Chapter 10
557 Words
Sienna’s POV
“…and then he says, ‘I swear, I’m not five-foot-nine—I’m at least five-eleven.’"
Ben sighed dramatically, swirling his iced coffee. "I mean, Sienna, why do they always lie about their height? It’s Tinder, not a crime scene investigation."
I nodded absentmindedly, only half-registering his words. My mind was elsewhere.
Specifically, back at the estate.
More specifically, on this morning.
Leo. The kitchen. His gaze.
The way his voice had almost—almost—slipped into something softer before he caught himself.
Damn it.
"Sienna?"
I blinked, snapping back to reality. "Huh?"
Ben narrowed his eyes. "You haven’t heard a single thing I’ve said, have you?"
I hesitated, then shook my head. "Not really."
He set his drink down, crossing his arms. "Alright, spill."
"What?"
"You’re distracted. And not in a normal ‘oh, I’m thinking about the menu’ way. This is different. This is ‘I’m trapped in my own head and spiraling’ energy." He wiggled his fingers dramatically. "So, talk to me, babe. Who’s got you like this?"
I huffed, leaning on the counter. "No one."
Ben arched a brow. "Lies. And not even good ones."
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "It’s just—ugh. Leo."
His entire face lit up. "Ohhh, now this is juicy. What did that beautifully infuriating man do now?"
I scowled. "Nothing."
Ben gave me a look. "Sienna."
I sighed. "Fine. This morning, I—" I hesitated. "I was in the kitchen, and he walked in. And it was… weird."
Ben leaned in. "Define weird."
I gestured vaguely. "I don’t know. Tense. Awkward. He looked at me like—like—"
"Like he wanted to devour you?"
"Ben!"
He smirked. "What? I call it like I see it."
I groaned, covering my face. "It’s not like that."
"Mm-hmm." He took a long sip of his drink, watching me over the rim. "So, are we finally admitting that you two have unresolved s****l tension the size of a small country?"
I grabbed a napkin and threw it at him. "Shut up."
He cackled.
I exhaled, shaking my head. "It’s not that deep. I just—I don’t want to deal with him, Ben. Not for a whole year. Not after…"
My voice trailed off.
Ben’s playful expression softened. "After what happened?"
I swallowed, looking down.
He reached across the counter, squeezing my hand. "You sure you’re okay with this? Living with him again?"
I forced a smile. "I have to be, right?"
Ben tilted his head. "Or you could, I don’t know, set boundaries."
I scoffed. "With Leo? Yeah, right."
Ben grinned. "Okay, but real talk. What if—just what if—this whole situation is actually a blessing in disguise?"
I arched a brow. "Excuse me?"
He leaned in. "Think about it. A vineyard. A ridiculously attractive ex-whatever-he-was. Forced proximity. This is literally a romance novel waiting to happen."
I groaned. "God, you sound like my grandmother."
He gasped. "I take that as the highest compliment."
I laughed despite myself.
Ben smirked, sipping his coffee. "So. What’s the plan?"
I exhaled, straightening my shoulders. "The plan is simple. I avoid Leo as much as humanly possible."
Ben hummed. "Interesting strategy. Too bad it’s gonna fail spectacularly."
I glared. "Why do you say that?"
He grinned. "Because you’re already thinking about him."
Damn it.
- Writer
