Chapter 45:  Romantically? God, You’re Awful

There it was.

Raw. Unfiltered. And real.

For a long second, neither of them said anything. Serena stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold like someone locked out of a conversation she used to be part of.

And Alexander?

It suddenly dawned on Alexander. 

That's right. Charlotte wasn't just another chef in a competition. She wasn't another girl. She wasn't a memory.

She was the difference.

she's his...?

His... 

The one that had always been special to him, had always mattered more than he let himself admit.

---

Charlotte stared at him.

For a beat too long.

His words hung in the air like smoke—warm, intoxicating, dangerous.

"I just want you to be happy."

Happy.

Her heart skipped. Once. Twice. Then she forced a breath out, her voice low and tight.

"You don't get to say things like that, Alexander."

His brow creased. "Why not?"