Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
T he library turned out to be the room they’d looked into earlier, which Anna had assumed was the living room.
“What’s the deal with Rachel?” she asked, sinking into the plush, dark green couch. “Does she always cook for your family?”
“Yes. She’s worked for my parents for years.”
“Does she live-in?”
“When they’re here, she does. In London, she has her own place and comes in every day.”
“Wow.”
Warren topped up her wine and relaxed back into the couch cushions. He didn’t flinch when she pried more into his childhood and his upbringing. He chatted away as though growing up with staff and multiple homes was all completely normal. Apparently, to him, it was.
“It must be weird for you when you spend time with my family,” she remarked as she neared the bottom of her wine.
“No.” He stretched his legs out and rested his head back. “Not at all.”
“But it’s very different,” she said .
His lips twitched upwards. “A different kind of crazy. But I prefer your family’s crazy to mine. Your family cares about people.”
“I’m sure yours do too,” she said, setting her glass aside and pulling her legs under her as she turned sideways.
“Maybe,” he mused. “They’re definitely not good at showing it.”
“No.” The food and wine were making her sleepy, and it crossed her mind to bring up the sleeping arrangements again, before thinking better of it. She didn’t want to remind him of his insistence on finding another bedroom.
In the silence, her mind drifted back to her conversation with Carla.
“I have a question,” she said, feeling brave.
“Why does that sound ominous?”
“It’s not.” She smiled. “What happened the night my sister wanted you to remove the spider from her flat?”
His features scrunched up. “What do you mean?”
“Did you just go over there and remove it, or…?”
“Or what?” His eyebrows lifted slightly.
Her stomach lurched, and she wondered whether the conversation was a good idea. “It just seems a little odd that she’d call you late in the evening to get a spider out of her flat.”
When he didn’t answer, Anna’s stomach plummeted even further.
“I don’t understand this conversation,” he finally said.
“I asked her about it. And she said she only called you because Lewis didn’t answer his phone and Dad was already in bed. But it didn’t quite ring true.”
“You think she only called me?”
“Maybe.”
“And you think it was actually some bizarre excuse for a booty call?”
“It was just a thought. You two flirt a lot.”
“No, we don’t.”
“I only asked what happened,” she said testily. “If nothing happened, you could just say that.”
“Of course nothing happened! I didn’t even go over there. I told her she was being ridiculous and there was no way I was going over to deal with a spider.”
“Okay,” Anna said, wishing she hadn’t brought it up. “There was no need to bite my head off.”
“Sorry.” He turned his head on the cushions. “I’m just shocked you thought something had happened between me and your sister. Apart from the fact that she’s really annoying, she’s also way too young for me.”
“She’s not that young.”
“She’s immature and annoying.”
Instinctively, Anna gripped the nearest cushion and swung it so it smacked him in the face.
“What was that for?” he asked, laughing as he pushed the cushion away.
“Don’t be mean about my sister!”
He grinned. “I meant it affectionately.”
“How would you like it if I was mean about your sister?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all. We may be up all night though if we get onto that subject.”
“Let’s not then.” She yawned. “I think I need to go to bed.”
“I’ll join you.”
“Will you?” she asked. “I thought you were going to sleep elsewhere.”
“There isn’t actually another room free, so I’d be sleeping here.” He patted the couch. “And you’re right that the bed is massive. You just have to promise to stick to your own side.”
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. “I’ll try my best.”