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
not that big, and your legs are pretty
had to do with
it would fit. It‘s pretty big. And the
bulged, “How do you know
measured,” he said leaning against the door jamb to the living room. “The rear entry was even tighter than the front.
I realized then I was
can have it taken back out, but
finally moved aside, that‘s when
A baby grand piano.
corner of the living room. One of the small sofas
the sunlight coming in the front windows.
like it?” Soren asked
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 the Drogomor
Or was it?
into the room, turning to look at him and remembering the conversation we‘d
this, though,” I
a child, and I‘d just ripped his ice cream cone from his
open, ready for me to
so that you can start paying me back. I told you, this is
buying me another gift
at me but still looking exasperated. “I want to hear it. I imagine you have a beautiful
“That‘s how I will pay you back? By singing?” It didn‘t seem like a real request. It wasn‘t like I was a famous singer. I was just an ordinary girl
shaking his head like I was the child now, one that didn‘t listen very well. “You sing, I‘ll listen, and that‘ll help repay your debts.” He had that twinkle in his eyes
him. “I love to sing–and I love playing the piano. I‘ve been itching to play again for a while now.
you like to play. I may join you sometimes, but I‘d rather sit in that comfy chair and listen to you, my eyes shut, a nice drink in my hand, my mind floating far,
all relaxed already. It was different to be around a man who knew how to let things go and separate work from the rest of
offer. If you feel that bad about it,
welcome to. For now, I‘m gonna pour myself a scotch and you a nice ice water–and sit
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