Page 62 of Ashen Souls

I hesitated, taking in his relaxed stance. He hadn't closed the distance between us. He was giving me more than enough space to refuse.

“If you’d like,” he added. “No expectations.”

For a second, I thought about what waited for me on the other side of sunset.

“I’d like that,” I said.

This time, his smile broke through.

“Good.”

He stepped aside, letting me take the lead before falling into step beside me.

The restaurant Ethan had mentioned was wedged between two brick buildings, its windows glowing amber against the deepening evening. Inside, the air smelled of rosemary and citrus and something slow-cooked and deeply savory. Ethan greeted the host by name, a detail that was subtly disarming.

He held the inner door for me.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Of course.”

The host led us to a table near the back, half-shadowed by hanging plants. As I reached for my chair, Ethan was already there, pulling it out for me.

I blinked at him, shrugging my coat off my shoulders.

“You do that a lot?” I asked.

“Do what?”

“The gentleman routine.”

He rested his hand briefly on the back of my chair, looking unbothered by the challenge. “I wasn’t aware it counted as a routine.”

I sat, taking the linen napkin from the table and smoothing it over my lap. “Well, it’s very effective.”

“Good to know.”

The host filled our water glasses and retreated. Candlelight caught the rim of Ethan's glass as he reached for it. I lowered my eyes to the menu, pretending to study the print instead of watching his hands.

“This place feels like a secret.” I looked around the hushed, intimate room.

“It kind of is,” he replied. “They don’t advertise. They don’t need to.”

I smiled. “Confident.”

“Or stubborn.”

I retreated to the menu, letting my eyes skim over the list of dishes without really seeing them.

“Rosemary chicken,” Ethan said, not looking up from his glass.

I looked up. “What?”

“That’s what you’ll order.”

My brow lifted. “You sound very sure of yourself.”

He nodded toward the stiff cardboard in my hands. “You’ve read that same line three times.”