Athan’s gaze softened for a brief moment. He reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Rachel’s ear. His fingertips brushed against her skin, warm and deliberate.
Rachel instinctively flinched. Her ears felt like they were on fire. Desperate to cover up her flustered state, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Why is he called Pudding?”
Athan’s expression shifted slightly. A fleeting memory surfaced in his mind, making his usually sharp eyes turn strangely gentle.
“The person who found him… really liked pudding.”
Liked it so much that every time he waited for her at the hospital, he always had pudding ready. And every time she arrived and saw the dessert in his hands, her entire face would light up. Her dark, bright eyes would sparkle with delight, her smile so
