Hot air blasted out of the pan. Jasper wiped away the sweat on his face and sighed. âDammit. Burnt again.â
Only then did Alyssa see the countless burnt eggs in the trash bint beside the stove.
âPft. The heat is too high, silly. Youâd go through an entire chicken farm without succeeding at this rate,â
she teased.
Jasperâs heart skipped a beat as he turned around, meeting Alyssaâs eyes.
âDid I⦠wake you?â he asked nervously.
âNo, my biological clock did. I donât have a habit of sleeping in,â Alyssa replied.
She then pointed at the trash bin beside him, teasing, âYouâre lucky Sean isnât around to see this. He hates it when people waste food. If he had been here, he would have made you scoop everything back out and eat it.â
âI would be fine with that. I never wasted food during my time in the army,â Jasper replied lightly.
It wouldnât be a first for him.
Alyssa knew how serious Jasper could be at times and that he was indeed capable of doing something like that. She hurriedly waved her hands. âIâm kidding. Donât actually go eating that.â
âI really underestimated the art of cooking. I used to think it was easy whenever I watched Rosie cook.
Now that Iâve actually tried it, I can see just how difficult this technique is,â Jasper said.
As he gazed at the messy kitchen countertop, guilt filled his chest. âI know you mustâve been so tired and put in so much effort to cook for me in the past.â
Alyssa blinked quickly, conflicted emotions filling her heart.
âI⦠I wanted you to have breakfast I made for you. But it looks like Sean will have to buy some for us this time.â
Jasper smiled bitterly. âSorry, Lyse. Give me some more time to practice. Iâll improve.â
Alyssa immediately saw through his intentions.
Jasper hadnât once stepped into the kitchen in their three years of marriage. Rosie had told Alyssa it wasnât purely because of his prejudice against her, but because he had never liked the smell of smoke and oil that came from the kitchen area.
The smells reminded Jasper of the slums he had lived in with his mother. Their house had been surrounded by shabby eateries that constantly emanated the heavy smell of cooking.
No matter how hard they scrubbed their clothes, that smell never left.
Right now, Jasper was willing to cook for her and do something he had never done before. He truly doted on Alyssa, even crossing his own boundaries for her.
Warmth filled Alyssaâs chest. She gently nudged Jasper away. âThatâs enough of terrorizing my house.
Let me cook.â
She coughed suddenly, her allergy acting up again after inhaling the smoke earlier.
Didnât Jasper know to switch on the hood?
âWhatâs wrong, Lyse? Did you catch a cold?â Jasper asked worriedly.
Alyssa covered her mouth and mumbled, âIâm fine. Iâm just allergic to smoke. I just need some fresh air.â
Allergic⦠to smoke?
Jasperâs eyes widened in shock.
When did she get this allergy? Or had she always had it and he just hadnât known?
Had Alyssa spent those three years cooking for his entire family while suffering from her allergy like this?
Alyssa had just taken the frying pan from him when Jasper hugged her tightly from behind.
âHow am I supposed to cook with you like this?â she asked.
âDonât. Donât cook anymore.â Jasper buried his face in her neck, pain filling his eyes.
âLet me do it for you from now on. Iâll learn to cook whatever it is your want to eat.â
âNo need. You donât have the talent.â The moment Alyssa said that, she pursed her l*ps tightly. It felt like she had misspoken.
For a moment, she had made it sound like they were an old married couple. It was as if she had acquiesced to a shared future together.