Chapter 33
CHLOE
Oh my God. What? My mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was planning on it, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. I didn’t want you to think it was some kind of power trip or that I was holding it over your head. But I was going to tell you, soon.”
I shook my head. “I’m surprised Effie didn’t say anything. She doesn’t know the connection?”
“She knows I bought us a new house, and that it’s under renovation, but I haven’t explained the backstory yet. So no, she wasn’t keeping it from you either. Recently I decided to wait until it was finished and surprise you, too.”
I held my hand over my heart, feeling it beat rapidly. “It’s certainly a surprise.”
“Even if it wasn’t my original intention when I bought the place, I’m happy you’ll be able to go there whenever you miss it.”
“What was your intention in buying it?” I asked.
“I didn’t know you were coming to town when I purchased it.
I bought it because quite frankly, it was a good deal, and I worried it might never be on the market again.
It was probably my only opportunity to own something that means a lot to me personally.
Honestly, that house is the perfect place for Effie to grow up.
And the memories I have there made me want it more than anything. ”
My mouth must have been practically on the floor. “I can’t believe this.”
Evan looked into my eyes. “You’re not upset, are you?”
“No. I just… I don’t know what to think. I never expected this in a million years.”
“The kitchen is almost done, but I can put a stop to further renovations for now so you can move in with your mom, if that’s what you want.”
I looked away as I considered his offer. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Okay, then don’t ask me. I’m telling you that I plan to put a stop to further work for now and let you move in there with Judy. Or at least bring her to visit. Whatever you decide is best.”
A sense of overwhelm hung over me. “I have to think about it. I mean, I can’t just take her home unless I get some help. I need to look into what she’d be eligible for in terms of home health care.”
He nodded. “There’s no rush. I just wanted to let you know that it’s an option. You can have the house, if you want it.”
“Thank you for giving me the choice, Evan. It means more than you could ever know.”
“Of course.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. “I can’t believe you bought it.”
“Please tell me those are happy tears.”
I wiped my eyes. “They are.”
“Wanna stop by the house before we get Effie?”
“Really?”
“Why not?”
“The workers aren’t there?”
“I don’t know. They go in and out. But it doesn’t matter. It’s my house.”
I sniffled. “I would love that.”
We returned to Mom’s room and sat with her a little while longer. Fortunately, she didn’t demand to go home again, and a peace came over me, knowing that bringing her back to our old house was now an option, once I sorted through the logistics. It felt like a gift I’d never imagined possible.
***
As Evan and I drove down the long gravel driveway leading to my family home, I got chills.
There it was, the two-story farmhouse where most of my best memories had been built.
There was a wide, wraparound porch where Mom and I would sit and talk for hours.
The light gray paint on the detached garage was peeling, but that was probably the only thing that looked much different.
Everything else seemed the same as it had been decades ago.
When we got out of his truck, I just stood there a moment, peering up at the house.
I was swept back in time. My parents were inside, Mom preparing dinner while Dad sat at the table with a scotch, telling her about his day.
Fawn was upstairs in her room, listening to music so loudly that she wouldn’t hear the call for dinner.
And Evan had just given me a ride home from the high school because he’d happened to be driving home from college and passed by after my cheerleading practice.
Evan stood behind me and rested his chin on my head. “What are you thinking about?”
“Just taking a little trip down memory lane.”
“Take all the time you need. Let me know when you’re ready to go inside. I don’t see any work trucks. They must’ve left for lunch, which is perfect so we can tour it in peace.”
“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen it since I moved out. I hadn’t even driven by the last couple of times I was here.”
“Really?”
“I didn’t think I could handle it, knowing it belonged to someone else.”
“But knowing that I’m the someone else now? How does that make you feel?”
“Certainly better than if it belonged to a stranger.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready to go inside.”
Evan took my hand and led me to the front door. He used his key to open it.
The first thing I noticed upon entering was that the floors had been redone and the paint colors on the walls were different.
As if he’d read my mind, Evan said, “The previous owners repainted this part of the house, and I had the wood floors redone.”
When we entered the dining room, I noticed the table that Evan had supposedly taken from the storage space to donate. “Oh my God. Our table.”
“I couldn’t give that away. This was the table where we used to sit and have our breakfasts together. I needed a table, so I figured I’d keep it. Since I hadn’t told you about the house at the time, I just made it part of the surprise.” He flashed a crooked grin. “So…surprise.”
“What else did you keep?”
“A few chairs. Don’t worry. I’m not trying to recreate the old house. That might be a little creepy.”
I followed him into the kitchen. This was the one room that looked nothing like the original.
“The previous owner actually updated the kitchen first,” Evan explained.
“But they used really cheap materials that didn’t hold up.
So I installed all new white cabinetry and granite countertops.
As you can see from the tools they left out, the workers aren’t completely done, but it’s functional.
All of the plumbing is finished. If you end up bringing your mom here, I’ll clean everything up. ”
As I looked around, a deep need built within me.
It felt like a huge fear of missing out, and it wasn’t about the house or the furniture.
It was about Evan inside this house without me and the lingering knowledge that I no longer lived here, that my job was in Chicago, and that technically, even if those two things weren’t true, Evan hadn’t exactly indicated that he wanted a life with me.
Evan interrupted my thoughts. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I breathed. “It’s just overwhelming being back here.”
“You want to leave?”
“No. I want to take my time, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.”
“Can I see the upstairs?”
He gestured toward the stairway. “You take the lead.”
Evan followed me. There were four bedrooms upstairs, and I walked straight into the one that used to be mine. It had a wallpapered accent wall with thick pink and white stripes now.
