She had the strangest urge to justify the instinct to kiss him, as if he'd pushed her away in shock or something. But he hadn't done that, and Addison tried to slow her brain down enough to bask in the sweetness of him, of his being glad that she'd done it. That meant that he wouldn't mind doing it again, right?
Thankfully, the onions and garlic popped loudly, pulling her attention away from the moment, though she had a sweet little smile on her lips as she turned back to the stove. As they cooked, she kept peeking over at him, her brain still spinning a bit about what it all might mean. Was she really ready to start dating again? Her mind wandered only very briefly to Aldrich, to the possibility of unfinished business there, but it was only fleeting. Aldrich felt very firmly part of her past, and she was happy with where her life had come in the agonizing months since her mother's death.
Once everything was plated and they'd brought it all to the table, she sat, crossing one leg over the other before picking up her fork. "I've enjoyed every bit of time I've gotten to spend with you, Peter," she told him. "And I hope to get to spend even more with you now." She wanted to ask if she was his girlfriend now, but the words sounded so juvenile in her head.