Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Claim 15 Coins By Check in

Mer

It was already eleven o’clock at night by the time they returned to Cloudbreak Heights.

Once inside, Damon dropped his car keys and phone, slipped on his slippers, and settled onto the couch. He leaned his head back against the cushions in a sprawling, casual posture, his eyes closed, simply resting.

Aubrey closed the front door, changed out of her shoes, and walked in. She looked at his tired, handsome face, words of concern catching in her throat, swallowed back before they could be uttered.

“Get some rest,” she said quietly, heading for her room.

“Aubrey,” Damon’s voice cut through the silence.

Aubrey froze, turning back to look at him.

He hadn’t moved, still slumped on the couch.“You’re getting up early tomorrow to make me breakfast,” he stated, a playful but firm demand in his

voice.

Aubrey stared, incredulous. From his tone, it wasn’t a question or a plea, but a command.

A burst of indignation shot through Aubrey. She bit down lightly on her lower lip, then let out a helpless scoff.

Even when they were together, she’d never seen him act so brazenly entitled.

What was this, now?

“I’m supposed to cook you breakfast?” Aubrey thought. It wasn’t that she couldn’t, but his tone, his sheer audacity–it genuinely rubbed her the wrong

way.

“Is it really too much trouble to make breakfast for a friend in the morning?” Damon opened his eyes, sat up straight, and turned to meet her gaze.

Aubrey scoffed, a humorless laugh escaping her lips.

Friends?

He was really going to insist on this self–proclaimed ‘friend‘ status, wasn’t he?

And already, he was acting so high and mighty.

‘Is this how you normally treat your friends?” Aubrey asked, a flicker of curiosity in her tone.

Damon didn’t mince words. “I’m not some universal nice guy; I don’t go around being nice to everyone. Friends? You use them when you can, and you boss them around.”

“What if I don’t?” Aubrey’s voice was flat, yet a subtle challenge lingered beneath the surface, her gaze expectant as she waited for his comeback. “You’d ust cut ties with me then?”

Damon grumbled, his face drawn with fatigue.“I haven’t gotten any real sleep in days, and then I had to sit through a long flight again today. I’m completely wiped out. I am not cooking breakfast tomorrow.”

And just like that, his complaining had a way of melting Aubrey’s heart.

You could order takeout.”

I don’t want takeout.”

Doesn’t your job come with meals and a place to stay? Don’t they have breakfast there?”

I’m not in the mood for cafeteria food either”

“Mine’s even worse”

Damon stood up, picked up his phone, and turned towards his room, his voice flat “It’s fine Just don’t potion me. I want needles tonerrow morning Aubrey watched Damon’s retreating back, unterly dumbfounded

What was with him?

Back from his business trip, and he was acting so strange

First, he’d asked a friend at dinner to set him up on a blind date

1150

< Chapter 33

And now he was shamelessly ordering her to get up and make him breakfast tomorrow?

Had her refusal to get back together wounded his pride?

Or, now that he’d successfully promoted himself to just a friend, was he already eager to order her around?

Whatever the reason, he was being a complete jerk right now.

Aubrey sighed helplessly, pulled out her phone, and opened up a cooking app to search for noodle recipes.

She went back to her room and closed the door.

Claim 15 Coins By Check in

Merus

As she showered, her phone stood propped on the bathroom counter, playing a noodle recipe tutorial from the app.

After watching a few similar noodle–making videos, she felt incredibly confident she could make a delicious bowl of noodles tomorrow.

Stepping out of the bathroom after her shower, Aubrey sat on her bed, blow–drying her hair.

Her phone rang

She glanced at her phone–it was a video call from Sierra.

She answered, and Sierra appeared on screen, propped against her headboard in her pajamas.

Bree, are you blow–drying your hair?” Sierra asked.

Aubrey switched off her hairdryer, replying as she tidied up, “It’s dry. Why are you still up so late?”

“I got home, and the more I thought, the more something didn’t add up. You can’t be with Damon. Lying to him, abandoning him—that’s understandable, especially since you had your own reasons. But what about Damon? He should hate your guts.”

