Leave Your Sins At The Door

7 “A Delicious Contradiction”

CHAPTER 7

Amelia’s smile faltered, replaced by a slow, dawning horror. Her eyes widened, a faint blush creeping up her neck. Sterling? He had cooked it? The delicious lasagna she’d practically inhaled, the one she’d genuinely loved? The thought was jarring, repulsive, yet undeniable.

“Sterling cooked it?” she repeated, the words coming out as a strangled whisper.

A knot twisted in her stomach. It was one thing to be annoyed by his antics, but to have inadvertently enjoyed something he had prepared… the irony was almost too much to bear. Her expression shifted from pleasant surprise to a mixture of disgust and utter disbelief.

“Are… Are you sure he… he cooked it?” Amelia stammered a bit.

Linda nodded as she set the fruit basket aside, “Of course. He was the first renter to arrive and even bought groceries for the lasagna. He made two packs of it when I told him the garlic bread was already enough. You see, when you get older, I’m more careful with what I eat.” She smiled, then her brow furrowed with concern. “Are you okay, Amelia?”

Amelia’s eyes widened as she forced a smile, “Y-Yeah, of course. I… I gotta get ready for my shift at work.”

“No offense, but you look awful since you came here.” Amelia looked up from reshelving books at work to meet his kind, brown eyes. “You alright?” He asked with a smile.

“I think I ate some bad lasagna,” she sighed.

“Oh no,” Dean said as he took two books from her and helped her reshelve the last pieces, “Food poisoning?”

“Ugh,” she groaned, shaking her head. “No, worse than that.”

His brows furrowed as he followed her back to the cafe. “There’s worse than food poisoning?”

“Yes,” she replied, then added, “it’s called Sterling’s Disease. Deadly.” She looked up at him, meeting his hazel eyes as she asked. “Do you need help cleaning up the table?”

Dean smiled. “No, I’m all set. We’re closed anyway, and you know I’m as fast as a flash when it comes to cleaning up.” He winked at her.

Amelia chuckled softly and nodded, grateful for her boss, Dean Vance. He was also the barista at the library/coffee shop, Book Nook & Brewery, where she had been working since she took a break after her junior year.

Dean always made Amelia feel comfortable. He knew what she had gone through with Kyler, but never asked much about it, understanding that it would make her uneasy to discuss her past with another man.

Dean handed her a well-packed bag with two warm, double-chocolate chip muffins. “Here,” he said, “Reheated them for you. You’ve earned a treat for surviving today’s job.”

Amelia smiled, accepting the bag. “I’m still just thankful for the leftovers.”

Dean gave a dramatic gasp, which caused her to laugh softly. “Hey, those aren’t leftovers,” he insisted, his voice a playful defense. He always set aside some treats specifically for her before putting them out on display. “They were destined to be given to the best employee of BNB.”

Amelia’s smile widened. “Thank you, as always, boss.”

He returned her smile. “No need for thanks, and stop with the boss. Creeps me out.”

She chuckled as he continued, “Now, go home—you have class tomorrow, student.”

Amelia playfully rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

He smiled as he gave her a knowing nod. “See you tomorrow. You sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

“I’m good. See ya!” With a final wave, she adjusted her cap and headed out, leaving her shift just past eleven.

After a long day, Amelia sank into the tub’s warm, bubbly water, shaking her head. She knew she could stay up late with no class tomorrow, but the unsettling thought that Sterling had made the lasagna still bothered her.

“Maybe it was to make up for that disgusting note?” she mumbled to herself.

After her bath, Amelia dried off and put on a baggy shirt over her cropped tank top and skimpy shorts. She was comfortable with her attire, assuming that everyone else was either asleep or in their rooms studying, as it was past one in the morning.

Amelia headed downstairs to reheat the muffins from Dean, but froze in her tracks as her eyes met Sterling’s familiar green ones. His gaze swept over her from head to toe, and he seemed taken aback by her outfit.

Though her shirt was baggy, from his perspective, it looked like she was wearing only a shirt. Not only that, it was his first time seeing her like this.

Before she could retreat, he smirked. “Ah-ah-ah.”

He wore black drawstring sweatpants and a white cotton shirt. Amelia’s eyes followed the cooking pan in his hand as he served food onto his plate. “Care to join me for some late-night cheat meal?” he asked in a friendly tone, which made her suspicious of him even more.

She walked closer to where he was and stood right across him. She cleared her throat. “You cooked the lasagna.”

His arrogance showed on his face while he smiled as he placed an equal amount of the garlic buttered pasta with shrimp on his plate and the other plate. “Bingo.” His smirk widened. “If I told you I cooked it, you wouldn’t eat it.”

He grabbed two forks, putting one on each plate before sliding one of the plates toward Amelia.

She looked at the plate as he commented, “There’s no poison or love spell on it. Eat up.”

Amelia looked at him, a humorless smirk on her face. “Oh, a poison-free meal? What a relief,” she answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m more worried about catching ‘Sterling’s Disease’ just by being in the same room.”

His smile widened as he leaned forward. “So you know my name already,” he mused. “I haven’t even introduced myself. What are you, a stalker?”

Amelia’s eyes blazed with a cold fury, a stark contrast to his amused expression. “What do you want from me?” she finally demanded. “You throw a paper airplane with that disgusting note, then you cook me lasagna, and now this? Why do you keep bothering me when I don’t even want to know you?”

Sterling’s amused smirk didn’t falter. He leaned back in his chair, seemingly unbothered by her fury. “That’s a lot of questions, Amelia Rose,” he mused, his voice low and calm.

He gestured to the two plates between them. “I guess I’m just full of contradictions. One day it’s a rude note, the next it’s a home-cooked meal.”

He leaned forward again, his green eyes locking with her enraged ones. A hint of his previous amusement returned as he asked, “The real question is, why are you so bothered by it?”

Her voice dropping to a low, chilling whisper, “Because I prefer my life without distractions. And you are a walking big one even from miles away. Stay away from me.”

With an evil grin, Sterling said, “Oh, sweetheart, I love hearing you talk because I think everything you say is a compliment.”