Chapter 266
The sight of her endearing face prompted a quiet laugh from him. “What is it?” Both of them paused, gazing at each other from different floors.
She nervously pressed her lips together. “So… do you want to blow out a candle and make a birthday wish?”
A look of mild confusion flashed across Ethan’s face as he waited for her to continue.
She rubbed at her scalp in embarrassment, her cheeks turning pink. “I actually baked a cake earlier. It’s nothing fancy. I didn’t have the nerve to show you before. But if you want to make a wish, you can use it. If you’d rather not, that’s okay too.”
Earlier, there had already been a cake at dinner, but that one came and went without any ceremony—no candles, no wishes, nothing special.
𝗦a𝘃𝗲 уo𝘶r 𝗳a𝘃𝘰𝗿𝗂𝗍𝗲 𝗇𝘰v𝖾l𝗌 оո 𝗴а𝗅𝗇о𝗏еlѕ.𝖼𝘰m
He never made a fuss about traditions anymore, but she had spent the whole evening thinking about how to ask him.
Instead of responding right away, Ethan kept his eyes on her, studying her face from across the staircase.
Soft golden light from the chandelier cast delicate shadows beneath his lashes. His sharp features made him seem almost out of reach, distant even now.
Her uneasiness grew in the silence. “You don’t have to say yes. I just thought I’d ask.”
A slow smile spread across Ethan’s lips. Amusement colored his words as he teased, “You baked me a cake, Noey? I’d never turn that down.”
A short while later, Noelle brought out her homemade cake, nearly bouncing as she set it on the table.
Every ounce of her delight came from someone genuinely enjoying her offbeat attempt at baking.
As for the cake, though… calling it quirky would be generous. The shape looked like it belonged in a geometry puzzle, and the toppings seemed to have minds of their own.
Trying to hold back a smile, Noelle put on her most dignified expression and declared, “It’s supposed to look like this, you know.”
Although Ethan turned away, laughter still escaped from him, soft but impossible to hide.
Flustered and close to losing her patience, Noelle threatened, “If you keep laughing, I won’t give you any of this cake.”
And just like that, Ethan stopped laughing. “Alright.”
A bit of shock crossed her face. Did he want to eat it that badly?
Pride began to bloom in her chest. Grinning so wide her eyes scrunched up, she said, “You clearly have excellent taste. This is the first time I’ve ever made a birthday cake for anyone.”
Cooking was never her strong suit, so the kitchen usually stayed untouched. Once the candles were placed, she switched off the overhead lights in the dining room.
Candlelight flickered across Ethan’s face, painting him in a gentle, golden hue as he glanced her way.
A strange flutter skipped through Noelle’s chest. Since moving back in with the Moss family two years ago, birthdays were never about her. Only Willa got parties and cake.
That childlike thrill she thought she had lost came rushing back as she sat there, preparing to celebrate Ethan’s birthday.
.