REBORN: MEET MY BROTHERS-Chapter 20: MAMA’S BOY

Maximus’s gaze swept over Ava, noting her rumpled hair and fiery glare. He was stunned that Ava was angry so early in the morning, but then, this wasn’t an ordinary person. This was his extraordinary little wife. "For someone who had more than eight hours sleep, I expected an entirely different expression, little one."

"And I expected to be at home, but here I am. Doesn’t that tell you you don’t always get what you want?" Ava retorted, fighting to keep her eyes on his face.

Ethan bit his lip to suppress laughter, and took a step back. "I’ll, uh, let you two... handle this," he mumbled before quickly exiting the kitchen.

Maximus wiped his hands on the towel as he leaned against the counter. "Have a seat, Ava. I made breakfast. I figured you’d be hungry since you didn’t have lunch or dinner yesterday." He pulled out a chair on the counter. "I was tempted to wake you up for food, but you didn’t seem like you wanted to, so I let you be."

The smell of the food whipped Ava’s nostrils, and she bit her lower lips to control her appetite. She was very hungry, but she certainly didn’t want anything from Maximus. "I’ll pass on that, thank you," she said quietly, but her growling stomach betrayed her.

She bit her lips as his eyes settled on her stomach. "That’s not what the little guy is saying down there," he teased. "Don’t be stubborn now. You need to eat."

She folded her arms tightly against her chest, refusing to give in. "I’m good, thanks for the offer once more."

Maximus straightened, taking a step toward her. "Do I need to carry you again?"

At his words, Ava’s glare intensified. "Don’t come any closer. Stay away from me, Maximus."

He raised an eyebrow at her reaction. "Why?" He asked concerned, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he saw Ava’s heated face. He took another step closer to her. Ava’s heart hammered in her chest as her eyes darted to his chest. Her eyes lingered there for a moment more than necessary before his words hit her ears. "My face is up here, little one."

Embarrassed, she quickly broke the eye contact. "Don’t flatter yourself, Maximus. I’ve seen better."

Maximus laughed outright at that. "Now that’s a lie, and we both know it."

Ava’s face reddened even more like a cooked lobster. For the first time, words seemed to fail her, probably because she could feel it in her guts that what he said was true even if she desperately wanted to deny it.

When he got to where she stood, Ava already balled her fists, expecting to hit him immediately he lifted her from the floor, but she was surprised when he gently picked up her hand. Too stunned by his new attitude, she followed him willingly and he placed her on the chair.

Maximus watched Ava stare at the delicious meal in front of her. He’d been up early, making any dish he assumed she would enjoy. He hated that he knew so little about her, but he had a lifetime to make up for it. "I hope you’re craving one of these." He rubbed the back of his head. "These were all I could make with the limited time."

Ava was surprisingly impressed with the amount of dishes in front of her, ranging from the simple English breakfast of toast and spreads to mashed potatoes and steaks.

It felt like an all-you-can-eat buffet, but the difference was it was handled by Maximus. She picked up the glass of water first, quenching her thirst as she readied herself for the meal.

A bite of the bacon had her eyes widening. She had expected it not to taste bad, but a top chef tier cooking wasn’t on the list. "Hmm..." She chewed slowly, taking her time to process the flavor. "It’s good."

Maximus smiled. He’d always had faith in his cooking skills.

She took a bite of the egg, nodding slightly in approval as the flavor hit her taste buds. "Where did you learn to cook?" She asked as Maximus took a seat beside her.

"I took classes," he said casually, dishing some meals into his plate.

The toast hung on Ava’s lips as she turned to him. "Are you a chef?" When she saw his disapproving look, she realized she may have overestimated him. "An apprentice?" She rephrased. This time, she earned another chuckle.

"Far from both." Maximus placed his cup down. "Apparently, my mum forced me to learn. It was either that or having her burst into my apartment everyday to make food for me. The woman never loses any opportunity of coming to my place. Five chefs Fiddlestick had employed, five she’d fired."

Ava found herself smiling. That was not the answer she had expected when he spoke about learning to cook because of his mum. In her previous life, Ava had craved for nothing more other than attention from her parents.

She would have been the happiest person if her mother had made food for her even for a day. But none of this had happened. Now, she didn’t even want her mother’s unnecessary attention, and harboring thoughts like this seemed like an abomination.

"That was very kind of her," Ava said with a half smile. "I can’t believe you learned to cook because of that," she added.

Maximus raised an eyebrow at her half-smile, picking up his fork. "That woman is relentless, Ava, not kind. Don’t let the sentiment fool you," he said with a wry grin. "If I didn’t agree to learn, she’d have shown up at my place every single day with enough food to feed an army. Trust me, she’d have made sure I never heard the end of it."

Ava let out a small laugh, setting her toast down. "So, basically, you became a culinary student under duress? That’s... oddly adorable."

He frowned slightly, though the corner of his lips twitched. "Adorable isn’t exactly the word I’d use. Efficient, maybe. Practical."

"Sure," she teased, biting into another piece of egg. "Keep telling yourself that. Deep down, you’re just a mama’s boy who didn’t want to hurt her feelings."

Maximus’s fork paused mid-air as he gave her an incredulous look. "Mama’s boy?"