Aubrey put away the hairdryer, sat back on the edge of the bed, and picked up her phone. “He truly does hate me,” she admitted, her voice soft. “He still hasn’t forgiven me

You’re living in Cloudbreak Heights to get closer to Madison, to make finding evidence easier. But why won’t he move out? And why would he still share an apartment with an ex he despises?”

Aubrey fell silen

Sierra’s unease intensified with every thought. Is he so unwilling to let it go,” she speculated, “that he’s living with you, just waiting for a chance to secretly murder you?”

“Stop watching so many true–crime documentaries about passion killings,” Aubrey sighed softly, lying down and pulling the covers up to her shoulders. “You should watch more fluffy romance dramas, like ‘My Bossy CEO,‘ instead. Much better for your mental health.”

Sierra chuckled, then sighed, a poignant note in her voice. “Bree,” she said, “until your father’s name is cleared, you and he can never be together. Don’t let yourself fall back into it, okay? It’ll only bring you more pain.”

I know.”

“Oh, by the way, your mom called me. She asked me to tell you that your brother’s girlfriend is pregnant.”

Aubrey placed her phone on the pillow beside her and closed her eyes, feigning sleep. Beneath her outwardly tranquil surface, her heart was already shrouded in a thick, oppressive fog.

Whenever her family came up, her peace of mind evaporated.

If she hadn’t blocked her mother, her brother, and his girlfriend back then, she’d probably be clinically depressed by now.

Sierra continued, “Your mom wants you to come home when you have a moment, to discuss your brother’s wedding. She said it would be simpler to focus on one major family event at a time, so she wants your brother to get married before Christmas, and your engagement party or wedding will be

scheduled for after Christmas”

Aubrey remained silent.

Sierra, looking at the screen, saw her with her eyes closed, completely still, her sleeping face sweet and lovely.

Bree, are you asleep? Are you listening?”

Aubrey’s lips barely moved. “I’m listening.”

I thought you’d fallen asleep.”

11:50

< Chapter 33

Claim 15 Coins By Check in Menu

Aubrey scoffed softly. Sleep‘ After everything he’d just said, she’d be lucky if she wasn’t already wide awake with insomnia.

“What are you going to do about your brother’s wedding?”

Aubrey replied nonchalantly, “What can I do? As his older sister, when he gets married, I’ll give a reasonably decent monetary gift, within my means. As for anything else, I can’t help, and I don’t want to.”

Sierra smiled knowingly.

That was the Aubrey she knew, alright.

She had a heart, but it was a small one.

A brother enabler? Not even close.

“Good. As my best friend’s brother, if he invites me to his wedding, I’ll also give him a respectable monetary gift.”

Aubrey didn’t want to talk about family matters, so she changed the subject. “Sierra, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Noodles. How do you make them taste good?”

You don’t like to cook. Why are you suddenly asking?”

Tm craving noodles. I’m going to cook them tomorrow morning.”

Just get delivery! It’s fast and convenient.”

He wouldn’t even eat cafeteria food, so takeout was definitely out.

Picky eater.

“Come on, just tell me how to make a good bowl of noodles?”

Sierra didn’t press for an explanation; instead patiently detailed to Aubrey how to cook noodles for the perfect chewy texture and flavor, specifying what ingredients to use, when to add them, and for how long they should cook.

Once they finished talking about the noodles, they hung up.

In her dreams, Aubrey was cooking noodles.

The next morning,

Aubrey woke up to her alarm.

After she had freshened up and slipped into her fuzzy pajamas, Aubrey dragged her weary feet into the kitchen. She pulled out her phone, opened a recipe app, and began kneading dough.

Damon, being particular about homemade meals, considered serving him dried noodles for breakfast akin to giving him instant ramen.

Aubrey wasn’t particularly fond of cooking.

She could still manage simple dishes like scrambled eggs with tomatoes or blanched greens.

For her, kneading the dough, rolling it out, pulling the noodles, and then turning them into soup with sliced meat, egg, and bok choy was an epic challenge.

As she kneaded the dough, she cursed Damon’s picky palate in her mind.

Why couldn’t he just eat packaged noodles?

They were so convenient!

Once the water boiled, you just dropped a handful in, added eggs, veggies, meat–everything! One pot, cooked through, and done.

