20. Drew
DREW
I toss my laptop onto the coffee table and pinch the bridge of my nose.
I can't concentrate.
I've tried working in my bedroom, the kitchen, even outside. Nothing helps.
My thoughts keep drifting to Violet…
Then to the hooded figure I swear I saw last night.
I grab my phone and go outside.
Leaning over the railing, I inhale deeply, breathing in the warm air. Birds are chirping. The sun is warm on my face. A gentle breeze lifts my hair.
But I’m too distracted to appreciate it.
Maybe I know exactly how to stop thinking about both of them.
I go inside, grab my keys, and leave Sebastian’s house, my steps lighter.
My phone is already against my ear as I head to my car.
Yes. This is what I need to do.
I pull into the driveway, then put my car in park, my eyes scanning over the property.
I’m just looking.
That’s all.
My grip tightens slightly on the steering wheel. It feels like I was always going to end up here.
I blow out a breath, studying the house.
It looks different in daylight. Less mysterious. More like a home.
It’s not perfect, but it works for me.
The grass needs cut. The shutters need fixing.
It’ll occupy my time.
And it’ll finally be something that’s mine.
Not my ex-wife’s, who now owns our house.
Not Sebastian’s.
Mine.
Hopefully I don’t kill every plant in the yard.
I get out of the car and stretch my legs, checking out the neighborhood.
It’s nice.
Peaceful.
The front door opens before I even reach it.
Jared steps out, offering a quick smile. “Glad you came back.”
“Yeah,” I say, nodding once. “Wanted to take another look before I make a decision.”
“Of course. Come on in.”
We walk through the house again.
I move slower this time, taking it in. Noticing things I didn’t before.
The way the light filters through the windows.
The slight creak in the hallway floor.
The quiet.
“My parents lived here,” Jared says suddenly.
I glance over at him. “Yeah?”
He nods once, hands in his pockets. “Good place. Lots of memories.”
He pauses.
“My mom passed a few years back. My dad couldn’t stay after that.” His jaw tightens slightly, like he didn’t mean to say that out loud.
I nod slowly. “Sorry.”
He shrugs it off. “It happens.”
But something in his tone says it still sits with him.
I keep moving until I end up in the master bedroom. A strange sense of familiarity settles over me.
I rub the back of my neck.
I smell jasmine again.
It reminds me of Violet.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say quickly. “Just… thinking.”
Jared follows me back to the living room. “If you’re interested, I can get the paperwork started today.”
“This hasn’t been rented in a while?” I ask.
“Not recently, no.”
“And nothing’s wrong with it?”
He gives me a sad smile. “No. Just needs someone living in it. Someone to care for it so it’s not so… neglected.”
I glance around the room again, only this time, my eyes stop on the front window.
I squint, moving closer.
Is that a heart drawn in the dust?
I don’t remember seeing that the last time I was here.
But maybe that’s because I was here later and the light wasn’t shining through it at this angle.
I step back and shove my hands in my pockets.
I exhale slowly. “Yeah,” I say. “Let’s do it.”
The paperwork doesn’t take long. It’s a standard leasing agreement.
Even so, I take my time reading it before signing the one-year lease.
Then I give him a check for the deposit and the first month’s rent.
“Here are the keys,” Jared says, setting them in my palm. “You can move in anytime next week.”
I nod, still slightly stunned by what I’ve just done.
He flashes me a quick smile. “You’re all set.”
“Great.”
I stand there a moment longer, my eyes roaming around the place. Excitement bubbles up… immediately followed by a mental checklist of things I’ll need.
For a second, I smell the soft, familiar scent of jasmine hanging in the air.
It’s probably my subconscious, imagining Violet coming over here.
Yeah. That has to be it.
I turn and follow Jared out.
At the door, I glance inside once more.
This house feels right.