Chapter 35 #2
Two hours later, we rolled to a stop in front of an unfamiliar house about fifteen miles out of the city. I was stunned that a mere twenty-minute drive could take us to a place that was so peaceful and quiet.
Unlike the tall buildings tightly packed next to each other, the street we were on had houses with spacious yards. Thick carpets of green spread as far as the eye could see. A variety of flowers provided bright pops of color with giant trees offering ample shade for the warmer days.
It was beautiful, and I still had no idea why we were here.
Shifting my attention from the rest of the houses on the street, I focused on the one we were parked in front of. Or rather on the woman waiting on the porch.
I glanced at Tristan. “Friend of yours?”
He didn’t answer. The man just smiled before he got out and took Millie with him. With no other choice than to follow, I opened my door and trailed behind them on the cobblestone path leading to the front door.
“Ana, thank you for coming out and getting everything ready,” he said to the woman when we stepped onto the porch.
As her gaze darted between the three of us, the biggest smile spread across her face. “It’s been my absolute pleasure.” Holding out a set of keys to Tristan, her smile grew even wider. “Welcome home.”
He shook his head and jerked his chin in my direction. Again, he didn’t say a damn word. Ana understood though. She faced me, held out the keys, and repeated her words from a moment ago, “Welcome home.”
My gaze shot to Tristan. Surely, he hadn’t…
“Take the keys, baby.”
Stunned and somewhat in a daze, I held out my hand. Ana dropped them in my palm then said something else I didn’t hear. I was too busy staring at the little pieces of metal.
“It only works if you stick it in the lock and turn it.”
The sound of Tristan’s amused voice pulled me from my stupor. Ana wasn’t there anymore. I felt bad. She must’ve thought me rude since I hadn’t greeted her properly and didn’t even say goodbye.
“Tristan, what’s this?”
Not fazed by my confusion in the slightest, he simply shrugged. “Keys.”
I blew out an exasperated breath. “Why am I holding them?” The dots were easy enough to connect, but somehow, my brain still had a hard time doing it.
That stupid crooked grin made its appearance. On cue, the butterflies in my stomach took flight.
“Can we go inside?” Millie whined from beside me.
I was surprised she’d managed to stay quiet so long.
“That’s a great idea, princess.”
Since I was still very much frozen in place, he took the keys from me, unlocked the door, and pushed it wide open. Even from where I stood, it was hard to miss how tastefully decorated the place was.
I was about to ask him again what the heck all of this was when he stepped back and made a sweeping movement with his arm. “Ladies. After you.”
Millie didn’t hesitate. She bounded into the house like her butt was on fire. I, on the other hand, stopped in front of him.
“What’s—”
He pressed his finger against my lips. “You wanted a place with a yard for Millie.”
Grabbing his wrist, I yanked his hand away from my mouth. “How did you know?”
“Saw the printouts on your coffee table.”
I nodded slowly. “Soooo, you what…bought me a house?” When the words were out, I realized how ridiculous and presumptuous it sounded. He wouldn’t…
“No,” he said, interrupting my thoughts. I almost sagged with relief. “I bought us a house.”
“Kate..”
Millie’s scream had Tristan and I racing through the house to find her. She stood in the entryway of one of the rooms. Her little hands covered her mouth, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
I took one look inside and understood.
He hadn’t just bought a house; he created a space for Millie.
White walls were dotted with splashes of purple. Not just any purple, the exact shade she loved. It didn’t stop there. She had an entire wall dedicated to her favorite band member, tastefully done too.
Sayings, song phrases, chibi images, all of it scattered over the white to bring the entire room to life. And in the middle the big, purple sign any army would instinctively recognize.
“Tristan.” I breathed out. “What have you done?”
Before he could answer, Millie’s feet unstuck themselves, and she bolted for the bed.
“Look at all the Mochis, Kate.”
I’d looked. And the longer I stared, the heavier the uncomfortable feeling in my gut got. He’d bought a house. A freaking house. Because of some printouts he’d seen in my apartment.
I didn’t know what to make of that.
