All Novell Ebook
Chapter 284
Estrella said, “Stop fooling around.”
Jason had always dreamed of a cozy family life with Estrella and their little one. So, even without her explicit consent, Jason had brought them back to their home in Waterfall
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After tucking Isaac into bed for a nap, Jason tied on an apron and got down to business in the kitchen. Estrella, leaning against the doorframe with an apple in hand, couldn’t help but watch, amused by the domestic scene. He filleted the fish with the skill of a seasoned chef and chopped the veggies with equal dexterity.
Three years ago, Estrella knew Jason could handle himself in the kitchen, but she hadn’t expected him to become even more adept with time.
When Jason returned to the stove to stir-fry, he caught Estrella’s gaze and teased, “Trying to steal my cooking secrets?”
Estrella couldn’t help but admire his competence as she responded, “You’re quite the handyman.”
Closing the distance between them, Jason leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips, “I’m even handier in bed, just you wait til after —”
Before he could finish, Estrella playfully stuffed the other half of her apple into his mouth, “Focus on cooking, will you? Less talk, more action.”
Jason chuckled at her feistiness, “Ms. Estrella, you cut me off, but you already knew what I was going to say-a seasoned pro, aren’t you?”
After polishing off the apple, Jason pulled her into another kiss, with a triumphant twinkle in his eye.
Estrella adjusted her blouse and retorted, “Seems you’ve forgotten who taught you everything. Showing off in front of me?” Back in the day, she considered herself to be the wild one, and Jason, the innocent. Now, it seemed he had surpassed the teacher, shamelessly so.
He arched an eyebrow playfully, “Maybe later we can have a little ‘practice session.”
Estrella rolled her eyes, “Get on with the cooking. My son’s hungry.”
After planting another kiss on her lips, Jason went back to his culinary duties, whistling a cheerful tune.
Isaac awoke just in time for dinner. Jason had prepared with a light touch, knowing their child’s palate. But he also knew Estrella’s love for a bit of spice, so while Isaac got a gently steamed fish, Estrella received a dish packed with flavor.
09.04
As Isaac called out for his mother, Estrella felt a warm glow at the sight of her son livening up in the presence of her and Jason, his appetite hearty as he praised Jason’s cooking.
The most comforting thing for Estrella was seeing how Isaac had grown taller and more outgoing, even holding hands with a little girl at the playground that afternoon. Her heart swelled with pride.
After finishing the meal, Estrella wanted to clean up the dishes, but Jason didn’t want her to, so he cooked the meal, took care of Isaac, and washed the dishes himself.
With the kitchen spotless, he took Isaac for a bath, their laughter echoing from the bathroom. Estrella found herself smiling. Jason’s efforts made it almost seem as if they had never been apart, and he had been there to watch Isaac grow up all along.
Once Estrella finished up her work, she found Isaac already fast asleep. Jason had tucked the child into the adjacent bedroom, leaving the doors to both rooms ajar.
Turning to Estrella, still seated at her desk, Jason wrapped his arms around her from behind, “Honey, all done with your work?”
She looked back at him, noticing the redness in his eyes from the day’s fatigue and smiled, “Just finished.”
Their eyes locked, and Estrella, acknowledging his hard work that day, softly said, “Thank you for today.” She knew all too well the exhaustion of caring for a child alone.
Jason closed his eyes with a gentle sigh, “For my wife and son, it’s nothing.”
She knew Jason had a silver tongue, perhaps even more persuasive than her own. After a brief embrace, Estrella suggested, “You should rest.”
“But resting means I can’t hold you or watch you,” Jason protested.
Estrella smirked at his attempt to be charming. Giving in to another hug, she complained playfully, “You’re making my shoulders sore.”
Jason then tried another angle, “After such a good performance today, don’t I deserve a little reward?”
Estrella huffed, recognizing his true intentions, yet she didn’t call him out. Instead, she pecked him on the lips, “Here’s your reward.”
Jason’s brows knitted together in mock disappointment, “That’s it?”
“What else did you expect?” Estrella said, her stance clearly implying no more
shenanigans tonight.
Jason didn’t push, nor did he try to seduce her further. He simply let go and flopped onto the bed, “I’m beat. How about a shoulder rub?”.
00:04
Seeing how hard he’d worked all day on her behalf, Estrella couldn’t refuse. She rolled up her sleeves and began to knead his tired muscles.
Jason hummed contentedly, “Your touch is magic. You’re good at everything you do.”
Estrella stayed silent, focusing on easing the tension from his shoulders.
Then, in a soft voice, Jason asked, “Did you have lunch with Bryce and Jesse today?”
The night was tranquil, snowflakes beginning to drift silently outside while warmth enveloped the room, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Estrella confirmed, “Yeah. Bryce has been so busy lately. It’s been a while since the three of us caught up.”
“Bryce must be swamped,” Jason mused, not mentioning that he had a hand in Bryce’s busy schedule by setting up several projects for him. The last thing Jason wanted was for Bryce to have free time to bother Estrella.
Estrella casually shared. “Bryce mentioned Keith’s driving him nuts with all this
matchmaking business. At lunch, Bryce even asked Jesse and me to help figure out who could pretend to be his partner to appease his family.”
Jason tossed the comment aside with a nonchalant wave of his hand, “As if anyone’s going to buy that story.”
Estrella chimed in with a playful smirk, “Tell me about it.”
It had been three years since they’d last caught up like this, and Jason felt a warm nostalgia blossom in his chest, while Estrella also seemed genuinely happy by their conversation. Then, with a curious tilt of her head, she prodded Jason further, “You know, if Bryce ended up with Jesse, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. At least it’d keep it all in the neighborhood, so to speak.”
Bryce and Jesse?
Jason lay sprawled on his bed, motionless, a chuckle bubbling up just thinking about the two of them as an item. “If those two hooked up, it’d be the stuff of sitcoms,” he snorted.
Estrella replied, “Comedy, farce-I don’t care, as long as it’s not a tragedy.”
Seeing Estrella gossiping like they were kids again brought a secret joy to Jason’s heart. He leaned in, conspiratorially, “Let’s not fret over their drama. We’ve got our own fish to fry.”