The grand opera house glimmered with golden light, music swirling through the air like velvet. Shelly sat beside Denial, her head resting lightly on one hand, eyes darting around the hall. At first, she tried to follow the performance, but somewhere in the middle, the long notes and slow rhythm lulled her into boredom. Before she realized it, her eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep right there in her seat.
Denial didn't even glance at the stage anymore. His gaze was fixed entirely on her — the way her lips curved slightly in sleep, the way a soft strand of hair brushed against her cheek.
Shelly… you have no idea how sweet you look right now, he thought, his chest tightening. Sometimes I feel like I should just hide you away, keep you close so no one can take you from me. I wish you would look at me… love me… just once.
The applause erupted and the show ended, but Denial didn't move. Neither did Shelly. The hall slowly emptied until the rows of seats stood silent.
When Shelly finally stirred awake, she rubbed her eyes and found Denial still looking at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. She glanced around, startled to see no one else in the audience.
"Oh— everyone left?" she murmured.
"Yeah," Denial replied softly.
Shelly stood and stretched. "Let's go home."
"Not yet," Denial said. "Come with me to one of my favorite places. There's this old restaurant — more than fifty years old. You'll love it."
Her lips curved in amusement. "Alright… but am I supposed to eat alone? You can't eat human food."
Denial's eyes softened. "I'll just watch you. Don't worry… I can eat if I want to."
Shelly gave a playful sigh. "I know… fine, let's go."
Dinner was warm and quiet, the kind of evening where conversation didn't have to fill every silence. On the way back, Denial stopped suddenly, handing her a small bouquet of red roses.
She blinked, surprised. "How did you know I like roses?"
"That's easy," he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "You're more beautiful than any flower. Roses are just the closest thing I could find."
Shelly rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Denial, you're so… ugh, such a flirt."
When they reached her house, she tilted her head. "Do you want to come in?"
"Not tonight," Denial said gently. "What will your dad think? I'll talk to you tomorrow after work. Remember I told you I was taking a few days off?"
"Yeah," she said, curious. "Why?"
"I found a nice spot for a little trip. We should all go," Denial replied.
"All? As in…?"
"You, me, your dad, Kiki, and Lucy."
Shelly hesitated. "You won't mind Kiki and Lucy coming along?"
Denial shook his head with a small smile. "Not at all."
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Continue....