God of Mischief (Light of Obsession #2)

Chapter 19

Yuto

Her laughter echoed in the small apartment, soft and carefree, as she stirred the pot on the stove. The scent of something savory filled the air, mingling with the warmth of her presence. Amelie had insisted on cooking tonight, her reasoning as stubborn as the set of her jaw when she argued that I always cooked.

It was the little things like this that made me feel human again. Watching her move, her hair tied up messily, a smudge of something—flour?—on her cheek, made the weight of everything else feel momentarily bearable.

"You're staring, Yuto," she teased, turning slightly to catch me in the act.

I smirked, leaning against the counter, arms crossed. "Maybe I am. You're cute when you're bossy."

She rolled her eyes, but the faint blush creeping up her neck betrayed her. "Flattery won't save you when I burn dinner."

I stepped closer, closing the gap between us, my hand brushing against hers as I gently took the wooden spoon from her grasp. "Let me help before you start a kitchen fire."

Amelie huffed but let me take over, leaning against the counter with a playful pout. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

"I've been told."

The banter was easy, natural, but even as we laughed, there was a part of me that couldn't let go of the darkness lurking in the back of my mind. She had no idea what I was hiding from her, no idea that the man she trusted was tangled in a web of lies and revenge.

"Hey," her voice broke through my thoughts, soft but sharp enough to pull me back. "You're zoning out again."

I glanced at her, her expression shifting from playful to concerned. Damn it. She always saw right through me.

"Just thinking," I said, forcing a smile.

"About?" she pressed, stepping closer.

I wanted to tell her. The words clawed at my throat, desperate to break free, but I swallowed them down. How could I tell her the truth without destroying everything we had? Without breaking her trust?

"Studies," I lied, because it was easier than admitting I was drowning in guilt.

Her eyes searched mine for a moment before she nodded, her hand reaching out to rest lightly on my arm. "Don't overwork yourself, okay? You've been so tense lately."

I nodded, guilt twisting like a knife in my chest. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve me.

The timer on the oven beeped, breaking the moment. Amelie grinned, rushing to grab the mitts and pull out whatever concoction she'd thrown together.

"Moment of truth," she declared, setting the dish on the counter and looking at me expectantly.

I chuckled, grabbing a fork to take a bite. It wasn't bad—actually, it was pretty good, though I wasn't about to admit that just yet. "Not bad for an amateur."

She swatted at me, laughing. "You're impossible."

I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. As the evening wore on, her laughter filling the apartment and the scent of dinner lingering in the air, I couldn't shake the thought that I was living on borrowed time.

Amelie trusted me. She cared about me.

And when she found out the truth, it would destroy her.

A/N:
Some things are going to be drama-filled next couple of chapters ;)
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