Amelie sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly as she gazed at Julien with a look of resignation. "D'accord," she murmured, turning on her heel and walking out of the bedroom. "Let's do that."
Julien followed close behind, his eyes glued to the tantalizing sway of Amelie's hair as she made her way down the hallway. As they walked, he couldn't help but admire the way her sundress clung to her curves, the soft fabric highlighting the dip of her waist and the flare of her hips. He had to remind himself to keep his hands to himself, not wanting to piss her off any further.
"So, what are you going to make us for breakfast?" Julien asked, breaking the tense silence that hung between them. "I'm curious to see what culinary delights await me." He smirked, a playful glint in his dark eyes as he waited for Amelie's response.
Amelie glanced back over her shoulder at him, a coy smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Crêpes," she said simply, turning back to face the front as she continued walking.
Julien blinked in surprise, his brows shooting up to his hairline. "Crêpes?" he repeated, a note of disbelief in his voice. "But I thought you always ate Croissants for breakfast. Didn't you used to brag about how good you make them?"
Amelie paused, turning to face Julien fully as they reached the kitchen. She leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest as she gazed up at him with a wry, almost self-deprecating smile.
"Well, I changed," she said simply, shrugging one shoulder. "People change. They grow, they evolve, they... they get over things." She paused, her gaze locking with Julien's as a flicker of emotion passed over her face. "Sometimes those changes are for the better, and sometimes..." She trailed off, shaking her head slightly. "Sometimes they're just trying to escape their past."
Julien remained silent, his dark eyes flickering with a mix of emotions as he gazed down at the tiled floor of the kitchen. Amelie's words hung heavy in the air between them, a subtle undercurrent of unspoken meaning and implication that neither could quite ignore. Amelie watched him for a moment, her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to read his expression. But Julien's face was an inscrutable mask, revealing nothing of the thoughts and feelings that no doubt raced through his mind.
"Très bien," Amelie said, a note of dismissal in her voice as she waved her hand towards the doorway. "Then get out of the kitchen and sit at the dining table. I'll bring the Crêpes out to you once they're done."
Julien paused, glancing back at Amelie with a quizzical expression. "Et pour les Crêpes, salées ou sucrées?" he asked, his tone a low, curious rasp. "I'm curious to know what kind you'll be making."
Amelie thought for a moment, tapping her chin with one slender finger as she considered her options. "Salées," she said finally, a decisive nod of her head. "I think I'm in the mood for something savory today."
Julien shrugged, a small, nonchalant gesture as he turned to leave the kitchen. "Salees? I don't eat it that often but I'll just eat whatever you make, ma belle," he said, his voice a low, sincere murmur. "Surprise me."
With that, Julien exited the kitchen, making his way to the dining room and taking a seat at the table. He leaned back in his chair, his legs stretched out in front of him as he waited for Amelie to bring out the food. As he sat there, he couldn't help but reflect on the conversation they had just had, the underlying meaning and implications of Amelie's words still echoing in his mind.
A few moments later, Amelie emerged from the kitchen, her hands laden with two steaming plates of Crêpes. She walked with a graceful, almost regal bearing, her sundress swishing softly around her legs with each step. She set one plate down in front of her own seat before making her way over to Julien's side of the table.
As she leaned across him to place his plate in front of him, Julien's eyes were drawn to the glint of something metallic on Amelie's thumb. He reached out, gently taking her hand in his own to examine the ring more closely.
"C'est un joli anneau," Julien murmured, his thumb brushing over the smooth, cool metal as he gazed up at Amelie with a look of admiration. "Where did you get it from?"
Amelie started, her eyes widening in surprise as she glanced down at the ring on her thumb. It was a simple band, made of white gold with a small, delicate diamond set in the center. She had almost forgotten she was wearing it, so used to the weight and feel of it on her finger.
"Oh, thank you," she said softly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she tried to pull her hand away from Julien's grasp. "I got it on a whim, a little indulgence for myself." She paused, a note of confusion entering her voice. "Didn't you see it last night? I thought for sure you would have noticed something like this."
