TWO

“Do you live alone?” Julia asked softly, genuinely wanting to know more about Craig. If she was being honest with herself, she also wouldn’t have minded listening to that calm, mesmerizing voice of his a little longer.

“Kind of,” Craig replied. “Tyler stays over some nights to keep me company.”

Julia nodded thoughtfully before another question slipped out.

“Don’t you ever get lonely?”

The words had barely left her mouth when she noticed the faint flicker of sadness that crossed his face. It was there for only a moment, but it was enough to make her regret asking.

“Oh… I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Craig remained silent.

He didn’t owe her an answer, especially not after they had only just met. Besides, loneliness was something he had grown used to. The life he was living now was the consequence of his own mistakes, and deep down, he believed it was a burden he deserved to carry on his own.

The silence that followed felt unusually heavy.

Not wanting the conversation to become uncomfortable, Julia searched for another topic.

“Um… have you had anything to eat yet?”

Craig shook his head.

“Not yet. I was planning to order a pizza, but I don’t think that’s going to happen with the weather.”

Julia glanced toward the rain beating relentlessly against the windows before looking back at him.

Making him dinner suddenly felt like the least she could do for someone who had shown her nothing but kindness since she arrived.

“Would you mind if I made something for dinner?” Julia asked with an encouraging smile. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Craig fell silent for a moment.

Part of him wanted to say no. After all, Julia was his guest. She had already been caught in the rain, and now she was offering to cook for him instead of resting. It didn’t seem right.

Julia watched the thoughtful expression on his face and could almost guess what was going through his mind. She understood why he was hesitant. They had only just met, and trusting a complete stranger in his home wasn’t something anyone would do lightly. Even so, she wanted him to know that her offer came from genuine gratitude.

“I know you don’t really know me,” she said gently, “and I understand if you’re hesitant. But please don’t say no. Let me do this for you. It’s my way of thanking you for your kindness.”

Craig smiled faintly.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he admitted. “I just think I should be the one making sure my guest is comfortable, not asking her to cook dinner for me.”

Julia couldn’t help smiling at how considerate he was.

“I already am comfortable,” she assured him. “Besides…” She paused playfully. “Why don’t you just pretend I’m not a stranger anymore? We can have dinner as friends instead.” She gave a small shrug before adding with a laugh, “And if I’m being honest, I’m starving.”

A quiet chuckle escaped Craig’s lips.

There was something refreshing about Julia’s sincerity. She wasn’t trying to impress him or make him feel indebted to her. She simply wanted to help.

“Okay,” he finally agreed.

Julia’s face immediately brightened.

“Really?”

Craig nodded with a smile.

“Take the door to your right. You’ll find the dining room, and the kitchen is right beside it.”

“Got it.” Julia rose to her feet, smiling gratefully. “You won’t regret saying yes.”

With that, she headed toward the kitchen, leaving Craig alone in the living room.

For reasons he couldn’t quite explain, the house already felt a little less empty than it had earlier that evening.

About thirty minutes later, Julia returned to the living room with a bright smile on her face.

“Dinner is served!” she announced, unable to hide the excitement in her voice.

Craig smiled and rose to his feet.

“Thank you.”

Without thinking, Julia instinctively reached for his hand, intending to guide him toward the dining room.

The instant her fingers wrapped around his hand, Craig paused ever so slightly, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected gesture.

Julia froze.

Realizing what she had done, she immediately let go and took a small step back.

“I… I’m so sorry,” she said quietly, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. “I wasn’t thinking.”

Craig gave a small shake of his head.

“It’s alright,” he said gently before continuing toward the dining room as confidently as before.

Julia remained rooted to the spot for a moment, mentally scolding herself.

What was I thinking?

Of course Craig knew his way around his own house. He had guided her to the guest room earlier without the slightest hesitation. He didn’t need anyone leading him around.

She closed her eyes briefly in frustration.

Great job, Julia. Now he probably thinks you pity him.

But another thought suddenly crept into her mind.

When she had taken his hand… she could have sworn she felt a tiny spark.

The memory lingered for only a second before she quickly shook her head.

“Stop thinking such nonsense, Julia,” she whispered to herself. “You’ll only make things more awkward than they already are.”

Maybe it was just because her hands were still cold from the rain.

Convincing herself that was the only explanation, she let out a quiet sigh before making her way to the dining room.

Craig was already seated at the table when she joined him.

After taking his first bite, a smile spread across his face.

“This is delicious,” he said sincerely.

Julia had prepared a simple plate of chicken noodles for dinner.

She smiled sheepishly at Craig’s compliment.

“Thanks. But honestly, this is practically the only thing I know how to cook besides sandwiches.”

A soft laugh escaped Craig, and Julia couldn’t help laughing along with him.

“I learned how to make it back in college,” she continued. “I remember I was absolutely starving one night, and it was already pretty late. I didn’t feel like going out to buy food, so I borrowed my roommate’s cookbook and searched for the easiest recipe I could find.”

She laughed at the memory.

“Well… it wasn’t nearly as easy as I thought it would be. The first time I made it, it tasted absolutely terrible.” She scrunched up her nose before adding with a grin, “I was too hungry to throw it away, so I forced myself to eat it anyway.”

Craig chuckled.

“After that, I kept trying until I finally got it right. Then I made a promise to myself not to learn any other recipe.” She shrugged playfully. “I figured I shouldn’t push my luck.”

