Chapter 26 #2
“And have you gone to see it yet? Property in London moves fast.”
“I know. I’ve lost out on a few different places already,” I admit. “I’ve done a virtual viewing with the agent, and everything seemed great. I just need to wait for the bank to let me know if they’ll approve my mortgage.”
“Whoa, you’re jumping into buying a flat?”
“At first, it wasn’t in the cards, but I’ve done the math, and financially, it makes more sense.
The rent breaks out to be about the same as a monthly mortgage payment.
The commission I’m earning from Clarissa’s dresses is just enough for a down payment on a place.
I was planning to invest it in starting my business, but there’ll be time for that at a later date. ”
Sam nods slowly, stroking his jaw. “I think you’re going about this the right way. I agree with you that if your plans are to stay in London, jumping onto the property ladder sooner, rather than later, makes a lot of sense. Where is this property you’re looking at?”
“Belsize Park.”
“When is the second viewing?”
“Um, I haven’t had the time to schedule it yet.”
“Min . . .”
“I know.” I bury my head into the soft fabric of his dress shirt.
“You can’t buy a place without seeing it.”
“I know, but—”
Sam sits up taller, repositions me, and places both hands on my shoulders. “There are no buts about it. You need to see the prospective flat in person and take somebody with you who knows what they’re looking for in case there are problems like damp.”
“What’s damp?”
He stares at me as if to say really? “Damp is when the walls have a problem with being wet.”
“Oh. That would be a breeding ground for mold and mildew.”
“Exactly. I don’t want that to happen to you or to see you getting taken advantage of.” He frowns. “Have you put an offer in?”
“No, just an expression of interest.”
“Good. Don’t do anything further until I can get down there with one of the lads from my troop who’s trained up on surveying work.”
I blink a few times. “You’d be willing to go down there? For me?”
“Of course. If this is a flat you want to purchase and move into, I want to make sure it’s safe.
I care about you, Min.” He cups my cheeks.
“You’re working on a tight time frame with that dress you were telling me about.
I, on the other hand, have a little more flexibility in my schedule.
If you send me the listing, I’ll see if I can take care of it tomorrow.
I don’t want you worrying about anything. ”
His lips brush against my forehead.
“I could say the same about you. Did everything go all right with your sister and mother?”
“As well as can be expected. Celine was back to her old self. She settled back into school and promised she wouldn’t cause any more trouble.
We had a serious talk. The school psychologist is going to spend some time speaking to her about healthier ways to deal with her anxiety.
” He leans back into the sofa. “As for Mum, I spoke to the headmaster and showed him the paperwork from the court transferring custody from her to me. She won’t be admitted back onto school property without my consent. ”
My heart leaps. “Good. I hope she doesn’t try and pull a stunt like that again.”
“I hope she doesn’t either. I have a meeting with her tomorrow.”
I swallow hard. “You do?”
“Yes. It’s time to nip her meddling in the bud once and for all.”
His eyes burn with intense fire and passion. “What do you have up your sleeve, Sam I Am?”
“What Mum wants—money.”
“Are you going to bribe her?”
“Not bribe. Just give her enough money to settle whatever debts she has and leave the girls alone.”
I wince. “Sam, you shouldn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but it’s the only way to keep her away from them until they’re ready to learn the full extent of the type of woman Mum really is. For now, I just want them to focus on school and being children.”
“You’re a good brother to them.”
“I try to be.” He holds my hand and kisses the top of it. “Just like I’m going to promise to be a good boyfriend to you from now on. If you’ll ever forgive me.”
Boyfriend. He’s called himself my boyfriend. A chorus of angels is singing in my head as fireworks explode. I don’t notice that in the meantime, he’s also slipped an envelope from his pocket and is sliding it toward me.
“What’s this?”
“Open it,” he says.
I pick up the letter-sized envelope. My name is written on the front in bold printed letters. Turning it over, I open it and pull out a single sheet of A4 paper.
Samuel Baker’s Contract of Promises for Minerva Hana
I, Samuel Baker, am putting it in writing to Minerva Hana that I will do my utmost to be present from now on.
I promise to call, text, chat with, and reply to Minerva Hana within twenty-four hours unless the aforementioned party has been notified I am on a military-led operation or other extenuating circumstances.
I continue to skim the document. There are quite a few clauses he’s included. My eyes return to Sam. “You wrote me a contract?”
“Yes. I wanted to give you something in writing, so I’d be able sit here and look you directly in the eyes, and mean it when I told you that my promises won’t be empty.
Min, I’m so sorry I’ve been so absent these last few weeks.
I’ve been on my own for so long that I’m sorely out of practice when it comes to having a girlfriend.
I stupidly didn’t realize that by not texting or calling you, I was hurting you.
I just assumed everything was fine between us.
You never told me how you felt.” He squeezes my hand.
“Don’t ever be afraid to call me out on my shoddy behavior.
It’s the only way I’ll be able to realize and learn from my mistakes.
I’m not always good at picking up on subtle signals or reading between the lines. ”
“Sam, I was hurt. I felt like you didn’t care about me. About us. Hearing from you is always the highlight of my day. When you didn’t even try to contact me, it was like losing a small part of myself.”
His shoulders sag. “I feel like such a wanker.”
“But the thing is”—I place a hand under his chin—“you are showing me now that you are aware of the problem and that you’re working hard to try and be better about not ignoring me in the future.
” His eyes lock on to mine. “I’m not perfect either.
I’ve been holding back from telling you things, like Clarissa and the flat situation, because I was afraid to burden you with more stress.
Instead, what I’ve ended up doing is stressing myself to the point where I’m mentally and physically exhausted.
In the future, I’m going to challenge myself to open up to you. ”
“Just as I’m going to ensure I never miss another message from you again.”
“You can try and hold to that, but I’m sure there’ll be exceptions every once in a while.” I chuckle. “The army is your life, at least for the next few years.”
“You’re right. It is. But still, I will make every possible effort I can to show you how much I care about you.
There is still so much we have to learn about one another and skills we’ll have to develop as our relationship continues to grow and blossom into something deeper,” Sam says, stroking my neck.
“The key is that we’re going to have to do it together. Do you forgive me?”
“Yes, I do.” We share a kiss. My eyes roll back. My body is at peace, and I feel full.