastian?
Clarissa shook her head quickly and rushed to explain. "No, it's not like that. It just felt so sudden-I didn't want people talking about us. It's not that I don't want anyone to know."
Still, that question from Elian... it carried a hint of doubt.
