The Man Who Has No Sight - Victoria Quinn Page 0,50
up on the hanger, then set his satchel on the entryway table. He wore a long-sleeved shirt underneath, dark gray. “Hey, baby.” He greeted me with a deep voice, a handsome smile, and a heart that was visible on his sleeve.
“Hey.” I felt life and excitement rush into me every time I saw him, like my heart would break because it couldn’t contain all the love inside.
He walked over to me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and he kissed me in front of his son. He tugged me close to his chest, wrapping me in warm affection that chased away the cold that swept across New York.
When he pulled back, he rubbed his nose against mine before he released me.
“Excited for Christmas break?”
“I usually go into the office alone, but I think this time, I’ll stay home with you guys.”
I smiled. “That’s nice.”
“Nowhere else I’d rather be.” He kissed the corner of my mouth then turned to Derek.
Geez, I was so deep in love, it was ridiculous.
“Hey, little man.” Deacon leaned down and kissed him on the head. “How was your last day of school?”
“Sad. I’m gonna miss everyone. But I’m also excited for Christmas.”
“Looks like dinner is ready. Get washed up, and we’ll eat.”
“Okay.” Derek went into the bathroom down the hallway to wash his hands.
Deacon walked to the table and sat down, taking a drink of the wine sitting there. “How was your day?”
“Good. Just busy.”
“Are you going to be busy during the holidays?”
I took a seat and grabbed my fork even though I would wait for Derek to join us. “Not really. Once the holidays come, people get busy and they travel, and they aren’t really here. I guess it’s kind of my vacation time.”
“Good.”
“And I thought about what you said, and I think I am going to talk to Mr. Kline about that raise.”
He took another sip and licked his lips. “You should.”
“There’s actually an apartment that just opened up next door, and it’s gorgeous. So close. If he gives me a thirty percent raise, I could afford it. I know the owner, so I asked if he could hold it for me until after the new year. He said yes.”
He held on to the stem of his glass and turned it gently, his eyes watching the light hit the edge. His good mood changed noticeably, lessened obviously. He took a drink then pushed the glass away entirely. “How about we don’t worry about the apartment right now?”
“That’s why I think it’s best to wait until after the holidays. Everyone is off and busy…”
“I mean…maybe you shouldn’t put the apartment on hold.”
“If I don’t, someone will take it.”
He turned to me, his eyes intense. “Maybe you should let someone take it.”
The meaning of his words was pretty clear, but I didn’t want to be wrong. My heart raced; my palms grew clammy. “Are you…asking me to move in with you?”
He stared for a long time, like he was searching for the right words to respond. “No. But…I don’t want you to leave either.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear.
“There’s no rush. Let’s just see what happens.”
“Deacon, nice apartments don’t pop up often. I need to seize the opportunity while it’s available. It’s absolutely fine if you aren’t ready to live together. No hard feelings at all. But I do need to make my own arrangements.”
He stared at the table for a while. “I don’t want you to leave. Can we just…leave things the way they are for a while?”
I tried to be patient with him, to take into account his inability to adapt to modern situations. He wasn’t just trying to be shady, to send mixed signals. He was just struggling to understand what he wanted. “So, you like living with me?”
“I love it,” he said immediately.
“Then…why don’t I just live here, then?”
He didn’t answer for a long time. “Let’s just see where it goes.”
I found it odd he refused to commit, to formally ask me to move in, like he didn’t want to make it permanent. But I decided to concede, to take the risk and be patient with him. “Alright.” It would be cruel for him to let me live there for a couple months then change his mind once I was inconvenient for him. I believed Deacon wasn’t that kind of man, that he just needed time to get there on his own. It took him forever to realize he wanted to be with me, and he said he wanted forever,