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.”
far,” I reminded
tummy‘s not that big, and your legs are pretty
do with anything, so
would fit. It‘s pretty big. And the
eyes bulged, “How do you
leaning against the door jamb to the living room. “The rear
then I
it, I can have it taken back out, but
moved aside,
A baby grand piano.
of the living room. One of the small sofas
in the front windows. I
you like it?”
I‘ve ever seen!” That might not have been completely true. I remembered that
Or was it?
steps into the room, turning to look at him and remembering the conversation we‘d just had
I can‘t accept this, though,” I
and I‘d just ripped his ice cream cone from his
“This had to cost a fortune!” My fingers longed to brush over the smooth ebony surface of the lid, which was open, ready for me to sit on the bench and play. I wanted to run my fingers over
it here so that you can start paying me back. I told you, this is how
confused,” I admitted. “How is buying me another gift helping me
it. I
stared at him in disbelief. “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
very well. “You sing, I‘ll listen, and that‘ll help repay your debts.” He had that twinkle in his
think that‘s much of a repayment,” 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. It‘s just more of
a moment before he dropped them again. “Not every business transaction has to be painful, Ro. I‘m glad you like to play. I may join
man who knew
you feel that bad about it,
you‘re welcome to. For now, I‘m gonna pour myself a scotch and you a nice ice water–and sit in that chair and listen to you tell me if
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