Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Hollie
“Today is Friday,” Dexter announced from where he was lying in his bed, watching me scrabble about, collecting bits of clothing from where they were strewn last night.
“Honestly, Dexter, I think we need to get you in for some lab tests. You’re beyond smart,” I replied. “What other nuggets of wisdom do you have? Grass is green? I’m American?”
I glanced up to find him grinning at me.
“I really like you,” he said, sliding one hand behind his head. The sheets shifted to reveal more of that hard torso that felt so very, very good under my hands. Darn, he was distracting.
“I’m naturally very charming,” I replied, trying to stay focused.
“And now, you’re picking up all your stuff so you can go back to your place after work before turning right back around and coming here tonight. Just like you did yesterday, and the day before. Only today is Friday.”
I was going to be late if I didn’t get a move on. “Do you have a point or are you just running through what my day is going to look like? My boss is a real asshole, and if I’m late, there’s no telling what he might do.”
“I’m serious, Hollie,” he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and padding into the bathroom.
He was acting like he made any kind of sense.
“What’s the point in you going home every morning?
Like now, for example. Why don’t you have a shower here?
If you don’t want to drive into work with me, fine, but there’s no point in leaving at six just so you can shower on the other side of town. It’s crazy.”
He was right. Getting up this early wasn’t doing anything for the bags underneath my eyes.
“Okay, so maybe I’ll bring an overnight bag sometimes.
” If I went by tube and Dexter drove, there was no way anyone would ever know about us.
Dexter was true to his word, keeping our interactions professional at the office.
No one had the slightest clue—if some of the mundane tasks I was given were anything to go by.
“Yeah that’s one option,” he said as he swept past me and grabbed his toothbrush.
I couldn’t stay today. I didn’t have any clothes here, and I wasn’t about to wear the same outfit as I wore yesterday.
“Okay, well, we can talk about it again later.” There was never any discussion about whether or not I was going to come over.
Only what time and what we were going to do.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that a couple of months ago, we’d never met.
“Things are going to get busier and busier in the office,” he said before brushing his teeth.
I pushed my wallet into my purse and paused.
What was he trying to say? Was he giving me the brush-off?
I’d heard my girlfriends complain about this excuse men made when they wanted to end things but were too scared to actually say the words.
Oh, I’m going to be away for most of August, or, my car is getting fixed up in the next couple of weeks and I won’t be able to come over.
Well if that was Dexter’s game, I was going to make him say the words.
“Spit it out, Dexter. What are you trying to say?”
On cue he spat his toothpaste, rinsed his mouth and turned to me. “I think we should go over to your place tomorrow and collect all your stuff and bring it back here. I want you to stay with me.”
I stared at him, my brain trying to work through what he’d just said.
I took a deep breath, trying to even out my whiplash.
I didn’t know why I’d just jumped to the conclusion he might be trying to end things when there hadn’t been any signs.
I supposed I was just used to disappointment.
But move in here? That seemed like a lot, but the corners of my mouth were twitching as if I was about to break into a grin.
“All of it?” was all I could come up with at first.
“Sure. You came over from the US. It’s not like you have a lot.” He froze. “Right?”
I shrugged. “As much as I could fit in two suitcases.”
“Exactly. So, we could go and get it,” he said again. “You spend almost all of your free time here anyway. And as we get closer to the finals, there will be less time to spend together. We should make the most of it.”
It made sense, but at the same time, this was more than practicality.
This guy was asking me to move in with him, even if it was only for a few weeks.
“Isn’t this a big decision? Don’t we have to discuss it and come up with pros and cons, and shouldn’t I ask you questions or something?
” My logical brain told me this was fast and reckless.
I would be putting my faith in this guy to keep a roof over my head—not something I could even trust my parents to do for me when I was a child.
So why wasn’t I freaking out and telling him no?
Dexter turned on the shower, slid out of his boxers and stepped in, the steam quickly obstructing my view of his perfect body. “Well we could analyze it to death or we could simply see it as convenient. If you decide to stay in London, then we can have another discussion.”
Stay in London? Now the elevator of anxiety started to clunk into gear and hurtle skywards. That wasn’t even on my radar. “Who said anything about staying in London?”
“Well, aren’t you applying for jobs?”
Should I have been? My palms started to sweat and I wrestled off my cardigan. I’d assumed I’d go back to Oregon when this was all over, go to my sister’s graduation and polish up my resume before starting to apply for things. “I haven’t so far.”
“You want me to see if Primrose knows anyone who might have a vacancy?”
