Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella) novel Chapter 368

Bella didn't even have time to respond before he let himself in, leaving her standing there with her keys in hand, completely thrown off.

Were they… even that familiar with each other?

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that, after showering, he asked her to go next door to his place and grab a fresh change of clothes for him—including underwear.

She was a young woman living alone, and he was definitely not a kid. Considering they barely knew each other, a thousand kinds of frustration ran through her head.

Still, wanting to get her overly comfortable new neighbor out of her apartment as quickly as possible, she reluctantly went next door, grabbed the clothes, and handed them over.

Then, she escaped to the kitchen, busying herself with cooking.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she saw him leaning over to peek into her pot. "Smells good. Didn't expect you could cook."

Out of politeness, Bella asked tentatively, "Want to join?"

She swore she was just being polite, but he accepted immediately, "Sure, thanks."

Flustered, Bella silently added more ingredients to the pot.

When she came out of the kitchen with the food, she found him sitting comfortably on her couch, watching TV. He looked so at ease that the scene was almost picturesque.

She told herself to just think of him as a little brother while trying to stay calm. She then called him over to eat.

At the dinner table, Bella stayed mostly quiet, while the young lad seemed perfectly at ease and even made small talk. "So, where do you work, miss? You get home pretty late."

Hearing him call her "miss" actually made Bella feel a bit better about the situation. "I work at a hospital. I'm a doctor. I used to be in the cardiac department, but now I'm in the emergency department. Late nights are just part of the job. By the way, I still don't know your name. I'm Bella Jones."

The young lad traced his fingers along the edge of the table. "Wesley Ortega."

Bella blinked, glancing down at Wesley's feet.

When had he slipped on Dominic's slippers?

At that moment, Dominic's gaze shifted to Wesley, and his gaze darkened. "Bella… So, you're not picky at all?"

Bella rubbed her temples, feeling the awkwardness rise. "He's my neighbor—a kid who just moved in. His shower is broken, so he borrowed mine. I invited him to stay for a meal… Have you eaten?"

Dominic didn't respond, instead giving Wesley a cold, assessing look before heading toward the bedroom.

From his perspective, Wesley had the potential to be a rival, so he was not exactly a kid.

Wesley, seemingly oblivious to the tension, looked at Bella and asked, "Miss, is that your boyfriend?"