Chapter 27
Stella
I ordered room service because I didn’t feel like leaving the hotel. I was tired and had a lot of homework to do since I missed my class this morning. I needed to find an apartment. It was ridiculous that in this large city, I couldn’t find one that was suitable for my baby and me. This room was one of the bottom ones in the hotel—the cheapest and least favorite among guests. When the hotel asked if I planned on staying any longer, and I told them yes, they had to move me again because their other rooms were already reserved. Not this one. Nope. Nobody wanted to stay in this room.
I was eating my burger when I heard a knock at the door. I had called down earlier and requested more towels since the cleaning lady forgot to give me clean ones when she cleaned the room earlier. Climbing off the bed, I opened the door and froze when I saw Miles standing there.
“Hello, Stella.”
“How did you know I was staying here?”
“May I please come in?” he asked.
“No, you may not.”
He gripped my arms, lifted me up, moved me to the side, and stepped inside.
“Excuse me! What the hell, Miles?”
“I told you earlier we need to talk, and we’re going to talk now.”
“You didn’t answer my question? How did you know I was staying here?”
“I had Sean follow you.” He looked around the room. “Why this room, Stella? This is?—”
“I know.” I put my hand up. “This is all they had available.”
“You lied to me,” he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You said you were in an apartment.”
“Why did you have Sean follow me? That was a shit thing to do, Miles.”
“I was worried about you and your living arrangements. Why are you still in a hotel?”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. Climbing on the bed, I grabbed my plate and took a bite of my burger. Miles turned around and faced me.
“The entire time we were together, I never saw you eat a burger,” he said.
“I don’t really like burgers.” I popped a fry in my mouth.
“Then why are you eating one?”
“I was craving it.”
“Have you or have you not found an apartment yet?”
“No. I can’t seem to find one.”
“How is that possible in this city?”
“I guess I’m being overly picky,” I said, biting into my burger. “Something doesn’t seem right with every apartment I look at. I want certain things, and each apartment doesn’t fit the criteria.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“Space. I want a big room for the baby so I can decorate it with everything I want. I don’t know.” I picked up my napkin and wiped my mouth. “I want it to feel like home when I step inside, and none of them have.”
He stood up, grabbed one of my suitcases from the corner, and set it on the bed.
“Excuse me? What the hell are you doing?”
He opened the dresser drawers and started tossing my things into the suitcase.
“I asked you what you were doing?” I climbed off the bed. “Stop that right now!” I walked over and tried to grab one of my shirts from his hand.
“You’re moving back into the penthouse.” His eyes stared into mine.
“The hell I am, Miles.” I yanked my shirt from his hand.
“This is why I wanted to talk to you, Stella. You’re moving back in with me. I want you there, in my penthouse, with me. I want you back home.” He ran his hand through his hair and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Miles,” I softly spoke.
“I want you and our baby home. I’m sorry for everything, Stella. There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t know how. Everyone is right about me. I don’t know how to live a life outside Bradshaw Capital.”
I knelt and placed my hands on his knees.
“I don’t believe that. You’re a good man, Miles.”
He breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, a real good man. A man who asked a stranger to marry him because his mother screwed him over before she died.”
“You need to let that go.”
He placed his hand on mine and interlaced our fingers, softly stroking my skin with his thumb.
“I miss you, Stella. I felt something when you ran into me in that hallway in Vegas. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And when I saw you banging on that slot machine, I had to talk to you again. You actually scared me.”
“Why?” My brows furrowed.
“Because I’ve never had feelings for anyone like I do for you. I’m just terrified at the thought of screwing my kid up like my parents screwed me up.”
“I don’t think you’ll do that. You’re not your parents, Miles. You need to realize that.”
“I promise to change if you come back home. I need you, Stella. I need you and our child in my life. Levi asked me not too long ago if I loved you. I told him I didn’t know what love was. But the more time passed and I wasn’t with you, the more I realized that I truly love you. I don’t blame you if you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you, Miles. I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.” I smiled.
He brought his hand up to my cheek and softly stroked it as our eyes stared into each other.
“I need your help, Stella. You have my permission to shrink me any time you find it necessary.” A smirk crossed his lips. “Come home with me.”
“Are you asking me, your ex-wife, to be your girlfriend?”
“Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m asking.”
“What about all the baby drama? The crying, sleepless nights, toys everywhere. When you get home from work, it won’t be quiet like you’re used to.”
“None of that matters anymore. I welcome the baby drama.” He took hold of my arms and stood me up, placing his hands on my belly. “We made this baby, and I’m all in.”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I brushed my lips against his.
“Let’s go home.” I smiled. “Who am I to turn down a handsome man and a luxurious penthouse?”
“You’re the beautiful and smart woman that I fell in love with. That’s exactly who you are, Stella Harper.”