Page 82 of A Sinful Gravity

I crouched there, hand touching the spot on my cheek where she'd kissed me.

That tiny kiss, carrying the scent of milk, like a piece of candy melting away all that sourness from before.

I slowly stood up and turned around.

Luna stood at the end of the entryway, leaning against the doorframe, watching me.

Her expression was complicated. Surprised, puzzled, but she was also smiling.

"You..." She started, then stopped.

I waited.

"What did you put in her bag?"

"Cream puffs." I handed her the bag. "From that place she likes. And tiramisu for you."

She paused, took it, looking somewhat surprised.

Wind blew through, carrying the scent of hydrangeas from the yard. She stood there, backlit, her whole figure gilded in soft gold.

"So..." I gathered my courage. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

She blinked. "Not yet."

"Want to eat together?" I glanced toward the kitchen. "I'll cook."

She looked at me, surprise flashing in her eyes.

"You can cook?"

"Learned a bit," I said. "Might not be great, but it should be... edible."

She fell silent for a few seconds.

My fingers clenched, waiting for her answer.

She nodded. "Okay."

I took off my expensive suit jacket, removed my cufflinks, and rolled up my white shirtsleeves.

In the kitchen, I faced the ingredients on the cutting board, feeling a bit nervous. Because Luna sat across from me.

Three years ago, I'd hired a private instructor and practiced at home for over a month. Knife skills, heat control, seasoning—learned it all. But then I realized eating alone wasn't much fun, so I stopped. Sometimes on weekends, I'd pan-fry a steak, but just to get by.

Luna sat at the open kitchen's island bar, holding a glass of water. She watched me like I was an alien as I expertly handled the premium wagyu, then started cutting asparagus.

"When did you learn to use a kitchen?" Disbelief filled her tone.

I slid the steak into the pan. The sizzle of fat filled the quiet room.

"Three years ago." I didn't turn around, focused on monitoring the heat. "Back then, I had constant insomnia. So I thought I'd try learning to make things. At first, it was terrible, even stray cats wouldn't sniff it. But I thought... if you ever came back, I couldn't just feed you takeout forever."

Luna said nothing.

I arranged the cut asparagus on the plate and sprinkled a thin layer of sea salt.

"These past years, I've learned a lot of things I used to find boring, Luna. Because I kept thinking, if God was really willing to give me a chance to make amends, I didn't want to reach that moment and realize all I could do for you was write checks."