“Did you know there’s a name for this specific shade.” He stepped in front of me. Completely unaware of the thoughts tumbling through my brain, he cupped my cheek and dragged his thumb along my skin. “Bora purple,” he said with a chuckle. “Who knew?”
“I did,” Millie yelled from the bed.
“I bet you did too.” Again, he pulled me close and pressed an impossibly soft kiss to my forehead. His lips lingered for a few breath-stealing seconds before he walked toward Millie.
“Hey, princess, how do you like your room?” There was a nervousness in his tone I hadn’t heard before. It made my knees weak. “We can always change—”
“No.” I’d never seen Millie jump off anything as fast as she jumped off that bed. Her little feet scrambled across the floor, and when she reached Tristan, she wrapped her arms around his legs.
“Thank you,” she said, looking at him as if he were a knight in shining armor.
His inhale was sharp. “Welcome, princess.”
The gruff edge to his voice hit me right in the sternum. In one big whoosh, my lungs were empty, and a giant-sized rock landed in my stomach. Those pretty purple walls inched closer, closer, and closer.
My head spun. My heart stopped.
I needed out.
Smacking my palm to the spot where my chest ached, I got the hell out of there.
I’d only made it onto the porch when Tristan’s long fingers dug into my arm. One tug and he’d stopped me dead in my tracks.
My eyes fell shut.
“Kate.”
I couldn’t see him, but I felt him move to stand in front of me. Trailing his touch along my skin, he took my face between his palms. His warmth seeped through my pores, crawled over my bones, and settled behind my ribs.
“Baby,” he begged, voice hoarse. “Look at me.”
Slowly, ever so slowly, I pried my lids apart. His dark stare was right there, waiting, searching.
“What just happened?” he asked in a low whisper.
Emotions clogged my throat. I swallowed, then swallowed, and swallowed. “It’s too much,” I finally managed. “Way, way too much.”
His features switched from confusion and concern to understanding within the space of a breath. Sliding his hand down my arm, he locked our fingers and walked us to the love seat.
“Are you mad I bought the house, or that I didn’t check with you first?” he asked as soon as we sat.
“Both,” I answered honestly. But that wasn’t right. Shaking my head, I added, “I’m not mad, I’m…overwhelmed. I was raised in a household where we had to earn the things we wanted. Houses didn’t fall into our laps because we wanted them to.”
The tips of his ears turned red before the color spread. It was fascinating to see it travel all the way to his cheeks. “It was supposed to be a big, romantic gesture,” he half-muttered, half-pouted.
The tightness in my chest eased; the tension in my limbs relaxed.
With a laugh, I angled my body closer to his.
“It is big, and it is romantic. And thoughtful, so incredibly thoughtful. Especially how you managed to create Millie’s dream room.
It’s also a little scary,” I added softly.
“I don’t expect big, costly gestures,” I told him.
I only needed him and Millie. They were the key to my happiness.
Before I could say that, he slipped off the seat and crouched between my spread legs. “What good is having all this money if I can’t spend it on the two people I love?”
My heart came to a screeching halt.
“I love you, Kate,” he went on as if he hadn’t just upended my entire world. “You and Millie both. You swept into my life, picked up all my broken pieces, and glued them together. You made me believe in the unbelievable. Made me feel things I didn’t even know existed. You—”
Surging forward, I pressed my mouth to his. I poured everything I felt for him into that kiss. “I love you,” I whispered against his lips. “So much.”
Closing his eyes, he rolled his forehead over mine. “For all my life, I thought those words to be the filthiest lie anyone could tell.” His lids parted, dark eyes finding mine. “From your lips, it’s the sweetest gift.” The muscle in his jaw ticked as he held my stare. “Say it again.”
Sliding off the seat, I straddled his lap and cradled his stubbly face between my palms. “I love you, Tristan Blake… even more than I love BTS.”
“Thank fuck.” His chest rattled with the laugh that broke free. “I didn’t know how the heck I was supposed to compete with all that.”
There was never a need for him to worry because when it came to my heart, there were only two people it would ever belong to.