A meal shared with the people you deem truly important will always be full of joy and wonder. In their presence, you never grow weary of the company or the easy flow of conversation. It provides a rare, comforting sense of belonging—a feeling that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
Eli, however, was far from experiencing that joy.
He was thoroughly unhappy with Allen's uninvited presence. While he had absolutely no complaints about Allen's professionalism as a fellow physician, he deeply despised seeing Belle smile and laugh so genuinely because of another man's jokes.
"I'm done," Eli announced flatly, pushing his chair back. He stood up and immediately headed to the private restroom to wash his hands.
Belle followed his retreating figure with her gaze, realizing with a slight frown just how little food he had actually touched. She wanted to discern if he was feeling unwell, but Eli had maintained a flawless, unreadable poker face the entire time.
