Page 48 of A Sudden Romance

The light on her phone snagged her attention, and she grabbed it from the nightstand. She smiled at Sabastian’s now-fading tulips in the glass vase. Her smile widened when she checked his text.

Sabastian: Are you already home?

She flopped to her stomach, her cheeks warm despite the cool air she’d walked through. She typed.

Iris: You’re not much different from my family if you don’t trust me to make it home by myself.

Sabastian: I want you to be safe. By the way, what excuse did you use to leave your parents when you came to my house?

Iris: Told them I had to come and fight with you.

She added a smiley face.

Sabastian: You’re welcome to fight with me any time. As long as it involves forcing me to talk about my feelings for you.

Her cheeks lifted as she shook her head and typed.

Iris: You’re so full of it. You know that?

Sabastian: I’m sorry I didn’t answer my phone. Jealousy blinded me when you went on a date. The last thing on my mind was to check my phone. It didn’t occur to me you’d call.

Iris: I loved seeing you mad. More so now that I know why. Didn’t know you had a temper, Mr. Diakos.

After all, she’d never seen him upset, never seen him show any emotion.

The little dots bounced on her screen as if he was typing. They disappeared, then appeared again, taking a lot longer until her phone vibrated.

Sabastian: Since I acted so unorthodox the last two days, can I make it up to you by taking you out to dinner? Of course, that would be in exchange for you helping me pick out an ugly sweater for the party.

She couldn’t keep from grinning.

Iris: Is this your code for asking me out on a date?

Sabastian: Actually, I was hoping you’d understand my code. I like how you know me so well.

Did she? She was learning from him and loving every step.

Iris: It’s a date.

Sabastian: Your parents have a date too. I don’t need to cook them dinner.

Mom and Dad wanted to go on a date. The calm before the storm of hosting everyone.

Iris: I’m glad it works out.

Sabastian: Do you know I’m too happy to sleep tonight?

So was she.

Iris: You need to get some sleep. We have more cookie dough or candy to make before our date.

She’d seen him make something with flour on Thursday. It had to be cookie dough.

Sabastian: We’ll be making peppermint bark tomorrow. Wanna help me in the kitchen with breakfast?

Iris: Can’t wait.

And she was looking forward to cooking up more layers of their friendship.

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