“Wow. I actually really like the wallpaper they put up in here. It’s girly, perfect for Effie. Is this gonna be her room?”
Evan nodded. “I think she’ll like this one best.”
“Has she seen it yet?”
“She came to visit once before the renovations started,” he said.
The idea of Effie taking over my old room made me happy. I had so many wonderful memories here. This room also provided an amazing view of the beautiful cottonwood tree outside. “She’s going to love looking out this window.”
“You know, I remember soon after I moved in with you guys, getting home from school after practice and seeing you looking out this window. I’d wave. And you’d wave back. You were so cute back then.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, his brows knitted together.
“Who do you think I was waiting for in that window?”
His mouth curved into a smile. “You were waiting for me?”
I bumped him with my hip. “Yes, you big dummy. I had the hugest crush on you back then. You were my first real crush.”
“I had no clue it started when you were that young.”
“You thought I just became obsessed with you when you came back from the military?”
“Well…yeah.”
“No. Unfortunately, I was a lovestruck tween, too.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck. “If it makes you feel better, now I’m the one with the crush. I can’t stop thinking about last night.”
I felt my body come alive. Standing here at this window with Evan’s arms wrapped around me felt surreal.
“So, the crew will be back soon?” I asked.
“To be honest, I don’t know. They’re sort of on their own schedule.”
“I wanna see the other rooms.”
Evan led the way as we ventured back out into the hallway.
First, I peeked my head into Mom and Dad’s old room. While it triggered some sadness, I also remembered jumping into my parents’ bed when I was little, during happier times. That made me smile.
“Will this be your room?” I asked him.
“Probably, since it’s the primary. Is that weird?”
“Not at all. That makes sense.”
“The house is honestly a little too big for us,” he said. “But it will be nice to have two extra bedrooms.”
“What do you plan to do with them?”
He scratched his chin. “Not sure yet. For now, maybe one will be an office. The other has a bed in it that they left behind, so maybe I’ll keep that an extra bedroom for now. I could also make it a workout room at some point.”
“Well, it’s nice to have options.”
He walked behind me as we headed down the hall to what used to be Fawn’s room. It was empty, the walls painted a dark blue.
“This must’ve been a boy’s room,” I said.
“Yeah. I think the previous owners had a son, so that makes sense. This is what I’ll probably turn into an office.”
There wasn’t anything to see in there, so I walked out and headed to the last room, the one that used to be Evan’s. It had a full-size bed with a dark wooden frame. The walls were painted a sage green.
I sat down on the bed and ran my fingers along the comforter.
Evan joined me. “What are you thinking about?”
“I’m remembering how we used to hang out in here and talk.”
“All we did was talk in here, which is crazy to think about now.”
I tilted my head. “Crazy because…”
“Because nothing ever happened. I should get an award for all of the times you hung out in my room and I didn’t lay a hand on you.” He groaned. “I’m thinking I need to make up for it. Maybe we should christen this room right now.”
My body buzzed. “Won’t the workers be back?”
“That’s what locks are for.” He walked over to the door and locked it.
“Is that really why you took me to the house? To have your way with me before we pick up Effie?”
“Yup. That’s exactly why I bought the house—just for this moment, to fuck you in my old bedroom. And you know what? If that were true, it would be worth every red cent.” Evan kissed me. “I know it was just last night, but it feels like forever ago. We’re overdue for an encore. What do you think?”
I looked down at his already hard cock threatening to burst through his jeans. “I think you should lie back on the bed right now and let me suck your dick.”
“Let you? How about beg you?” He lay back, his eyes glassy as he rested on his elbows.
I crawled onto him, then unbuckled his jeans and tossed the belt aside.
Evan was still fully clothed as I bent to take him in my mouth. He gasped. As I moved his cock in and out, his eyes rolled back.
“Fuck, Chloe. That’s good. So damn good.”
He tasted both sweet and salty. I couldn’t get enough as I swirled my tongue around his large crown.
“Shit. Don’t do that again. I’ll come.”
“I think you should,” I said with my mouth full.
“No freaking way I’m coming anywhere but inside you.”
A minute later, he tugged on my hair, yanking me off of him, my mouth making a loud popping sound as he withdrew his cock.
“Will you please ride me?”
I never thought I’d see the day that Evan Ricci begged me for such a thing. “Since you said please.” I winked. “I would love to.”
Wetness pooled between my thighs at the anticipation of having him inside me again.
I slipped off my capri leggings and slid my panties down my legs. I didn’t even take off my shirt. That’s how eager I was.
“Hurry up and sit on me,” he begged.
I hovered over him for a few seconds before sinking down.
“Fuck, you’re ready,” Evan hissed.
His eyes rolled back once again as I fucked him, alternating between swaying my hips and moving up and down.
“Fuck, baby. I could die a happy man after this.” He gripped my ass, guiding every movement. “I love being inside you.”
As I sped up my thrusts, I tugged at his shirt, feeling my clit throb. From this angle, it was so much harder to stave off my orgasm. There was something especially arousing about having sex with clothes on and being on top.
A minute later, I squeezed around his cock, and his body shook.
“Shit!” he yelled as I felt the heat of his cum exploding inside me.
Rubbing my clit against him, I climaxed soon after, my muscles pulsing around his cock long after he came.
“That was amazing.” He panted. “It’s never too late.”
“Too late for what?” I breathed, collapsing on him.
“It’s never too late for your dreams to come true. So many times, I fantasized about this very thing in this very room. It might’ve taken more than a decade, but—”
We were interrupted by the sound of banging downstairs. We turned to each other.
“The workers are back,” he said.
I laughed. “Little do they know theirs isn’t the only banging happening in this house today.”