hands me a glass of iced tea, my hand brushes against his…just. And I’m a little too aware of it. I suck in a breath, telling myself to behave.
Apparently we’re not quite ready for declarations and confessions because he blatantly ignores my question.
The iced tea is cold and refreshing. I swivel on the stool and take in the space. “You haven’t quite moved in yet,” I point out, looking at the bare walls and the open empty space of the living room. The gorgeous marble encased fireplace still awaits company. A lone vase sits atop — orange again. I notice there are a quite a few pieces; vases, a painting on the wall, a cushion on a slipper chair — all orange.
“Decorating with orange accents, I see.”
He smirks. “It’s your favorite color, isn’t it? You told me that once.”
“Yes.”
My stomach feels heavy as a realization finally dawns on me. Why didn’t I see it before?
This is all for me.
I gasp as I do a one-eighty swivel and look around. “Did you buy me a frickin’ house?”
He smiles. “Well, now you see why you had to come to see it. I couldn’t exactly bring it to you.”
I don’t know whether to be overjoyed or incredibly upset. He can’t do something this huge without consulting me…something this insane.
I decide to not make a scene. I’m pretty sure he meant well. I can’t quite lose my shit yet. “This is crazy, Weston.”
He makes his way round the island, and takes my hands in his. “Is it?” he asks. “It doesn’t seem so crazy to me.”
My mouth is dry, my heart beats so fast. I think I’m still in shock. I look at him, wide-eyed. “But who will live here?”
“You, your girls and our baby. And me,” he says. “I may have to spend a few occasional nights in the city, but I’ll try to be here for you as much as I can.”
“But…”
“I know it’s a lot to take in. You need time.”
I can’t believe what he’s saying. The whole room seems to spin. This doesn’t seem real. I feel like I’m tumbling into a surreal world. I feel like Alice in Wonderland.
“What about your wife and your kids?” I scoff. “Will they live here too?”
He shakes his head and turns away from me.
I stand, reaching for him, I press my hand on his back and force him to look at me. “What about them?”
He stares down at the floor. “Bridget and I are done,” he tells me, his voice soft.
My breath catches. “What?”
“I left her,” he tells me, his voice still quiet. And I can tell he’s genuinely upset. “Things with us haven’t been right in ages. Ever since…you’re the one for me, Mirella.”
“No, Weston. You can’t do this to her. To your kids,” I plead. “Not because of me. You’re running away. You think I can make everything better, but I can’t. I can’t fix you, Weston. This baby boy can’t replace—”
He jerks away. “Don’t say it. I’m not trying to replace Jonathan. Don’t ever say that.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
He turns to me and grabs my face in his hands, the gesture sudden, hard. “Because I love you, Mirella. Because I can’t live without you.”
I tear myself away, my heart beating so fast, I fear I might have a full-blown heart-attack.
I retreat to the safety of the stool. I’m safer there than I am in his arms. “I’m still waiting for Gabe,” I tell him, my words carefully measured.
He rakes a hand through his hair. “Why? Why him and not me?”
Because I love him. Because he’s been my rock forever. Because he’s my children’s father… my best friend. I want to tell him these things, but can’t quite bring myself to.
“Didn’t he leave you?” he points out rather cattily.
“I know we’re not together at the moment,” I say carefully. “But I’m hoping—”
“Hoping for what? Hoping he’ll come back to you and your lover’s child?”
His words cut. “Weston…”
He buries his face in his hands and scratches at his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I just…”
“I know you’re upset,” I say, staring out into the half-empty living room. “You went through all this trouble, and imagined this whole life for us.”
He closes the distance between us and takes my hands in his again. “Can you not see it, Mirella?” he asks, his eyes full of emotion. “I’ve done my research. I know this is near the school where you teach. And I know your girls go to that school.