Chapter 401: Just a normal but special day

"Did you get summoned as well?" Elena asked, keeping her voice low while leaning against the side of the refrigerator.

With her mother occupied in the dining hall talking to her younger sister, this was her best window to reach Veronica.

They had not known each other all that long, but they had fallen into an easy rhythm that let them talk on the phone without any awkwardness.

{Yeah... though calling it a summons feels a little dramatic.}

Elena groaned quietly. "Well, he reached out using a mental transmission, so..."

She had just heard Kyle telling her where she needed to be by evening. Because their bond wasn’t strong enough for her to send a mental reply back, she couldn’t ask what was actually going on.

{What location were you given?}

"Appears to be the Lockhart residence in Montclair," Elena told her.

{Right. I got a call from him this morning too, and he mentioned there is something he wants to discuss with the people he trusts.}

"Then it has to be pretty serious." Elena let out a long breath, already feeling the tension settle in her chest. "Have you heard anything else? Any idea what brought this on?"

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him. Honestly, she was dying to, even if she’d never admit it out loud.

Still, the fact that he had told her to stay put and stay safe with her family just three days ago, only to summon her back now, meant something had gone seriously wrong.

{I think this ties back to that raid where he brought Ethan and Arthur along for a fight.}

"Anything specific from that day bothering you?"

{Nothing out of the ordinary. Kyle just wanted to see how far Arthur could push himself.}

Elena hummed thoughtfully. "Have you talked to either of them since then?"

{Once, yeah. Surprisingly, both Ethan and Arthur went off the grid for an entire day. Not a peep from either of them. When they finally came back and I asked Ethan what happened, he just said Kyle was better off telling us himself.}

Elena chewed on her thumbnail before muttering, "I hate surprises. Especially the gloomy kind."

{Well, it’s only a few hours away. But what about you? How are you planning to get all the way out there?}

That was the real problem. Her mother had gone into full lockdown mode, keeping her cooped up inside the house, changing the security codes, and even banning phones and all other communication entirely for a whole day.

Elena knew it would be an uphill battle, but she said, "I’ll figure it out."

{Alright then... see you tonight.}

Elena hung up and stood in the quiet kitchen for a moment. Weighing her choices left her with one path. It was risky, but it was her best shot.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone and called her father.

...

"Fufu..." Amanda giggled sweetly as she offered Kyle another bite.

He hadn’t been hungry in the first place and hadn’t touched his own plate, but somehow he had still eaten nearly half of the pasta he cooked just for her.

"Didn’t you like it?" Kyle asked around a mouthful.

"Of course I did. In fact, I’m going back for seconds." She propped her chin in her hand, resting her elbow on the table and tilting her head. "It’s just nice eating like this for a change."

With all the chaos swirling around them lately, quiet moments like these meant more to Amanda than words could say.

She had missed him terribly, often fighting the urge to drop every duty and run past every monster just to catch a glimpse of him.

"Well, I’m glad your standards haven’t changed. Pasta has never really been my specialty, but I gave it a shot anyway," Kyle said with a smile, topping off his glass with iced tea.

He barely took a sip before Amanda snatched the cup and took a drink herself. "It’s great. I mean, you actually remembered my complaints about white sauce tasting like raw flour and vegetables being left too crunchy."

Kyle shrugged. "Just a few tweaks. Anyway, should we cut the cake now?"

Amanda nodded enthusiastically, already looking forward to it. "Sure. Should I get—"

"No, you sit here. I’ll bring it." He rose from his chair and headed toward the refrigerator before she could finish her sentence.

Amanda watched him leave with a small smile before turning her attention to the food remaining on her plate. She finished the last few bites, then gathered the dishes and carried them into the kitchen.

By the time she returned, Kyle had taken the cake out of the refrigerator and was carefully removing its cover.

"It’s beautiful," he remarked, examining the decoration.

A pair of chocolate figurines stood at the centre, surrounded by delicate decorations that gave the cake an elegant appearance without making it look overly elaborate.

The cake itself was fairly simple, but that was precisely what made it appealing. It suited their tastes perfectly, reflecting the kind of understated charm they both preferred over anything extravagant.

Amanda approached him from the side and leaned against his shoulder, slipping her hand into his as she looked at the cake.

"I wanted something more suited to the occasion, but I never knew when I’d get the time to meet you. It was difficult to plan anything properly."

Kyle turned his head to look at her, his expression softening at the slight disappointment in her voice.

"It’s not the design or flavour of the cake that matters, Amanda."

Her eyes warmed at his words, and she found herself smiling without even realising it.

He was right. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t managed to get the cake she had originally imagined, or that she hadn’t been able to wear the dress she had wanted for this occasion.

Those little disappointments seemed insignificant now that she was standing beside him, sharing a moment she hadn’t even been sure she would get to have today.

All that mattered was the person standing by her side, the one who could make an ordinary evening feel special simply by being there.

Amanda leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to the corner of his lips.

Kyle chuckled at the affectionate gesture before glancing at the cake again. "I’m not particularly fond of sweets, you know. Want me to skip the cake after all?"

Amanda pulled back and gave him a mischievous grin. "We’re finishing it ourselves. No excuses, and no worrying about our diets today."

With that, she took his hand and led him toward the table. Kyle placed the cake at the centre before taking out his phone, his expression suggesting that he had something else in mind.

"Here, hold the knife and stand in front of it."

Amanda obediently positioned herself behind the cake, then turned toward the camera with a cheerful smile. She lifted her left leg slightly and tilted her head to the right, striking a playful pose that made Kyle laugh as he took several pictures.

"Let me see," she demanded as soon as he lowered the phone.

"Wait, let me take a few more."

He captured another couple of shots before finally showing her the results. Amanda leaned against him as they went through the pictures together, occasionally pointing out one she liked more than the others. Only after she was satisfied did they put the phone aside and prepare to cut the cake.

Amanda paused for a moment before making her wish. There were no candles to blow out, but that hardly mattered. She closed her eyes and silently asked for the things she wanted most, her thoughts naturally turning toward Kyle.

Yet this time, someone else found a place in her wish as well.

Veronica might be a little stubborn and too righteous for her own good, but please keep her safe and healthy.

Once she had finished making her wish, Amanda opened her eyes and found Kyle watching her. The corners of his lips remained curved in that familiar, self-assured smile, as though he had already guessed what she had been thinking.

"Since your God is more or less me, I suppose I’ll have to fulfil those wishes myself."

Amanda burst into a soft chuckle, shaking her head at his shameless confidence.

"Well, then, that should make things easier for you."

She then cut the cake and fed him a big piece which he surely couldn’t finish so they ate one bite at a time.

Once they nearly finished half of the cake, Amanda suddenly held his wrist and said, "By the way, won’t you ask if I prepared any gift?"

Kyle tilted his head, "Did you?"

Amanda grinned before leaning closer and whispered in his ear. "Come to your room in a minute and find out yourself~"

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