Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Seriously? They went home together?

Jen eyed the vanishing tail lights of the car, her gaze slowly returning to Sammy, before pinching his arm. "Sammy, am I seeing things?"

Sammy winced, flashing a pained smile. "Jen, next time, can you pinch yourself?"

Why was it always him getting hurt?

Jen stood her ground. "You're younger, you'll bounce back faster. It's just a pinch."

Sammy could only sigh inwardly. If only gratitude was his to give.

Stoddard chuckled, not adding to the conversation, simply turning on his heel and strolling back home.

Liz's expression was beyond sour, not waiting for Sammy before she hopped into her car and left.

Sammy cast his gaze downwards, hiding the flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

It was okay; he was used to this by now.

He comforted himself, believing that persistence would eventually pay off, and one day... She would see his worth.

...

Meanwhile, Owen and Roseanne were oblivious to the reactions of everyone else.

Reaching their apartment complex, they walked up the stairs one after the other.

The motion-sensor lights lit up with each step they took, casting long, overlapping shadows of them both on the walls, giving Roseanne the illusion of having known Owen for ages. "Thanks for today."

Her voice was soft, yet it echoed slightly in the quiet stairwell.

Owen seemed in a good mood, though she couldn't see his face, she could hear the relaxed tone in his voice. "For the ride home, or for dinner?"

Roseanne smiled, replying, "Both. I'm grateful for the meal, the ride, and for letting me use your lab."

And his statement at the dinner table: "Roseanne is Ms. Payne's student."

At the seventh floor, Owen stopped and turned to watch her as she caught her breath, taking the last step to stand beside him.

"I know what you're trying to say, but remember, a pearl covered in dust is still a pearl. It just needs to be cleaned to shine again." Roseanne felt a warm flutter in her chest as their eyes met.

Owen spoke deliberately, "No one

knows the future, but we do have control over the present. It might be late, but I still want to say, welcome I

to my lab."

His eyes twinkled with a smile as he extended his hand.

Roseanne's eyes curved into a smile as she gently shook his hand, "Thank you. I think it's not late at all." Just perfect.

...

They agreed to head out together the next day and then headed their separate ways home.

After a shower, Roseanne briefly reviewed some materials before going to bed.

The next morning, she prepared two sandwiches, hers with extra cream and Owen's with less cream but more vegetables.

She also made two cups of unsweetened soy milk to go with the sandwiches, a nutritious and healthy breakfast.

At seven, Owen arrived on time. After breakfast, they went to the lab together.

Upon arrival, it was still early. Roseanne and Owen changed into their lab coats and got busy at their respective stations. By eight, the rest of the team started to arrive.

Jen dropped her bag, changed, and sidled up to Roseanne, peering at her work. "You're already halfway through your experiment? How early did you get here?" NôvelDrama.Org is the owner.

Without stopping her hands, Roseanne kept her focus on the test tube, jotting down some data, "Got here half an hour ago. Jen, could you check this ratio for me, please?"