CHAPTER 006 - As Simple As That

“Then come on in.” Demani quickly turned away, trying to hide the flush spreading across her cheeks. She pretended to be nonchalant, but she had been on the verge of squealing from joy for minutes now.

Her whole family, including her parents who had been watching from the back with arched brows, now had teasing looks in their eyes as they followed her movements.

She walked toward the kitchen and left the rest of the family to welcome Van.

“He’s cute, huh? Your type?” Maureen whispered behind her.

“No, he’s not!” she snapped defensively, placing the box by the sink.

“Cut it out. Your eyes are literally shaped like hearts right now,” Maureen teased, elbowing her again. “Looks like the whole family approves. Should we go ahead and have him court you?”

Demani swatted her cousin’s arm and glanced nervously at the kitchen doorway, afraid someone might overhear them.

“My God, Mau. My heart’s racing and I don’t know what to do. I couldn’t breathe in the car earlier. I was so nervous and uneasy. And every time he smiles at me, it’s like my heart just stops. When he looks at me, I feel like I’m floating. I don’t even understand myself...” She held her head. “What is this?”

“I knew it!” Maureen clapped excitedly. “If I wasn’t married, I might’ve fallen for him too!”

“Fallen?!” Demani frowned.

“Love at first sight, girl. You’re so dense,” Maureen said as she opened the cake box.

“So it’s real? You can actually fall for someone at first sight?”

Demani had had crushes before. Some of them even tried to court her, but the moment they made their move, she would lose interest. It was like she got turned off instantly. That’s why, even though her parents had allowed her to entertain suitors after college, she remained single. Her feelings for boys always seemed to expire quickly.

But she had never felt anything like this for anyone else before, not like how she felt about this stranger, Van Dominic Loudd. Never before had she believed in something like love at first sight. Until now.

“Of course it’s real,” Maureen said while undoing the ribbon. “Just the way you described your heart racing, how it feels when he looks at you and smiles... I’m convinced you’ve fallen for him too, cousin. Oh, your mom and dad are going to be thrilled. You’re not so emotionally numb after all.” Maureen burst into laughter.

Demani sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I forgot to ask if he already has a girlfriend. What if he’s taken? What if I’ve been fantasizing about someone off-limits?” Her voice held a mix of frustration and worry, her mind already spiraling with worst-case scenarios.

“I’m not.”

She gasped loudly, the air catching in her throat, and she spun around toward the kitchen door, heart practically leaping to her chest. Her eyes widened when she saw Van leaning casually against the doorway, arms crossed with ease like he’d been there the whole time. A sweet, confident smile played on his lips, calm and unbothered despite the tension in the room.

“I’m not in a relationship. I don’t have a girlfriend. I’m single.”

The words echoed like a bell inside her mind, bouncing off every emotion she had been trying to keep in check.

Maureen giggled beside her, obviously thrilled. “Well, there you go. Triple confirmation. So go for it, girl. You’re the last one single in the third generation.” Her voice was teasing and mischievous, clearly enjoying the romantic tension.

Demani shot her cousin a sharp death glare, eyes narrowing in warning, but Maureen only laughed more and lifted the cake box in her hands as she walked out of the kitchen with a cheeky swing in her step. On her way out, Van smiled politely at her, then shifted his attention right back to Demani, whose heart had not yet settled from the shock.

She suddenly felt tense again, her confidence slipping away as quickly as it had arrived. Her knees felt like jelly, weak with nerves and something she couldn’t quite name. She had already swallowed several times, but her throat remained dry as sandpaper.

What was she supposed to say now? He had just confirmed, loud and clear, that he was single. That should’ve made things easier. It didn’t.

“So... why are you single?” Van asked casually when she remained silent. His voice was calm, amused even, as if he enjoyed watching her squirm.

“Nothing, really,” she replied quietly, almost too softly.

“Nothing like what?” he asked, raising a brow as he leaned forward just a bit, encouraging her to elaborate.

“No suitors,” she answered, trying to sound indifferent, though her voice betrayed her hesitation.

“Would you entertain one?” he asked, his tone now dipped in curiosity and something slightly more serious.

She swallowed again. Her heart raced. “I-If someone was interested, why not?” she said, voice unsteady and barely above a whisper. 

Oh God, what am I even saying? her mind screamed.

“I’m very interested.”

Her grip on the edge of the sink nearly slipped. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her hold just to keep her balance.

“H-Huh?”

Van smiled warmly, clearly enjoying the stunned look on her face. It was almost endearing how genuinely surprised she was. She wasn’t even sure if she had heard him correctly, and the disbelief in her expression made him grin even more.

“Are you messing with me?” she asked after a beat, trying to regain a sliver of composure.

He grinned and stood upright, unfolding his arms. “I don’t say things I don’t mean.”

“But we just met...” Her voice was laced with confusion, disbelief, and the beginnings of wonder.

“I know. But do you believe in love at first sight?”

Her jaw dropped slightly in shock. She blinked at him, unsure whether to burst out laughing or take him seriously. Her brain was short-circuiting.

Van’s grin widened even more. “Should I ask your parents for permission now?”

She couldn’t help it; her lips curled into a smile before she even realized it. Her chest swelled with a mix of emotions: disbelief, nervousness, excitement, and something frighteningly close to hope. She had been at a loss for words just moments ago, but now her smile bubbled into a soft laugh, light and unguarded.

“Are you crazy?” she asked him, still chuckling, still stunned.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“We haven’t even known each other for an hour, and you’re already courting me?”

“Should we wait a decade before I can declare my intentions?”

She laughed again, this time more freely, and just like that, her heart began to feel lighter, as if all the anxiety had been quietly pushed aside by something warmer, deeper.

Van just looked at her, still smiling, like he already knew what was happening.

And just like that, their hearts connected.