“I…does it matter?” My arms crossed over my chest as I rolled my eyes. His questioning made me itchy for some reason.
“I think it matters, yes. I need to know you if we’re going to live together for six months and I can’t quite figure you out.”
“Well, good thing you’re barely around.”
“Did it bother you that I was gone so long?”
“I told you I don’t feel comfortable in that place.” I threw my hands up and spun on my heel to go back to Cade and Ivy.
He grabbed my elbow. “Wait.”
I turned and looked at him. “What?”
“You said you’re not used to the space and you’re uncomfortable. You didn’t say you wanted me in it with you.”
“Well, I don’t know. You’re the only person there I sort of know, and I don’t like being alone in weird, luxurious places where I feel like I’m going to break something or mess it up. Your dining room table is literally glass. And there’s no spots on it anywhere. I thought about making a shake but the blender looks like it’s made of crystal. I didn’t want to break one of your appliances and–”
“Our.”
“What?”
“Our table, our appliances. You live there with me now. None of it is just mine.”
“Fine. Whatever. You know what I mean.”
“It’s six months, Morina. That’s a long time. You need to get comfortable with the place and that means you need to stop thinking about it like it’s all mine.”
“But it is all yours,” I almost screamed. I ground my teeth together and stepped away from him. Back into my pocket my hand went. “Tranquility,” I murmured.
“What?” he asked.
Sighing, I pulled the crystal from my pants. “I carry crystals sometimes. They’re supposed to help center you.”
“Am I uncentering you, Morina?” His eyes flicked down to my jean pocket but then they trailed up slow. It was torture for me to watch how his lashes lifted and then paused at my lips.
I bit the bottom one before responding. “I don’t think you mean to. I honestly believe that you want us to work through this thing well together. I just don’t think you consider much past yourself.”
He lifted a brow. “That would classify me as a narcissist.”
I blew a raspberry at him trying to be offended in something he knew I hadn’t called him. “We both know that’s not the truth. A narcissist wouldn’t have sat with that puppy and would have been able to say no to Ivy. God knows a narcissist wouldn’t have made me get off as many times as you did on–” I slapped a hand over my mouth and shut my eyes. “Forget I talked about that.”
His response was to tug at a strand of my wavy hair until I dared peek back at him. When he caught my gaze, he smirked. “A narcissist would have made you scream my name that many times though right?”
“Oh, my God.” I backed away and pointed at him. “You’re making jokes about the night now?”
He shrugged. “It was just one night, Morina.”
I crossed my arms and hugged myself. “I know that.”
“We need to be comfortable around one another. I misstepped when I avoided coming home to the penthouse.”
“Okay.” Where was this going?
“We have to put on a show for the world. Might as well be relaxed while we do.”
“Of course.” I rolled the crystal between my fingers as I started back to Ivy and Cade.
“Do you always carry those crystals?” He pointed to the fingers moving in my pockets.
“Why are you asking so many questions?”
“Oh, get used to the questions. I intend to be around a lot more now.”
“Why?” Suddenly, Bastian was too close to me and I was too exposed.
“Because you’re my fiancé, Morina.”
I didn’t correct him because it was no use. To the world, that’s what were.
I snuggled Moonshine close when we returned to the visitation room. Ivy told me how Moonshine was the sweetest dog she’d ever met.
Smiling into Moonshine’s fur, I nodded.
I left them to put Moonshine back in her cage where she whimpered. “You’re fine, little girl. No one’s going to hurt you here. It’s your home and I’ll find you the perfect one just as good as your comfy bed too.”
She turned on her bed twice before plopping down. I blew out the candle at the window and led my fiancé and his little family outside.
As I locked up, Bastian stood next to me. “When you go here to lock up in the future, I need to be with you, okay?”
I stared up at him, cloaked in darkness, hovering over me like a guard.
The idea that I couldn’t do this on my own is just a little stifling. I’ve done this for years, Bastian.”
“You did the food truck for years too. I’m not risking it.”
I hummed and didn’t answer one way or the other. There would most likely be nights he wasn’t home. I’d have to go if they needed me to close.
“Say you’ll listen, piccola ragazza,” he murmured. His voice combed through my body, leaving heat in its wake. Just a few words and he almost hypnotized me into agreeing.
I bit my lip as I stared at him. “I’ll let you know if I have to go. Is that fair?”
He stared at me like he was contemplating a million things before he touched my hair. “Fair enough.”
18
Bastian
Morina was the one person I wanted to actually force to do something. She needed someone with her in the middle of a dark night and I would force that if I had to.
She didn’t make any sense.
The way she wanted to do everything on her own and keep everyone at arm’s length told me she was smart enough to be scared of something that could emotionally hurt her. I’d watched her with that little Moonshine puppy. She’d frowned and at one point even turned toward the door to wipe her eyes. She loved that little dog even if she was avoiding taking it home. Yet she’d go in the dark of the night to close up a building on her own, not at all caring about her physical well-being.
She’d almost gone by herself but Ivy, thankfully, had brought us all here and shown me just how dangerous Morina going out on her own was.
She didn’t look around or protect her back while she locked up.
Reckless.
And naive.
That’s what I was marrying and if I didn’t take care of her soon, she’d be dead.
As we watched the movie, she twisted her wavy hair around her fingers, and when that wasn’t enough, she moved to playing with her beaded bracelets. Did she really feel like those crystals in her pocket had some effect?
Was she more tranquil now?
“Our tent needs to be much bigger for us to fall asleep,” Ivy announced as we stared at some princess singing about a magical house.
“We’re all going to sleep in beds, Ivy.” I told her.
“What about we sleep here for a little bit after the movie and then we go to our bedrooms?” Ivy tried compromising.
Cade chuckled probably because he knew my appreciation for negotiation.
Morina watched me with those piercing eyes of hers, waiting for a response. When I nodded sure, her mouth dropped.