little. Though once I grow accustomed to the lamplight, the view sure is something. His hair is ruffled, his angular jaw lined with stubble. How do you even get lips so expressive? So flawless? So damn kissable? Despite the rude awakening, I’m already half on my way toward smiling. Beguiled by the boy yet again. I’m so easy for him it’s a sin. He’s lying beside me on the bed, leaning on one arm, looking down at me. The other arm is slung across my middle, fingers creeping beneath the hem of my sleep shirt to check out my panty situation. For some reason, he enjoys sliding a fingertip beneath the elastic and running it back and forth. If I said I minded, I’d be lying.
“Hey,” I say, voice slow and heavy with sleep. “How’s Matías?”
“Passed out on the couch.”
I nod.
Soon as we got back from Boulder and the various doctors’ offices, we found Matías lying in wait. He wanted a drinking buddy and needed a friend. So Beck took him to The Downstairs Bar. I texted Emma just to check on her. She said she was fine, didn’t want to talk, and was hanging with her mom. Therefore I settled in with a new book for the night. Along with an order of dumplings for dinner because dumplings.
“I have something to tell you,” he repeats.
I cover my mouth with a hand and yawn. “What?”
“Brace yourself.” He pauses. “Are you ready?”
“You’re starting to make me nervous.”
“Oh no,” he says, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “Don’t be nervous, dearest. Everything is fine.”
“If you say so.”
He smiles. “I panicked and bought a house.”
“You…what?”
“Yes. Though it’s actually more like a big building. That way your mom can have one floor and we’ll have another and no one needs to be in anyone else’s face.”
Huh.
“What do you think?” he asks.
“A house?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow.” My mind is a blur. A very sleepy one. And yet… “Why didn’t you just book Mom her own room in the hotel but on a different level to us? Wouldn’t that achieve the same thing?”
He bites his lip. “Actually, I didn’t think of that. Like I said, I’d had a few drinks and I panicked.”
“Talk me through this.”
“Well, we only just got rid of Henry. Who I love, and who, by the way, will also have his own bedroom and living area when he’s back next from school. Great, right?” He gives me a salesman’s smile.
“Great.” I do not sound convinced. “How big is this place, exactly?”
“It’s…actually, why don’t we let that be a surprise?”
“Okay.” I’m not frowning. I’m just confused. It happens at times like these.
He sighs. “Thing is, when you get right down to it, I just couldn’t handle the thought of any more people sharing this place with us. Getting all up in our grill. Preventing us from walking around half naked. Judging our suitability as a possible life partner for their daughter. Things like that.”
“I see.”
“So I called the real estate agent from the charity dinner thing we went to last week. Asked him what was the biggest property he had available that’s still in the heart of the city. Then I checked it out and made the owners an offer. Then I woke Penny up to help rush things.” And then he just looks at me.
“You’ve been busy.”
“Yeah.” He scratches at the stubble on his cheek. “It’d been on the market for a while so we got it at a pretty good price. It’s fully furnished including some artwork and is in a very handy location. The owners had already moved to Hong Kong for business so we can have it right away. Time difference sure came in handy for getting it all sorted.”
“Wow.”
“You already said that,” he adds helpfully. “It’s kind of exciting though, right? Our first real place together? A proper home. Much more adult than living in a hotel.”
“Mm.”
“Anyway, this obviously isn’t my shining moment, what with it being brought on by fear of your mother and all. But I think we should just make the best of things.”
I have nothing.
The fingers tapping against my ass still and he cocks his head. “Matías thought it was a good idea.”
“The soon-to-be divorcé soon-to-be father currently passed out drunk on our sofa thought it was good idea?”
“Yes.” He just watches me for a long moment. “Beloved, say something.”
“How drunk are you?”
“The buzz wore off hours ago.”
“Are you going to regret this decision later when you’re fully sober?” I ask.