?<strong>Chapter 273:</strong>


    Snapping out of her thoughts, Carrie walked over to the box near the wall, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and silently handed it to him.


    He didn’t take the bottle. Instead, he nodded toward the ss bottle on the table. “I prefer that brand.”


    “Fine, suit yourself,” Carrie said with impatience, shoving the bottle into his arms before turning away to change into her slippers.


    Kristopher paused, unscrewed the bottle, and drank more than half of it in one go. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, the curve of his throat oddly captivating.


    Carrie slipped on her slippers and walked straight into the bedroom.


    Kristopher watched her disappear into the bedroom, tightening the cap of the bottle with a sigh. He hade back early from a disappointing project inspection and had initially gone to a hotel. But for some reason, he couldn’t shake the restlessness, his thoughts constantly drifting to Carrie.


    Before he knew it, he was standing outside Gracie’s apartment. He took off the apron, ready to leave, but then hesitated. If he left now, it would make him seem like just a part-time cook.


    With a sullen look on his face, he set the apron aside and went back to the kitchen to bring the dishes to the table.


    Carrie changed into morefortable clothes in the bedroom and sat on the bed, not quite ready to head out. To her surprise, Kristopher opened the door and leaned casually against the frame. “Dinner’s ready. Want me to bring it to you?”


    “Got it. I’ll eat it in the dining room,” Carrie replied, pushing herself to get up and walk out.


    On the table sat three dishes and a soup: spicy beef strips, garlic mashed potatoes, a cold okra sd, and creamy mushroom soup. Carrie was taken aback. She had thought his cooking skills were maxed out with thatst attempt at spaghetti, not realizing it was theck of ingredients in her pantry that had restricted him. She hadn’t expected Oliver to bring over so many supplies.


    Gal n o v el s . is your destination for fiction


    Once she sat down, Kristopher pushed the spicy beef strips closer to her. “Oliver brought a ton of chilies, so I just used them up. Took up too much space,” he said awkwardly.


    Carrie loved spicy beef strips, and she could tell these were made just for her. She took a piece to try. The timing and seasoning were perfect, the beef tender, and the chili full of vor.


    “This is amazing,” she said, praising him without hesitation.


    Kristopher’s eyes flickered with pride as he sampled a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “It’s not fully seasoned, and the ingredients were frozen, not fresh.”


    Carrie picked up her fried skewers and, noticing the meal in front of her, offered him a fried sausage with a smile. “Want one? I got it from the stall near my old school.”


    Kristopher frowned. “Street food like that? It’s not hygienic.”


    Carrie pulled her hand back, took a bite of the sausage, and shot back angrily, “But you had street food in Foxfire. What’s the problem now? Are you suddenly worried about cleanliness, or do you just think less of me?”


    Kristopher set his utensils down and took a brief pause. “It’s not the same.”


    “Where’s the difference?” Carrie finished off the grilled meat she’d bought and shot him an annoyed look. Kristopher’s face grew serious. “It’s a ce I used to go when I was a kid. It holds some meaning for me.”


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