A New Beginning    

[EVE]

I started eating, the flavors soothed me, and the food felt like it was warming me from the inside out.

The soft smile that lingered on Cole's face never left, a quiet, almost imperceptible expression that stayed with him from start to finish.

It made me wonder—was there something amusing about this moment? Something I wasn't seeing?

I unconsciously brushed the side of my lips, the motion almost instinctive, as if I were searching for some hidden meaning behind his smile. Maybe there was a trace of porridge, or perhaps a speck of food lodged there, something I hadn't noticed.

Cole just stood there, watching me eat with a gentleness I wasn't used to seeing. For once, his gaze wasn't distant or guarded—it was steady, almost protective, and somehow, it made me conscious.

It would take some time before I could get used to him like this.