Page 53 of Losing Ansley

"So, Atlanta has these events where boutiques can come in and purchase items for their stores. On the days I had off if there were one of those events, I'd go to check them out. I want to design my own clothes, but I won't be able to make stuff quick enough. So, I could open a boutique, purchase from these vendors, and make my one-of-a-kind stuff." She takes a breath. "By then, all this mess with the identity thief and my credit should be resolved, so I should be able to lease a small place downtown."

She gazes at me, hope shining in her eyes, and pride swells in my chest. I lean down and give her a gentle kiss.

"That sounds like a great plan, sweetheart. I think you'll do great at that. I can help you find a place downtown. I know a lot of the owners. We can look around while you're here." I tread lightly, but she beams at me.

"That would be great, Linc. I'll probably need a lot of help. You know so much about starting a business, and I know nothing." She agrees. Before I can respond, our food is being brought, and we dig in. I think about her situation with her apartment and job. Starting a business doesn't happen overnight, so she can't just quit. But when she opens her boutique, it may take a while for her to start making money.

"When you move back." I start but then pause. She turns to me, waiting for me to continue. "Would you want to move in with me?" I ask her, nerves settling in my stomach. Her mouth pops open, but then she's smiling.

"Yeah." She whispers. "Yeah, I would." I lean forward and kiss her forehead. I have to make this happen. I need her back home as soon as possible. I don't want to live without her anymore; I can't live without her anymore. It is not an option.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKflies by, and I hate it because Ansley will return to Atlanta soon. I've been with her every night and woken up to her every morning. It's been a breath of fresh air.

On Friday night, we arrive at Connor's house fashionably late because, as Ansley would say, I can't keep my hands off her. She's not wrong. She rings the doorbell as I wrap my arm around her, pulling her close. A girl with pink hair swings the door open, and her face lights up.

"Ansley! I haven't seen you in forever." She exclaims, and Ansley claps her hands before going in and hugging her.

"Hey, Bec! I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather." They hug one more time before breaking apart; Bec doesn't respond to Ansley's statement. She gives a slight nod and then looks at me. Ansley turns to me and smiles brightly.

"This is Lincoln, my boyfriend." Ansley introduces me, and Bec's face breaks out into a huge smile, and I eye her warily as I extend my hand to shake hers. She takes it and pumps it.

"I have heard a lot about you," Bec says just as Caroline comes up behind her and pushes her away.

"No, you haven't, Bec." Bec walks away, laughing her ass off, and I look back and forth between her, Caroline, and Ansley. Ansley and Caroline are sharing a look, and I glare at them.

"Have you two been talking about me?" I ask, and Ansley throws her head back with a cackle. Caroline ushers us inside and closes the door, but I turn on them both. Caroline has a guilty look, while Ansley has an amused look. Caroline huffs.

"Lincoln, you are not the easiest man to work for. And then when Ansley gave her two weeks' notice and left…." She trails off, plops her hands on her thighs, and then points her finger at me. "You're lucky half the office didn't quit." She reprimands me, and Ansley rolls her lips between her teeth, trying to hide a smile. I shake my head, putting my hands in my pockets.

"I'm working on it," I state, and Caroline's eyes widen before she looks at Ansley. She points at me.

"He's working on it," Caroline says in exasperation, and Ansley chuckles, shrugging her shoulders.

"Listen, I've dealt with this my entire life. Welcome to my world." She states. I growl and pull her into my arms, but she comes willingly. Caroline's mouth pops open, and she stares at us like she doesn't know what to do with us. Before she can respond, Liv and another woman I've never met before walk up.

"What did we miss?" Liv asks. Caroline turns to her and points to me.

"He's working on it." She states, and Liv gives her a confused look while Ansley giggles.

"Huh?" Liv and the other woman asks. Caroline shakes her head.

"Never mind." She points to the woman I don't know. "Lincoln, this is my sister Bailey. Bailey, this is Lincoln." Bailey's eyes light up, and she breaks out into a grin. Before she can say anything, Caroline points at her.

"Don't!" She exclaims. Ansley breaks out into laughter, and I shake my head. Caroline glares at both of us but then leads us further into the house. Ansley explained to me that Connor works in construction and builds homes. I glanced around, expecting to see more than what I do. I assume it's because he's single and works long hours.

His house screams bachelor pad, but I keep my opinion to myself. I see a large television on the wall when we enter the living room. Bec is playing some dance game with Bass and two other guys watching on. They're obviously brothers, but one is wearing jeans and a t-shirt while the other is wearing slacks and a button-down shirt. Ansley wanders off with Liv to grab a drink, and Caroline stands beside me.

"Connor is the one in jeans. Julian is the one that looks like you." She states, and my head snaps to her and then down to what I'm wearing. We are similarly dressed.

"Do I just approach Julian?" I ask Caroline. Bass notices me, and he comes over to shake my hand before standing behind Caroline and wrapping his arms around her rubbing his hands over her belly.

"Care told me you needed some information on a guy that might be bad news for Ansley. I can introduce you to Julian. Have you told Ansley what you're doing? Do we need to keep this a secret?" He asks, and I glance at Ansley as she laughs with Liv.

"No. I haven't talked to her about it. But I don't want to keep it a secret. She'll be pissed if I do." Like she senses my eyes on her, she glances over and catches my eye. I motion for her to come over. She says something to Liv and then walks over to us. When she's close enough, I pull her against me. She probably won't like this, but I need to protect her.

"What's going on?" Ansley asks, looking between us as we form a circle making it known we don't want to be approached right now. Caroline bites her lip as she looks between Ansley and me.

"Caroline told me that Connor's brother Julian was a private detective and had connections where he could look into people," I explain. Ansley's eyebrows cave in as she tries to follow along. "I'm going to talk to him and see if he can find out any information on Chad," I confess, and she stiffens.

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