Chapter 400: Home date

[Three days later]

Amanda arrived at Kyle's new home in Montclair with a few things in mind, though the most important of them was simply to spend some time with him.

Her training and operational duties had kept her unusually busy over the past few days, leaving her with little opportunity to visit him.

They still spoke on the phone every single day, often for at least an hour, but no matter how long their conversations lasted, they could never quite make up for the warmth of being together in person.

Fortunately, the arrival of reinforcements from the central administration had finally eased some of the burden on her shoulders, allowing her to secure a day off.

She had no intention of wasting it. The moment she received confirmation that she could take the day for herself, she decided to spend it with the person she had been missing the most.

Ding-dong!

Amanda pressed the doorbell and waited with a bright smile, a white box held carefully in one hand.

She had been looking forward to this visit since morning, and the thought of seeing Kyle again made it difficult to contain her excitement.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, glancing briefly at the box to make sure she had been careful with it the entire way before turning her attention back to the door.

It opened a few moments later, revealing the familiar face she had been longing to see.

"Hey, you arrived early."

Amanda giggled at his greeting. "Couldn't wait to see you." She extended her left hand, holding the box away from them to keep it out of the way, before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him.

The moment she felt his warmth, the lingering restlessness of the past few days seemed to melt away.

"I missed you so damn much," she mumbled, rubbing her cheek against his shirt as though she could make up for their time apart simply by staying close to him for a little longer.

Kyle smiled and gently rubbed her back, enjoying the familiar weight of her arms around him. "Can't say I was any better. Actually, Veronica was quite amused when I called to ask if you could get some leave, only to hear that you had already asked her yourself."

Amanda drew back just enough to look at him, surprise widening her eyes. "You did?"

Kyle nodded, "Yeah. Well, come inside first."

He stepped aside to let her pass, then closed the door behind them.

Amanda had barely taken a few steps into the house when her attention began wandering across the interior, her expression brightening as she took in her surroundings.

"This home is quite nice," she murmured.

It was her first time visiting him here. She had already seen photographs of the house, of course, but pictures could only convey so much.

Standing inside it, she could appreciate the thought that had gone into making the place feel like a home rather than merely a well-furnished residence.

The white walls gave the rooms a bright, welcoming atmosphere, while framed paintings of birds added a touch of color without overwhelming the decor.

Slender pillars lent the interior a sense of structure, and candid photographs arranged in picture frames brought a more personal charm to the otherwise immaculate surroundings.

Beautiful lamps mounted along the walls cast a soft glow over the rooms, making the place feel warm and lived-in rather than cold or ostentatious.

"Well, Blake said this house had everything I frequently visited nearby, along with good security," Kyle explained as he watched her look around. "So I figured it would be convenient."

Convenient was perhaps an understatement, considering Blake had gone as far as arranging the purchase himself.

Kyle had more than enough funds in his vault to afford a house of his own, but Blake had insisted on taking care of it.

Between the location, the security arrangements, and the amenities available nearby, it had been difficult to argue against the choice.

Kyle's gaze eventually fell on the white box Amanda had been carrying since she arrived.

"What's in the box?"

"Oh, it's a cake!" Amanda answered enthusiastically, lifting it slightly as she turned toward him. "To celebrate our anniversary."

Kyle hummed, his expression briefly clouding with confusion as he tried to recall the date. "But isn't that still two months away?"

Amanda turned and began walking toward the living area, apparently anticipating his reaction. "Well, considering how swamped our schedules have been lately, I decided there was no point waiting for a specific day to celebrate.

If we can't celebrate our anniversary right now, we can at least celebrate another day of being together, can't we?"

Kyle considered her words for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "You're right. Why wait for an occasion?"

He approached her and gently took the box from her hands, careful not to tilt it.

Then, with a faintly mischievous smile, he added, "Though, who would eat my cupcakes, then?"

Amanda stopped in her tracks.

"Eh? You made cupcakes?"

Her surprise only grew when she reached the living area and caught sight of the food arranged nearby.

She looked from the table to Kyle, as though she were only now beginning to realize that he had prepared everything already.

"Wait, you cooked food as well?"

Kyle shrugged "I had some free time, and I figured you'd be hungry after skipping breakfast."

Earlier that morning, he had called her while she was still at home and overheard her mother asking whether she was going to eat breakfast.

Amanda had promptly refused, insisting that she had things to do before leaving the house.

Kyle realized it was better to prepare something first before she arrived or he knew, once she was here he would be too distracted to properly stand in the kitchen for more than a minute.

Now, seeing the surprise and delight on her face, he couldn't help feeling that the effort had been worthwhile.

Amanda wrapped her arms around him once more, pulling him into a tight embrace before resting her chin against his shoulder. "Don't be so perfect, or I'll end up marrying you," she murmured, against his ear.

Then, without loosening her hold around his neck, she tilted her head to look at him. A pretty smile curved her lips as she added, "Well, I'll marry your imperfect self, too."

Kyle rested one hand on her waist, drawing her a little closer as he met her gaze. "For that, you'll need to prepare yourself. I have quite a few thoughts about how that occasion should go."

Amanda's eyes sparkled with immediate interest. She had barely begun to open her mouth, already eager to coax more details out of him, when Kyle leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, silencing her before she could utter a single word.

Her eyes widened for an instant, caught off guard by the sudden affection, but the surprise soon gave way to warmth and longing.

She closed her eyes and leaned into him, returning the kiss with equal tenderness as her fingers tightened gently around the back of his neck.

For those few moments, the world beyond his arms ceased to matter, leaving only the familiar comfort of being close to the person she loved.

The kiss was brief, yet it left a lingering warmth between them when they finally parted.

Amanda had barely opened her eyes when Kyle leaned closer, his lips brushing near her ear as he whispered, "No questions about it, though. I wish to keep it a secret."

Amanda grinned at him. "You've given me a good excuse now. I'll keep asking what you have planned for our wedding."

Kyle shook his head helplessly, unable to suppress the faint smile tugging at his lips, before making his way toward the kitchen.

He carefully placed the cake in the refrigerator, ensuring it would stay fresh until they were ready to cut it.

Meanwhile, Amanda settled on the sofa beside the kitchen, kneeling on the cushions as she leaned forward to watch him.

A question that had been lingering in her mind for some time finally came to her lips.

"How did things go that night? I haven't heard anything from Ethan lately."

Kyle paused briefly, his hand resting against the refrigerator door. It wasn't the question itself that caught him off guard, but rather the decision of whether he should begin discussing what had happened while they were still alone.

He hadn't told Veronica or Amanda the truth about that night, particularly what had transpired after his apostles were knocked unconscious.

He had simply explained that the sudden influx of creatures from the Rift had overwhelmed them, causing them to lose consciousness. It was a convenient explanation, one that accounted for their condition without inviting further questions, but it was far from the whole story.

After a moment, Kyle closed the refrigerator and turned toward Amanda, his expression composed.

"Let's save that conversation for later, when everyone arrives."

Amanda's eyebrows rose. "Did... something happen? And who's arriving later?"

Kyle offered her a somewhat sheepish smile, as he requested,

"Amanda, we're hosting more than ten guests today, so I'm going to need your help preparing the food."