After an hour of frantic work, she finally had the noodles cut.

Aubrey put a pot on the stove to boil water. Combining secrets she’d gleaned from the cooking app and Sierra, she blanched the noodles, scooped them out to rinse in cold water, then set them aside in a bowl.

Then she separately fried the eggs cooked the sliced meat in broth, and added the greens.

For Damon’s bowl she deliberately added chopped green onions and cilantro.

Claim 15 Coins By Check in

Merw

Chapter 33

By the time the two bowls of noodle soup with sliced meat and egg were ready.

the knocked on Damon’s door.

nstantly, the door opened.

Damon, in light gray loungewear, leaned groggily against the doorframe, a languid touch of morning grumpiness in his voice.“What is it?”

aubrey looked at him, puzzled. “Didn’t you say last night you wanted me to make you noodles for breakfast?”

Damon’s sleepiness vanished instantly, his eyes lighting up. His voice, still hoarse, held a touch of disbelief.“Aubrey, you actually made me noodles?”

aubrey nodded earnestly.

hint of a smile touched Damon’s lips, his tone gentle. “Store–bought dried noodles or instant ramen?”

he looking down on me? Aubrey fumed silently.

he deliberately patted the flour off her apron, then glared up at him, her back teeth practically grinding together.

Jamon stepped out of the room.

ubrey placed both hands on his abdomen, stopping him. “Brush your teeth and wash your face before you come out to eat.”

t’ll get mushy if we wait,” he countered.“I’ll wash up after.”

No.”

Fine, I’ll do it your way,” Damon said, immediately turning and heading into the bathroom to wash up.

ubrey untied her apron and hung it back in the kitchen. She swept her gaze over the chaotic, flour–dusted battlefield of a kitchen, and a deep weariness ttled in her bones.

akeout was so much more convenient, she thought, and there was no mess to clean up.

he’d had enough. Tossing her apron aside, she walked out and settled at the dining table, waiting for Damon to appear.

he picked up her phone to check the time, then set it back down.

hankfully, they’d still make it to work on time after breakfast.

amon finished getting ready quickly. He walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down, a small smile touching his lips as he stared at the noodles in the

owl.

he fried egg was overly browned, the meat slices were thick, the noodles were hefty, and the bok choy looked limp and yellowish from overcooking. he only truly vibrant things in the bowl were the bright green scallions and cilantro.

he presentation wasn’t exactly five–star, but for a complete novice, it was actually pretty impressive.

ubrey watched him expectantly. When he didn’t immediately pick up his fork, she asked, a thread of nervousness in her voice, “Don’t you want to eat

amon looked up at her, a hint of bitterness in his voice.“Aubrey, back when we were dating, I practically begged you to make me breakfast, and you fused every time. It was always takeout or boiled eggs. On a good day, I might get a few steamed store–bought buns.”

hame burned in Aubrey’s cheeks.

amon picked up his fork, shaking his head with a wry smile. “A simple joke from a regular friend, and you actually cooked noodles, even kneaded the ough from scratch. I never got this kind of treatment when I was your boyfriend.”

ubrey’s eyes widened. “You… you were just kidding last night?”

amon nodded “Yeah.”

ubrey took a sharp breath, gripping her fork tightly. She forced the words out, her voice tight with suppressed anger. “Your tone last night, your titude… it didn’t sound like a joke at all”

Jamon’s lips curved into a soft smile. “And you’re not exactly the type to get up early and cook breakfast for a ‘casual friend,‘ are you?”

ubrey let out a long, slow breath, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him, irritation radiating off her.

Jamon picked up his fork, scooped a thick tangle of noodles, and took a generous bite.

The next second, a slight frown creased his forehead.

171151

< Chapter 33

Claim 15 Coins By Check in

Merw

Aubrey sensed his notoriously picky palate was about to kick in. Pointing at his bowl, she commanded, “Damon, no matter how bad it tastes, you will finish it.”

Damon chewed on the noodle, looking up at her with a slight curve to his lips.“It’s actually not bad. The noodles are just a bit too thick, a little undercooked in the middle. But I’ll finish it.”

Undercooked?