This morning I’d expected to collect my things and haul my butt over to the other side of town just like I did every morning, but instead, I’d woken up on the freaking yellow brick road.
“Just hold your white horses, there,” I replied.
“A fast second ago we were talking about bringing my two suitcases over this weekend and now you have me immigrating to London. We might want to slow down a second because I’m starting to feel the pull of the g-force. ”
He pushed the soap and water back over his head. My mind went entirely blank for a split second as I imagined stripping naked and joining him. That would cool me off, stop me thinking too far ahead. I turned away, intent on clearing my head.
I loved London. There was no doubt about that.
It felt like this city was the world and Oregon had been some kind of waiting room.
I knew it would be difficult to go back when now my eyes had been opened to what was out here in the world.
But while my sister was still in Oregon, that was home.
“I appreciate that you’re thinking of me,” I replied, turning back toward Dexter but keeping my gaze trained on the floor.
“But there are a lot of things I need to consider. You know Autumn hasn’t graduated yet. She needs me.”
“She’s a grown woman. Surely she wants you to live your life,” he said.
“You don’t understand,” I replied. “I’ve always looked after her.”
“No, you’re right. I don’t understand. My brother couldn’t wait to disappoint me.”
I hated hearing him talk about his brother, because he was still so obviously upset about it.
I just didn’t understand why David hadn’t protected him from Sparkle, hadn’t fought for the family business.
“Yeah, I know, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I didn’t have Autumn.
Were you and your brother close before your parents died? ”
“Very. The four of us were . . . unbreakable.”
I couldn’t imagine it was possible for the bond between Autumn and I to be broken. Devastated wouldn’t even begin to describe my feelings if we were suddenly estranged. “And you haven’t spoken since your parents died?”
“Since after I found out what he’d done.” He stood directly under the water as if he were trying to wash away the memories.
“It’s unthinkable to me that he did that even though he knew it would have been the last thing your parents wanted and you were so set against it.
” I would do anything to make my sister happy.
Perhaps it was because I saw my parents fail to make sacrifices for either of us, but I just wanted her to have what I never did—someone who would put me first.
“The difference is you’re a good person, Hollie.”
“But you would have said the same thing about your brother,” I replied. There must have been a reason for David to do what he did, but Dexter clearly didn’t think so. “What changed?”
He yanked the lever to turn off the shower and his mood shifted. “So, you moving in or what?” he asked, obviously not wanting to dwell on his broken relationship with his brother. “If you think it’s too much then it’s not a big deal. We can keep things as they are.”
I liked things as they were. A lot. I liked Dexter a lot.
I glanced around his bedroom. I only went back to my studio to shower and change these days.
It was two hundred and twenty square feet I wouldn’t miss.
“You’d have to clear out some closet space,” I said as Dexter stepped out of the shower, completely naked.
“And you’re going to have to keep away from me in the morning when you’re naked. ”
He tilted his head. “Can’t resist me, huh?” He grinned, wrapped a towel around his waist and swept past me. “Follow me.”
I glanced at the clock on my watch. I was going to have to get moving or I was going to be really late. And I needed time away from Dexter so I could think clearly. “Can this wait?” I said, padding after him. “I really have to get out of here.”
I followed him into one of his guest rooms. “So, this wardrobe is totally free. But I put some of my old suits into the other bedroom so there’s a couple of rails in the master as well. Up to you how you want to distribute stuff.”
He must know that everything I owned would fit in half of one of the units in his closet, but it was super sweet of him not to banish me to the guest room.
He really wanted me here. And I wanted to be here.
What was there to analyze? Dexter had done nothing that deserved anything but my complete trust.
“I can get on board with the suitcase thing,” I conceded. “But on the condition that we park any talk about future jobs and moving to London.”
“Deal,” he said, turning to kiss me.
“You’re wet,” I said. “And I need to leave.” He kissed me again and I headed toward the door, trying to bite back a smile. I knew it was only for a few weeks, but I’d never lived with a guy before if you didn’t count my father. I’d never even considered it.
Dexter, just like everything in London, was a whole new world.
“Move in this weekend,” he said. “And at some point, we’ll talk about what happens after the competition ends.”
I pretended not to hear him and headed out.
Being with Dexter had me thinking about things in new ways, had me living a different life to the one I thought I was destined for.
But the pull of home—of my sister—was a bond welded in hardship and struggle and wasn’t easily dismissed.
Dexter was a dream come true, but at some point, I knew I would have to wake up and get back to the real world.