After dinner, Yasmine and Serana tidied up the dining area.

“Cleaning up” was a generous term, considering Serana was doing most of the

work.

Yasmine, who had grown up in an orphanage, may not have had the easiest

childhood, but she was never required to do chores like cooking, laundering, or

chopping wood. Once she left the orphanage, such tasks were even further from

her reality. Her hands were soft and beautiful, with slender, pale fingers.

Standing beside Serana at the sink, the most Yasmine would do was to wipe

down the already clean dishes. And she had this air about her, as if she had

done some monumental task that deserved high praise.

Enter title…

Serana wasn’t much of a talker. It seemed ever since Yasmine started dating

Boyd, Serana had become even quieter. The time they spent washing dishes

was particularly tough for her. The moment the last plate was dried, she let out a

sigh of relief and quickly said, “There’s nothing left to do now, Yasmine. You

should get on with your evening.”

Yasmine rinsed her hands under the faucet and watched Serana put away the

dishes. “I’ve always meant to say, you have a real knack for cooking and

cleaning,” she said.d2

Serana paused for a moment, then smiled at her. “I’m just curious about these

things, so I tend to pay more attention. Boyd isn’t too keen on eating out. If you

have the time, I could teach you a few of his favorite dishes.”

Yasmine chuckled and shook her head. “No time for that.”

After putting away the utensils, Serana turned and gave her a strained smile.

“They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I’m sure Boyd would

be delighted if you cooked for him.”

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” Yasmine smirked, looking at

her. “Is that what you thought back then?”

Serana’s smile froze instantly. Her eyes locked with Yasmine’s for a few

seconds before she forced herself to look away, her grip tightening on the edge

of the countertop. “It seems like you’ve misunderstood something about us,”

Serana said softly.

Yasmine observed her for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Why so

tense? Who did I misunderstand you with?” she teased.

Serana bit her lip, replying quietly, “Nothing…”

Noticing Serana’s trembling hand on the counter, Yasmine’s eyes sharpened.

the meal,”

didn’t reply, only managing

thinking Serana’s

comforting.

lounging on the sofa, perusing the stack of

that struck a chord

out her hand. Puzzled, he took her hand and kissed

him with faint disgust. “I wanted you to smell

nice,” he

dishes. So you like the scent of

down beside him,

Washing dishes?”

pressed her lips together tighter, withdrawing

work.”

chuckled and reached into the drawer

of hand cream. He squeezed a generous

began to massage

filled the air. Once her hands were soft

Boyd kissed them

that again,”

an eyebrow, admiring her well-cared-for

asked so nicely, I won’t make

laughed, shaking his head as he gently tugged at her ear. “Staying

tonight?”

him a languid look. “Not going back

paused, hand still

hand away.

things you’re thinking about are off

frown deepened

shoulder. “No room

at the books on the

cut

“Five days from now.”

“No.”

“Three days.”

“No.”

swept the books off the table,

headed for

tomorrow night,

and leaned over her, Yasmine put her hand

still here. Have you

removed her hand. “She’ll

embrace. “Then we’ll talk after she

it under the watchful

she wasn’t joking, Boyd sat up

out of bed. “I’m

Yasmine found that Boyd wasn’t in the bedroom.

intending

yet, and Boyd was speaking with

have two years before graduation.

he said.

“I think my major

moment before conceding, “If you’ve

it’s up to you.”

a sigh of

of their conversation, but she had

about what it entailed.

from the bedroom, Serana stood up

lingering on her for a moment. “I’ve

glass

temperature.”

the glass, watching Serana pick

the trash. She took a sip of

the way Bryson’s wife, Aliza, would play the part

home. She would cook a table of dishes that her

it was

she prepared the meal.

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