Chapter 18

• I don't know how I managed to walk into Agustine's condo. I am astounded the moment he opened the door. Flower petals were scattered on the floor, there was also a candlelit table at the center of his home, I even saw two men on the corner. From their appearance I could tell that one was a waiter and the other was a chef. The scent of roses and the faint aroma of cooking oil combined to create an atmosphere that was oddly comforting yet overwhelmingly elegant. My eyes darted from the petals to the flickering candlelight, then to Agustine, trying to make sense of the unexpected intimacy of the setting.
• I looked at Agustine. He was also just looking at me with a small smile on his lips as I walked along. There was something in his gaze that made my heart skip—not the playfulness of before, but a softer, deliberate warmth that I had not experienced with him until now. I could feel the tension in my body melt slightly, though the nerves remained, fluttering like tiny birds trapped inside my chest.
• This is beyond my expectation. I could barely comprehend the thought that this was meant for me. Even the smallest details—the careful scattering of petals, the soft music playing in the background, the elegance of his taste—told me that he wanted to impress, or perhaps, wanted me to feel special.