The best man

Chapter 7

As the laughter faded, I felt a twinge of guilt wash over me. "I'm sorry for bringing all this up," I said, biting my lip. "I didn't mean to ruin the night. I just... I've been through a lot, and I guess it's hard not to let it spill over sometimes."

Ethan shook his head, a warm smile still gracing his lips. "Lily, you're not ruining anything. This is exactly how it should be—honest and open. Besides, if we can't talk about feelings, what are we even doing? Just eating fancy food and pretending we're in a gourmet cooking show?"

I chuckled at that. "Right! It would be very awkward. 'And now I'll just awkwardly stare at you while we eat our overpriced food.'"

"Exactly!" he replied, leaning back in his chair with an exaggerated expression. "And let's not even get started on the cooking fails. I once tried to make a soufflé, and it ended up looking like an angry pancake. Trust me, we'd lose viewers in seconds!"

I laughed harder, picturing the scene. "I can't believe you attempted that! Did it taste as bad as it looked?"

"Oh, it was horrific! I think I single-handedly killed the soufflé's reputation," he said, pretending to wipe away a tear. "But hey, at least it gave me a great story for our first dates."

His lighthearted approach made me feel at ease again. "Thank you for being so understanding," I said, my heart feeling lighter. "I really appreciate it."

Ethan smiled, leaning closer. "Of course! And remember, any night with you is bound to be magical, even if it involves a soufflé disaster. I'm just glad we can share the weirdness together!"

Feeling reassured and grateful, I realized that this moment was turning out to be more than just a date—it was a connection I had longed for, filled with laughter and honesty.