Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed



"Look, the key to winning her heart is all in the details. You've got to show her you care, you know? It's not just about asking how her day was or sending a 'goodnight' text. It's about being there, showing up with her favorite comfort food when she's had a tough day, surprising her with thoughtful gifts, not just on holidays but whenever. Be her rock, man."

"That's how she'll know you're the real deal. Then, she'll be able to let go of any doubts and truly fall into your arms, trust me."

"Got it?"

Owen couldn't help but agree.

Except for one little thing.

The whole idea of a dramatic 'fall into the arms' move or stealing a kiss just didn't sit right with him.

Too risky, too forced.

It felt disrespectful, not romantic.

Respect was key.

Yet, in his dreams, he'd thrown all respect out the window, doing exactly those things he despised.

Even asking, "Anne, do you like it?" in a moment of madness.

Waking up, Owen was a mess of regret, cradling his head like a guilty child caught stealing cookies. Eventually, he calmed down, got out of bed, and changed into a fresh pair of boxers...

He thought he was over this phase.

Why was it happening again?

...

The next morning, Stoddard arrived at the lab bright and early.

He had left before finishing his work the day before and was determined to make it up before Owen noticed.

To ensure he wouldn't oversleep, he set three alarms, waking up before dawn to get to the lab.

And then-

"Dude, when did you get here? Isn't it Sunday? We agreed to take the weekend off. What are you doing here?"

His tone was a mix of surprise and guilt.

Owen, standing by the workbench, simply lifted his gaze, "So, you didn't finish your data yesterday?"

Stoddard was caught off guard.

This was bad.

"What are you even doing here, man? Sometimes, I swear, you're too much. You could give pretzels a run for their money with how twisted you get."

Owen just hummed in response, "I've already finished two sets of your data. Seems like you didn't need to come after all."

Caught in his tracks, Stoddard

quickly switched gears, flashing a grin, "Ah, c'mon, I was just messing with you. Who doesn't love a good pretzel, right? Twisted in all the right ways."

Owen just stared...

By noon, Stoddard was about to collapse from exhaustion and decided to crash in the break room.

Passing by Owen's office, he overheard him ordering food on the phone-

"Yeah, make those ribs sweet... Two portions... Deliver them to the lab by six... Great, thanks."

"Whoa, who's sending you food? Got a girlfriend?" Stoddard immediately turned into the nosiest squirrel in the garden.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Owen, opting out of the conversation, simply laid back, showing Stoddard the back of his head.

Stoddard, getting the hint, slinked away.

On the other end, Silver, having just hung up with her son, rushed into the living room, snatching the tea right out of Ferdinand Reynolds' hand. She shook him excitedly.

"Two portions again! Our Norris is back in the game!"

Ferdinand was lost, "What?"

Silver was on a roll, "He asked for the ribs to be sweet! Why? Because that's how she likes them! I'll cook... No, I'll deliver it myself!"

She dashed into the kitchen, causing a commotion, not even noticing as she knocked over something in her haste.

Ferdinand could only watch in dismay as his prized tea spilled, "My God!"

Owen, carrying the meal his mother prepared returned from the lab to his apartment and decided to check on the neighbor next door with some homemade liniment and cotton swabs.

But there was no answer, no matter how long he waited.