Before long, the car started moving.
Taylor leaned over slightly to grab a takeout bag from a nearby diner and handed it to Leonora. "Hey babe, I got you breakfast. It's all your favorites."
After making Leonora wait for hours last night, Taylor had woken up early to get her breakfast. But even without the events of the previous night, he'd still have picked her up with breakfast in tow. Taking care of Leonora had become second nature to him.
But it was a habit exclusively reserved for Leonora. No one else should even dream of it.
Leonora accepted the warm bag from Taylor, thanked him, and started unpacking the breakfast. Sure enough, it was filled with everything she loved. They hadn't shared many breakfasts together, but somehow, Taylor always remembered what she liked.
While eating, Leonora would occasionally feed Taylor a bite or two. Taylor, glancing at her every now and then, couldn't help but say, "You know, it'd be even better if we lived together."
Coming home to her, waking up next to her, sharing meals and conversations—it was a life Taylor suddenly found himself longing for. Ever since Jason got married, their group of friends had gathered less often, and seeing Jason and Bryce's happy family life, spending weekends with their kids, made the single ones a bit envious.
Leonora chose to ignore his comment, knowing her parents would never agree to it. Without a word from her, Taylor turned and noticed a piece of herb on her lip. He reached out to remove it and then said, "How about dinner at my place this week?"
He had promised his mother they'd come over, but their recent disagreements had delayed it. His mom had been nudging him about it again, so he brought it up with Leonora.
"We haven't been together that long. Let's wait another ten days or so," she said. With everything that had happened the night before still unresolved, it seemed better to wait, rather than risk another argument at his house.
Taylor sighed, "What do you mean, 'not long'? It's been two and a half years."
Hearing that, Leonora slowed down and turned to him. "Taylor, does your family know about me and Grant? They don't mind?"
Taylor reassured her, "You don't need to worry about my family."
He didn't think others, not even his parents, should concern themselves with his personal matters. But he hadn't really considered the distant future.
With Taylor's reassurance, Leonora decided not to dwell on it. After all, they were just dating; neither of them had thought too far ahead.
---
Watching the girl's retreating figure, Leonora breathed a sigh of relief. She thought it was time to talk to Taylor about parking further away in the future.
At the end of the day, when she saw Taylor's car, she refused to get in, pretending not to recognize him and walking straight ahead. Following her at a gentle pace, Taylor couldn't help but find the situation both amusing and frustrating.
When they reached the subway entrance, Leonora looked around to make sure no one was watching before finally getting into the car. Taylor, laughing and crying, said, "Arielle, you're acting like a secret agent. Is being with me that much of a burden? Do we really have to hide it?"
As she buckled her seatbelt, Leonora replied, "What do you think? I almost got caught by my coworkers this morning. You should keep it low-key. There are so many girls at the company who like you, I could drown in their spit."
Taylor chuckled, "Knowing that so many are after me, aren't you afraid someone will steal me away?"
"A lover who can be stolen isn't a lover at all. Besides, if someone steals you away, so be it! I'll just find someone new, someone who can't be stolen."
Leonora's carefree attitude only made Taylor love her more. He grabbed her by the back of the neck, pulling her close for a kiss. "You heartless creature."
The more heartless Leonora acted, the more Taylor adored her. In the midst of their passionate kiss, Taylor's phone suddenly rang.

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