That earned another laugh from Craig.

As Julia continued talking, Craig found himself listening with genuine interest.

She spoke so freely, sharing little stories from her life as though they had known each other for much longer than a single evening. There wasn’t the slightest hint of awkwardness in her voice, nor did she seem to treat him any differently because of his blindness.

It was… refreshing.

The warmth and enthusiasm in her voice painted vivid pictures in his mind. Even without seeing her, he could almost imagine the expressions on her face, the way she smiled, or how her hands probably moved as she spoke.

Her voice was beautiful.

For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman behind that voice was just as beautiful.

The thought made him pause.

When was the last time he’d been this curious about someone?

A faint smile tugged at his lips before he quietly pushed the thought aside and returned his attention to Julia, listening as she continued talking.

After they finished dinner, Julia cleared the table and carried the dishes into the kitchen. Once she had washed everything and left the kitchen spotless, she returned to the living room, where Craig was waiting.

As soon as he heard her footsteps, he looked in her direction.

“I called Tyler,” he said. “He’ll come by tomorrow morning, and I’ll have him bring someone who can take a look at your car.”

Relief washed over Julia’s face.

“Really?” she asked, her eyes lighting up. “Thank you so much, Craig. You’ve already done more for me than I could have asked for. I don’t even know how I’ll ever repay you.”

Craig smiled faintly.

“You don’t have to repay me. I’m just glad I could help.”

A comfortable silence settled between them.

Julia stole another glance at him.

She couldn’t help wondering how he had lost his sight. Had he been born blind, or had something happened to him?

The question lingered at the back of her mind, tempting her to ask, but she quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn’t her place to pry into something so personal, especially after they had only just met.

Instead, she found herself studying his face once again.

His sharp features, neatly trimmed stubble, and calm expression somehow made him even more handsome.

She almost smiled to herself.

For once, she didn’t have to worry about being caught staring. Not that she was happy Craig was blind—far from it—but it did spare her the embarrassment of being accused of staring at him for too long.

Searching for a safer topic, she finally broke the silence.

“You have a beautiful home.”

“Thank you,” Craig replied. “I bought it three years ago.”

Julia raised her eyebrows slightly.

“So you’re still fairly new to the area. I could tell from your accent that you weren’t originally from around here.”

A faint smile crossed Craig’s face.

“I’m from England,” he said. “But I’ve been living in the States for a little over five years now.”

Julia’s eyes widened with interest.

“Wow.”

Craig fell silent once more.

His fingers rested loosely on his lap as he debated whether he should tell Julia the truth.

She hadn’t asked how he had lost his sight, but he could sense her curiosity. More importantly, he could tell she had been polite enough not to pry.

For some reason, that made him want to tell her.

“I… ended up like this because of an accident,” he said at last, breaking the silence.

Julia looked at him in surprise.

She hadn’t expected him to open up so suddenly, especially about something so deeply personal. Afraid that interrupting him might make him change his mind, she remained silent and simply listened.

Craig drew in a slow, steady breath.

“I was drunk that night,” he admitted quietly. “I was driving home after leaving a club.”

His voice remained calm, but the guilt behind his words was impossible to miss.

“It was my fault.”

He lowered his head slightly.

“I’m paying the price for the choices I made.”

Julia’s heart ached as she listened.

There was no anger in his voice, no bitterness—only regret. It was as though he had replayed that night in his mind so many times that blaming himself had become second nature.

She wished she could take even a little of that burden away.

“It was an accident, Craig,” she said gently. “You couldn’t have known that night would change your life forever. I know you made a mistake, but that doesn’t mean you deserve to spend the rest of your life punishing yourself.”

A faint, bittersweet smile appeared on Craig’s face.

“I wish you were right,” he replied softly.

Craig knew Julia meant well.

But deep inside, he couldn’t bring himself to believe her.

If only he hadn’t lived so recklessly back then, none of this would have happened. He had made one terrible decision, and it had changed his life forever.

The people he had once called friends had disappeared the moment everything fell apart. One by one, they had abandoned him, leaving him to face the consequences of his actions alone.

Losing his sight had cost him far more than his independence.

It had shown him who truly cared.

Through it all, only Tyler had remained by his side, never once giving up on him. For that, Craig knew he would always be grateful.

“You’ll never heal if you keep blaming yourself,” Julia said gently, pulling him out of his thoughts. “You have to let go of the past before you can truly move forward.”

Craig blinked, suddenly remembering that she was still there.

A faint smile found its way onto his face, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

He genuinely appreciated her concern, but he wasn’t ready to have this conversation. Some wounds were simply too deep to heal overnight.

After a brief silence, he slowly rose to his feet.

“Good night, Julia.”

“Good night,” she replied softly, watching as he made his way down the hallway toward his bedroom.

Once he disappeared from sight, Julia remained where she was for a few moments, lost in thought.

She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

His kindness…

His quiet strength…

Even the sadness he tried so hard to hide.

Could someone really develop feelings for a complete stranger in a single day?

She had never believed in love at first sight. To her, it had always seemed like something that belonged in fairy tales or romantic movies.

So why was Craig occupying her thoughts so completely?

Or perhaps…

Maybe it wasn’t love.

Maybe she was simply fascinated by the gentle, mysterious man she had met today.

That had to be it.

Satisfied with her own explanation, Julia switched off the lights before making her way to the guest bedroom, unaware that sleep wouldn’t come easily for either of them that night.