Hannah just sat there, watching him eat the burnt cake without a hint of complaint. The way he chewed it slowly, instead of forcing it down, showed that he didn't dislike it.
And that alone… was shocking.
She didn't understand why she always ended up burning cakes even though she followed every step of the recipe perfectly. It wasn't just cakes either — she had tried other desserts too, but none ever turned out right.
Because her husband had recently gotten irritated by her repeated attempts, she stopped telling him about her experiments altogether.
In the past, when they were newly married, he used to say that no matter what she made, he would eat it with a smile.
But with time… things changed.
They no longer went out together, he rarely stayed home at night, and even when he did, their conversations barely lasted a few minutes.
If she was being honest, she talked to Nathan far more these days than she did to her own husband.
"What are you thinking?" Nathan asked, finishing the last bite of the cake as he looked at her.
She took a quiet breath and shook her head. "It's nothing," she said, her voice trembling slightly as she wiped the corner of her eyes.
Nathan leaned forward a little, his tone soft. "Am I really that distant that you can't tell me?"
His gentle concern caught her off guard.
Resting her hands on the table, she spoke in a low voice, "It might sound childish, but this is the first time someone's actually eaten something sweet I made. Logan… he got mad at me for trying again, but since he loves sweets, I just wanted to get better for him. But I always end up failing."
Her voice cracked, her shoulders trembling as tears filled her eyes.
Then suddenly, warmth wrapped around her hand.
She looked up and saw Nathan holding it, his eyes calm and sincere.
"I won't say this was the best cake I've ever tasted," he said gently, "but I can tell you've improved a lot, Hannah." His voice carried a quiet kindness as he added, "And it's your effort that matters the most to me."
Their eyes met.
"If I had someone trying that hard for me," he said softly, "I think I'd fall for them all over again."
Hannah's heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks grew warm—not just because of his words, but because of how genuine he sounded when he said them.
"Every man says that until they get married," Hannah muttered, her voice carrying a quiet hint of complaint.
Normally, she would have laughed it off, taken his words as a joke, and moved on. But this time… she didn't want to. She wanted to hear more.
And as if reading her heart, he said softly, "Others, maybe. But with you, Hannah? Considering how beautiful, caring, and selfless you are—how you always put your partner's happiness before your own? I can't imagine anyone ever stopping themselves from falling for you."
Her heart thudded hard against her chest as she looked into his eyes—those deep red eyes that glowed with warmth and sincerity.
She had forgotten what it felt like to be appreciated by a man. Her husband used to compliment her only when she dressed up for parties he took her to… but he never noticed the little things.
And now, here was Nathan—a boy who rarely opened up to anyone, who spent most of his time in silence—saying words that touched places in her heart she thought had gone numb.
In that moment, she felt seen. She felt… special.
Just then, a small voice called out from the other room, "Mama!"
Hannah blinked, snapped out of the daze as if reality had suddenly pulled her back. She quickly withdrew her hand, almost in panic, as though she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.
"I-I'll go check on her," she stammered, standing up in haste. Her heart pounded furiously, and her face burned as she hurried away toward the room.
But even as she walked, confusion stirred inside her. Why had she run away like that? He had only been praising her… nothing more.
So why did her chest feel so tight?
Was she really that lonely—that just a few kind words from a man could make her heart waver like this?
'No… I need to stop this,' she told herself firmly. 'Nathan is like a child to me. And having feelings like this, even for a moment, would be no different than betraying Logan.'
She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside her.
But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, deep down, Hannah knew—she wouldn't be able to forget those few moments with Nathan anytime soon.
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Some progress would be slow, some fast and some absurdly fast. Thanks for reading.