A GIRL WHO DIDN'T BELONG

chapter 15 LUNCH IN BLOOM

The exam was done — relief rushing over me like a wave. My brain still hummed with questions and answers, but I stepped outside lighter, free, the sun warming my skin. That’s when my phone buzzed.

Dennis: Lunch? I’m outside.

I froze, staring at the message, my heart leaping faster than it should. I scanned the parking lot — and there he was. Leaning against his car, sunglasses catching the afternoon light, one hand tucked in his pocket like he had all the time in the world.

When his eyes found me, he smiled, slow and certain, like he’d been waiting for this exact moment.

“CAT exam survivor,” he teased as I approached. “That deserves better than cafeteria food.”

I shook my head, laughing. “And you think you’re the solution?”

He grinned. “Definitely.”

We ended up at a quiet garden café just outside town. The place was tucked away, surrounded by trees, sunlight spilling through green leaves and painting the tables in shifting patterns. It wasn’t extravagant, but it was peaceful, intimate — a world away from crowded lecture halls and heavy textbooks.

Lunch was simple: pasta, grilled chicken, fresh juice. But the way Dennis looked at me across the table made it feel more than enough. Conversation slipped easily between us — teasing, laughter, stories half-confessed.

At one point, he leaned forward, resting his chin lightly on his hand, eyes fixed on me. “You know, Amarah, you look less like someone who just finished a CAT and more like someone who’s been keeping a secret.”

I raised an eyebrow, twirling my fork. “And what secret would that be?”

“That you’re even more distracting in daylight.”

Heat crept into my cheeks, and I tried to mask it with a sip of juice, but his chuckle told me he noticed anyway.

Time slipped past too quickly, and when the plates were cleared, I found myself reluctant to leave. He must have felt it too because as we walked back to his car, Dennis reached for my hand again — the same quiet certainty as before.

“See?” he murmured as he opened the door for me. “Told you. Lunch is better with me.”

And I couldn’t argue, not when every part of me already knew he was right.