Julien chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that made Amelie's heart skip a beat in her chest. He didn't release her hand, instead tightening his grip slightly as he gazed up at her with a playful, almost teasing smile.
"Well you know," Julien said, his voice a low, husky rasp as he winked at Amelie. "Last night, I had better things to look at and even better things to hear," Julien said, his voice a low, husky rasp. "Things that were far more... distracting than that ring. Like your pretty tits, your ass, or the sound of your moans echoing off the bedroom walls."
Amelie's blush deepened into a fierce, crimson red as she yanked her hand away from Julien's grasp. She stumbled back, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to put some distance between them. "Putain, Julien!" she snapped, her voice a low, furious hiss. "You can't just say things like that!"
She stormed over to her seat, her hands trembling slightly as she gripped the back of the chair. "Enculé, connard, salaud!" She sat down hard in her chair, the wood creaking under the force of her anger. "And a fucking pervert too, apparently. I swear, the things that come out of your mouth sometimes..." She shook her head, reaching for her fork and knife with trembling fingers.
Julien just chuckled, a low, unrepentant sound as he watched Amelie's outrage with a look of amusement. He picked up his fork and knife, examining them with a critical eye before setting them down beside his plate.
"Tu ne devrais pas jurer comme ça, surtout avant de manger, ma belle," Julien said, his tone a low, gentle chide even as a smirk played at the corners of his mouth. "It's not very ladylike, non?"
He cut into the Crêpe, the knife and fork slicing through the delicate, golden-brown pastry with ease. He took a bite, popping the morsel into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment as he savored the taste and texture of Amelie's cooking,"
"Mmmm," Julien murmured, a low, appreciative sound. "C'est délicieux, Amelie. You've outdone yourself this time." He opened his eyes, gazing at Amelie with a look of genuine admiration and respect. "I don't know what I did to deserve a chef like you, but I'm certainly not going to complain about it."
Amelie rolled her eyes, then she glared at Julien with a look of utter exasperation. "Je m'en fiche," she muttered, turning her attention to her own plate of Crêpes. "I don't care if it's bad luck or not. And I'm not your 'belle' anymore, remember?" She paused, taking a bite of her own breakfast and chewing angrily. "We're not together anymore, Julien. You made sure of that."
Julien began, his voice a low, solemn murmur as he gazed at Amelie with a look of deep regret and sorrow. "About that, Amelie..." he started, his tone heavy with emotion and a lifetime of pain. "As I mentioned last night, my father, he... he took his own life. And when he died, he left behind a mountain of debt. The bank, they seized our home almost instantly, leaving Maman and I with nothing." He paused, his jaw clenching tight as he remembered the helplessness and despair he had felt in that moment.
Julien's hands clenched around his fork and knife, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to maintain his composure. "I had to do everything on my own, Amelie. Juggling my studies with a job, trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. And all while Maman... she fell into a deep depression. She couldn't even get out of bed most days." His voice cracked slightly, a note of pain and anguish bleeding through his carefully controlled exterior.
Julien shook his head, a grim smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I thought, I thought I had no right to come back into your life like that, Amelie. Not when I was drowning in my own problems and struggles. I couldn't be the man you needed me to be, not when I was barely holding myself together." He reached out, placing a tentative hand on Amelie's forearm, his touch a gentle plea for understanding.
"I knew I had to establish myself first, to build a stable life and future for myself before I could even think about trying to win you back. I couldn't just waltz back into your life and expect you to drop everything and take a chance on me, not when I was still trying to put the pieces of my own life back together, still I tried contacting you to tell about it, your cell phone was out of reach so I had no choice but to hope." Julien's voice was a low, earnest murmur, his dark eyes searching Amelie's face for any sign of understanding or sympathy. "Nonetheless, I still hurt you, and I am truly sorry for that, I hope you will forgive me."