The alarm blared loudly, like an angry mother-in-law, waking Evelyn from her deep sleep.
Her eyes fluttered open to darkness. The curtains remained drawn, and the room was heavy with night.
Perfect. The world’s still asleep. Which means she should be, too.
But the alarm refused to give in, buzzing and screeching as if it had a personal grudge.
She sighed and stretched her stiff arm to the nightstand, grabbing her phone and nearly knocking over the lamp.
After turning off the alarm, for a glorious second, she thought she might drift back into sleep. However, Axel Knight’s presence suddenly fills her thoughts.
Evelyn massaged her forehead in frustration. ’Of course.’ The man haunted her even before sunrise.
She had told him last night he could come for breakfast, and now she was trapped by her own words.
It wasn’t like she could cancel on him. What was she going to say?
’Sorry, Axel, breakfast is canceled because I’m still half-dead from sleep. Also, I don’t feel like cooking for a terrifyingly perfect-handsome man today.’
Yeah. That would go over well.
Another sigh escaped Evelyn’s lips as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and tied her hair back, trying to summon the will to start her day.
’You can do this, Eve. It’s just breakfast. With Axel. Who happens to be Oliver’s father...’
Before she could stand, her phone chimed again.
"BEEP."
Her brows knitted.
’Already?’
She snatched up the phone, squinting at the message.
"Good morning. Can I come in now?" From: Axel Knight
She turned her gaze, glancing at the clock, her eyes widened. Six. In. The. Morning.
Evelyn chuckled as she looked at the cell phone screen and shook her head.
’My goodness, Axel... Did you sleep at all? Or are you just sitting at your comfy sofa and plotting ways to raise my blood pressure?’
A humorless laugh escaped her lips.
Of course, he’d be awake at this ungodly hour. Of course, he’d be standing outside her door like some flawless, brooding nightmare of punctuality. He is Axel Knight; no one could predict what he wanted to do.
Her thumbs flew over the screen.
"I just woke up. Come in thirty minutes!!"
The moment she hit send, she tossed the phone onto the bed.
Thirty minutes. That was all she had to transform from sleep-deprived zombie into a semi-presentable human.
She bolted to the bathroom, chanting curses under her breath as she splashed cold water on her face.
The mirror did her no favors; Puffy eyes, tangled hair, and the general aura of a woman who had just lost a wrestling match with her alarm clock.
"Perfect!" Evelyn dabbed at her cheeks with a towel.
After she had cleaned herself, she rushed to open the drawer and pulled out the decent casual home clothes.
The last thing she wanted was to look like she’d rolled out of bed for him, even if that was precisely what happened.
Pulling on the oversized cotton-white shirt and pairing it with yoga pants, she saw her reflection again.
"Not bad, girl!" She smiled, stared at herself.
However, her smile froze when another "BEEP" sounded from her cell phone.
Evelyn froze when she saw her cell phone screen. It was Axel again.
"I’m outside. I didn’t ring the bell because I was afraid I’d wake Oliver." From: Axel Knight
Her eyes widened.
’What the heck, Axel!’
She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes. Not even. She had barely brushed her hair, and the man was already standing outside.
"Gosh... so impatient," she muttered under her breath. "What is wrong with him? Is waiting to arrive at seven too long for him?"
She decided to ignore him. He could wait. If Axel Knight wanted breakfast, then he could learn the art of patience. With that in mind, she marched toward the kitchen to at least start cracking some eggs.
Her phone buzzed again.
"Are you still sleeping? Okay, I’ll push the bell to wake you up." From: Axel Knight.
Her eyes widened.
’Don’t you dare, Axel Knight...’ She dashed toward the door, yanking it open before the sound could shatter Oliver’s peaceful dreams.
But, surprisingly, no one was there.
She blinked into the empty hallway.
’Huh? Where is he?’ Her brows furrowed as she stepped into the hall, scanning left and right. ’Did he just... text-threaten me with a doorbell and then vanish?’
Her lips parted in disbelief.
"Heaven! Did he just prank me?"
Shaking her head, Evelyn was about to close the door when the faint click of another door opening made her pause. She stares at the unit next door.
Evelyn tensed up as Axel stepped out, calm and seemingly effortless, as if it were just another typical morning. He moved toward her with the grace of someone who knew he didn’t have to try.
He looked like he had just stepped out of a glossy magazine. Wears a tailored dark shirt with sleeves casually rolled up, hair perfectly styled, with not a single sign of sleep in his sharp features.
Her eyes stayed fixed on him.
’Does he even own pajamas? Or does he just sleep in that?’ She wonders.
His eyes caught hers, and the corner of his mouth lifted just slightly.
"Good morning, Evelyn."
The way he said her name, low and smooth enough to send a ripple of something down her spine, she didn’t care to name.
She exhaled slowly, refusing to let him see her nervous gaze.
Without answering, she turned on her heel, leaving the door wide open behind her as she rushed back into the kitchen.
If he wanted to follow, that’s okay. Let him do what he wishes. But she wasn’t going to just stand there staring at him like some starstruck fool.
She reached the kitchen, grabbed the frying pan, and started to make a quick breakfast.
’He’s impossible. Utterly impossible. Not even seven in the morning, and he looks like sin dressed in silk while I look like a half-burnt piece of toast.’
Evelyn could already hear his faint footsteps entering the house. She continued cracking the eggs.
But as she was about to take the third egg, his gentle voice sounded so close behind her.
"Need extra hands?"