CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE EMBER #2
“I can one-hundred-percent guarantee you, Dean will never be a problem again.” I will her to understand without me having to say it out loud. She cocks her head, the words not clicking for her.
“Dean has been permanently removed from the situation,” Harley says, and Charlee’s eyes bounce to him, then quickly back to me.
After a couple of seconds, realization dawns on her, and she brings her hand to cover her mouth in shock.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, this isn’t going to be broadcasted information, but it was important to Ember that you know, that you won’t have to worry anymore. ”
“I…I understand,” she says as she pulls herself together. I get it, I really do. It’s not what we’re used to seeing in terms of “justice” in the real world.
“Well, we don’t want to keep you any longer.” I pull her into a hug. “I am so sorry again, that this happened. I’ll always do what’s best for him, even if it hurts me.”
She squeezes me back. “I know you will, Ember. Thank you. That’s what mothers do.” Her words tear through me like a knife slicing through my skin and soul.
Once we’re back in the car, we pull out of the driveway and drive. We don’t even have a destination, at least I don’t think we do, but Harley is in control, and I’m just along for the ride.
We drive for just under twenty minutes before we pull up to a brick house.
It’s beautiful. The door, as well as the windows and shutters, are all black, accentuating the washed-out red brick.
There is a small walkway with three steps leading to the door.
There is one large oriel window in the front, which allows you to see right into the living room of the house.
I turn to look at Harley, who is watching me closely. “What is this?” I ask him, my eyebrows pulled together in question.
“I started looking while you were in the shower.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I’d like to think it's some form of fate, but I requested a tour and the realtor is going to head over soon.”
My heart swells. “Can we look around outside while we wait?”
Excitement spreads across Harley’s face. “Yes! Nobody has lived here in about three months.”
I get out of the car and walk up the steps, Harley following suit by my side. It seemed smaller from the car, but walking up to it, it feels so much larger. The detail in the door gives a minimalist yet vintage vibe.
“The only thing that it looks like we’d have to do is replace the flooring downstairs, and look at repairing the fireplace chimney, if we wanted to use it.”
“I’ve missed a fireplace!” I half yell in excitement, not regretting the ache that spreads down my back. I turn to him, finally ripping my eyes from the house, and meet his eyes.
“I was hoping you might like it, but we can keep looking too,” he says as I rush into his arms. He hugs me tightly, resting his head on top of mine. “Most people don’t find their dream home the first time, and the pictures were okay, but you may not even like the inside.”
Just as he kisses my lips, a black Traverse pulls up behind Harley’s car and an older woman with blonde curly hair jumps out. “Hi! I’m Janine Kincaid, and I can take you in. You must be Harley?” Her eyes land on him. She sends out her hand and Harley shakes it.
“Yes, and this is my girlfriend, Ember,” He says, gesturing to me.
“Beautiful, shall we go in?” she asks, dangling a key. “I’ll let you guys browse at your leisure, and if you have any questions, just holler!”
I take the key from her, grinning at Harley. “Thank you,” I tell her before we walk up to the door. I slide the key in and turn it.
When the lock clicks, I twist the doorknob and push in.
When we step inside, I take in the small entry, a flight of stairs to the left before the living room.
To the left, we see the oriel window, and the far wall is brick, but it’s been painted matte black, a dark wood shelf above it.
The fireplace sticks out from the wall, leaving a little nook, which is lined with the same wood shelves in the corner.
Walking further into the room, I see the open dining room, with a short hanging chandelier.
The walls are lined entirely with windows.
Turning into the kitchen, the counters are dark butcher block, with black cabinets and a butcher block island with black hardware.
The kitchen sink is a deep white cast-iron apron sink.
The kitchen faces a window, where I can see a pergola over a beautiful brick slab.
The white subway tiles go up the wall, and the white paint accentuates the black cabinets above.
And possibly my favorite part is the black and white tiled flooring.
“We can get some curtains for all the windows, so you feel more comfortable,” Harley says, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.
“It’s okay, I’m not scared of who’s watching anymore,” I tell him with a smile playing on my lips.
He squeezes me tightly. “You’re so fucking strong, Ember. I love you.” He plants a kiss on my cheek before leading me by my hand to the staircase we saw when we entered the house.
It’s safe to say, this house is everything I’ve ever wanted in a home. It’s not mine, but it feels like it was made for me. “Let’s put in an offer,” I tell Harley.
The house isn’t far from town, or from Atlas’s house.
There are four bedrooms, and a small converted section of the garage that could be another room.
I assume Harley can make it his man cave, so he can have space for himself when he gets sick of me.
I smile to myself. The last forty-eight hours have been absolute hell, but I can feel the life I always wanted for myself in my grasp.
None of it would have been possible without my dark knight in shining armour.
You cliché bitch.