Chapter 7 His Lips
1192 Words
Amber's POV:
I baked another apple pie to take to Sidney.
Mabel, clearly excited, shared with me, "Amber, did you know? This is the first time since Mr. Sidney's accident that he's actually told me what he wants to eat! Oh my gosh, if Ms. Rossi knew, she'd be over the moon! All thanks to you!"
I smiled at her compliment, though inwardly, I was thinking, 'If only you knew Sidney and I just had a huge argument, you might not be so quick to thank me.'
Still, I couldn't deny that Sidney's request had caught me off guard.
While I didn't feel I had said anything wrong, from his perspective, it was pretty clear I had crossed a line.
After everything he'd done to try and get rid of the maids, why would he ask me to stay after I'd basically quit?
Was he keeping me around just to teach me a lesson later?
With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I knocked on Sidney's door.
*****
This time, Sidney wasn't sitting with his back to me like he usually did. He was at his desk, facing me, almost as if he had been expecting me to come.
The familiar silence of the room seemed heavier today, and for some reason, it made me feel a little uneasy—probably because of the argument. The memory of me saying 'I quit' hung in the air, as sharp as a slap. 'If he's mad and wants to get back at me, now's his chance to mock me for caving in so easily,' I thought.
But I had to stick it out. For Curt.
The moment Mabel had asked me to remake the pie, I knew I had to take this chance, even if it meant swallowing my pride. I couldn't walk away now.
"Hey," Sidney greeted me awkwardly.
"Hey," I responded, a little thrown off by the fact that he spoke first. His tone was calm, and it didn't seem like he was angry.
I set the pie down in front of him and stood back, waiting for what would come next.
Sidney glanced at the pie. "Looks good. Did you make this yourself?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's my brother Curt's favorite. Everyone who's tried it says it's amazing."
The pie was neatly divided into four pieces. Sidney picked one up and took a slow bite.
After a long pause, he frowned slightly and said, "The crust isn't quite crisp enough—it's a bit too thick. And the filling... too sweet. It's kind of heavy."
I didn't take offense at his criticism.
For one thing, I was confident in my baking. And for another, I could tell he wasn't serious. Sure, he was picking it apart, but...
"You've already eaten three pieces, Mr. Sidney," I pointed out with a grin, unable to hold back my amusement. "Doesn't really seem like you hate it that much."
"Alright, you got me. It's really good," Sidney admitted without any sign of irritation, as if he was waiting for my reaction.
'Wait... was that a joke?' Was he actually trying to break the ice between us?
He hadn't said the words "I'm sorry," but I could feel it in the air.
Honestly, I wasn't blameless either. Maybe it was time to let this go. I softened my tone. "I mean, I'm not one to lie. If you ever want more, just let me know."
"Thank you," Sidney said seriously.
Did I hear that right? He actually thanked me! That had to be a first. I stared at him in disbelief.
Sidney shifted uncomfortably under my gaze and quickly changed the subject. "How's your brother doing?"
"He's okay. He'll need long-term treatment, but thanks to Ms. Rossi advancing my pay, I've already settled the hospital bills. So, nothing to worry about for now." His concern made me relax a little.
"That's good," Sidney said quietly, returning to his pie.
*****
As I watched him from the side, I realized something odd—we weren't at each other's throats anymore. We were actually having a civil conversation.
How did that happen? 'There's no way he's suddenly falling for me,' I thought with a silent laugh. 'This isn't some cheesy movie.'
Suddenly, I noticed a small crumb of pie on Sidney's lip.
I hesitated for a moment and then pointed to my own mouth. "You've got something right here."
Sidney frowned and quickly wiped his mouth, but missed the spot.
After watching him try a few more times, I couldn't help myself—I reached out and wiped it away for him.
The moment my fingers brushed against his lips, I felt a softness I hadn't expected. My heart raced, my face flushed, and for a split second, I completely forgot to pull my hand back.
It was strange—Sidney sometimes had this pull on me, like a magnet. But most of the time, we were like two magnets repelling each other.
Sidney looked up at me, clearly surprised.
I quickly withdrew my hand, pretending to look around the room. Casually, I asked, "So, what do you usually do in here?"
"Sleep, eat, read, watch movies, play ball," Sidney said, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Play ball?" That piqued my curiosity.
"Yeah." Sidney opened a drawer and pulled out a tennis ball. "This."
He threw the ball hard against the wall, catching it easily when it bounced back.
Watching his effortless motions, I couldn't help but ask, "Were you good at tennis before?"
"It used to be my favorite sport. I'd play with the couple next door all the time, but..." His voice trailed off as his eyes fell to his legs. He gave a bitter smile. "Now, I can't even leave the house. Life's funny that way. I've come to terms with it."
No wonder he was always by the window, watching that couple play tennis. I could imagine how trapped and frustrated he felt.
A wave of sympathy washed over me, but I knew there wasn't much I could do to help him. Just as I was feeling helpless, an idea popped into my head.
I crouched down and looked into Sidney's eyes. "If I could help you, would you be willing to try?"
Sidney's hands tightened around the arms of his wheelchair, his emotions visibly stirred. I knew how much he hated the idea of leaving his room. He'd explode at the mere suggestion of it. But this time, he closed his eyes.
After what felt like an eternity, he opened them and looked at me. "You've seen me, Amber. I can't..."
"Don't shut me down so fast, Mr. Sidney. I don't think you've completely given up, have you?" I reached out tentatively, my hand resting on the arm of his chair. "If the opportunity comes, I believe you'll take it."
Just before my fingers touched his hand, he pulled it away quickly, his eyes darting around nervously.
He was way more on edge than I'd expected.
"Uh..." Maybe it was something in my expression, but Sidney seemed to soften a bit. He finally asked, cautiously, "What's your plan?"
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