Chapter 108: You Invited Me Here Yourself
"There’s no one inside?" Zachary asked calmly, though amusement had already begun appearing in his eyes.
Immediately, Sienna shook her head.
"No, of course not," she said quickly. "I live alone. I just—" Her voice trailed off. She realized she’d reacted way too fast.
Silence settled briefly between them.
Zachary watched her quietly.
While Sienna, she pressed her lips together, visibly trying to recover her composure without embarrassing herself further. She gently took a deep breath and kindly stepped aside to let him in.
She explained in a calmer tone, ’I just wanted to see if I had everything I needed to cook something nice for you.’
Then she added, "Get in..." Without waiting for his answer, she turned and walked inside first.
A faint smile appeared on Zachary’s lips before he followed her into the apartment and closed the door quietly behind him.
The moment he entered, his attention lowered toward the floor near the entrance. A pair of indoor slippers waited there neatly.
’A pair of fluffy pink slippers!? Seriously, I need to wear those?’
Zachary looked at them for a few moments, wondering if he was supposed to wear them. At home, he had never needed to wear such items, so it took him a moment to decide what to do.
"Zach, I’m sorry..." Sienna said after noticing his hesitation.
He looked up and found her watching him with an apologetic expression.
"...but you need to wear those," she explained gently while pointing toward the slippers. "I don’t usually allow outside shoes inside. No exception."
Zachary glanced down once more. Then back at her. "...Those are pink."
A small smile immediately appeared on Sienna’s lips.
"That’s the only unused pair I have."
"So these belong to you?"
"Yes," she admitted honestly. "But they’re clean."
Zachary looked at the slippers one last time before calmly removing his shoes. Then he slipped his feet into them. The size was clearly too small for him.
For a moment, Sienna observed him. The contrast between his calm, composed appearance and the soft pink slippers beneath him was unexpectedly entertaining.
"You look surprisingly comfortable in those," she said, holding back her laugh.
"I’ve accepted your instruction, unreservedly," he said helplessly.
That answer made her burst into laughter, but it was only for a moment as he showed his displeasure in response.
"All right, let’s head to the dining room slash kitchen. Be careful. You might hit something," she said playfully as she walked toward the kitchen.
And hearing her soft laugh in the quiet apartment made something in Zachary relax, something he had not felt in a long time.
His gaze slowly moved around the apartment afterward.
The place itself was not luxurious, but it reflected Sienna completely. Everything was neat without looking overly arranged, with white walls and soft-colored furniture. A folded blanket rested on one side of the sofa. Several books sat stacked near the television. Small decorative lights near the kitchen added warmth to the room without trying too hard.
Nothing about the apartment felt artificial. It felt lived in and comfortable.
"Your apartment suits you," he said honestly.
Sienna turned toward him, "What does that mean?"
"It feels calm and homie..." Zachary replied simply.
"I’ll take that as a compliment."
"It is."
Their eyes met quietly for a second longer than necessary before Sienna looked away first and walked toward the kitchen area.
"I’ll cook something simple," she said. "Something I found in my fridge..."
Zachary followed behind her at an unhurried pace.
"I already agreed to the convenience-store food," he reminded her calmly. "So my expectations are not high."
Sienna glanced back at him over her shoulder. "That sounds slightly insulting."
"It wasn’t meant to be."
"Hmm." She opened the fridge, saying, "Should I still feed you after that comment?"
Zachary leaned lightly against the kitchen counter, watching her quietly. "You invited me here yourself."
The reminder instantly made Sienna pause for half a second.
"Did I?" she asked, glancing at him.
Zachary simply stared at her, his gaze clearly showing his surprise.
Sienna quietly swallowed, then looked away toward the fridge. "I’m beginning to regret how impulsive I was tonight," she whispered loudly enough for him to hear.
"No," he answered calmly. "You’re just being friendly."
His response was enough to make her smile.
"So, I will heat the pizza and make some salad," she said while briefly glancing at him. "I hope you don’t mind..."
He stared at her for a few seconds longer than necessary before replying, "No worries. I eat anything you give me."
The moment the words left his mouth, silence filled the kitchen.
After a few more seconds, Sienna finally chose what to cook for him.
Then, she pointed toward the living room, holding the pizza tray. "Alright, you can wait on the sofa, my kitchen is too small for two people."
His eyes swept across the narrow space before he nodded in understanding. "Fair enough."
Zachary settled on the sofa quietly. His gaze wandered around the apartment, taking in the small bookshelf and the little cactus sitting near the television. The place looked warm, with a girly touch here and there. Very different from his own home.
Then, his attention drifted back toward the kitchen, where Sienna moved around while humming softly under her breath. She looked relaxed now, unlike earlier when she nearly fainted from panic after he offered to visit her house.
Just thinking about it was enough to make him smile again.
After a few more minutes of staring at her, he lowered his gaze to his cell phone, checking several unread emails.
But before he could focus, her voice reached him.
"Zach, your dinner, I mean supper..."
He immediately stood and approached the dining table.
Something unexpectedly warm settled in his chest the moment he saw the food she had prepared. It was simple: pizza, salad, and two glasses of water. Nothing fancy at all.
Yet somehow, it felt more genuine and satisfying than any of the luxurious meals he had each day from any famous chef or restaurant.
