STELLA'S POV
“What….” I said with a mouth full of well-cooked bacon.
He laughed. “Nothing. I just thought you weren’t hungry… or isn’t that what you said?”
“It… is. But you tempted me, so you don’t have the right to judge, okay.”
He leaned in. “I’ll never judge you, Stella.” His voice was soft and heavy.
The way he said it made me freeze for a moment, the fork halfway to my mouth. His eyes didn’t waver, and ever since I followed him to his place, I didn’t feel like I was falling apart anymore. Nicholas had this charming way of making everything blur into the background—my pain and even the thought of James.
I swallowed, forgetting to chew, and quickly looked away. “You know… you are a terrible influence.”
He chuckled. “If getting you to eat is considered being a bad influence, then
