Chapter 74: Did He Even Miss Me?
“Paying you back?” I said as Soren and I walked along the path to my cottage. I had only started my work a few days ago, and I didn‘t have enough savings yet.
But he wanted me to pay him back? And he was leading me home.
I felt panicked. What if he wanted me to do something I wasn‘t ready for?
Rosalie, stop thinking like that! I scolded myself.
Soren wasn‘t that kind of person, I should have known by now!
He had a crooked grin on his face, and even though I had never had a reason before not to trust him, all of the thoughts before that I‘d kept in the back of my mind about how odd it was that he was being so nice to me, resurfaced.
Who would do all of this without expecting something in return?
No one.
So.. did he want something from me after all?
No, no, I kept shaking my head. He wouldn‘t. I must have thought it wrong, but what if…
I felt like I was about to cry. What should I do? I regretted so much that I didn‘t insist on not buying that expensive furniture.
“Come on, Ro,” he said, reaching over and tugging on my hand. “Come into the cottage. I have something I want you to see. I think you‘re going to like it.” He made that last statement in a sing-song voice.
Cold chills ran down my spine. “I think I might not,” I thought to myself. To him, I said, “I am pregnant, you know?”
“I know,” he said, his eyebrows furrowed. We paused in the foyer. “What difference does that make?”
“A lot,” I told him. I knew I was just making excuses when I should‘ve been honest. “It wouldn‘t be… comfortable.”
“Well, you can always just scoot back.”
so far,” I reminded
tummy‘s not that big, and your
legs had to do with
it would fit. It‘s pretty
“How do
leaning against the door jamb to the living room. “The rear entry was
I realized then I
it, I can have it taken back out, but what do you
aside, that‘s when I
A baby grand piano.
One of the small sofas was gone, and a chair was moved over, but
in the sunlight coming in the front windows. I covered my mouth
like it?” Soren asked
my eyes off it, “I love it! It‘s the most beautiful piano I‘ve ever seen!” That might not have been completely true. I remembered that white piano back at
Or was it?
steps into the room, turning to look at him and
accept this,
crinkled. “Why not?” He looked like he was a child, and I‘d just ripped his ice cream cone
me to sit on the bench and play. I wanted to run my fingers over the keys and
what it costs, Ro. I brought it here so that you can start paying me back. I told
buying me another gift helping me pay
said, grinning at me but still looking exasperated. “I want to hear it. I imagine you have a beautiful voice. If you‘ll sing for me, then you can start paying me back.
It didn‘t seem like a real request. It wasn‘t like I was a famous singer. I was just an ordinary girl who liked to sing. Why would my
his head like I was the child now, one that didn‘t listen very well. “You sing,
I admitted to him. “I love to sing–and I love playing the piano. I‘ve been itching to play again for a while now.
glad you like to play. I may join you sometimes, but I‘d rather sit in that comfy chair and listen to you, my eyes
looking all relaxed already. It was different to be around a man who knew
on, Ro. Accept the gift–or another job offer. If you feel that bad about it, you don‘t necessarily
scotch and you a nice ice water–and sit in that chair and listen
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