Page 37 of Until

“Yes, from memory. She used to heat up the milk and then melt pieces of chocolate into it.”

“It’s amazing.”

“Thank you. How are your feet?”

“A little sore and tired, but fine.”

“Sounds like you need a foot massage.”

As he starts to massage my foot, I pull it away.

“What is going on?” I ask, eyeing him suspiciously. “This isn’t like you.”

“Well, maybe it should be. It’s not every day I have an intelligent, gorgeous woman like you in my home.”

I feel as though I’ve entered the Twilight Zone.

“Have you been drinking?” I ask.

He laughs. “A little, but this has nothing to do with that. I’m just in a good mood. Now, come on, tell me about your date.”

“There isn’t much to tell,” I say.

He rolls his eyes and presses a ticklish spot on my foot.

“Talk or tickle,” he says. “It’s your choice.”

I laugh and try to pull my feet away, but he’s got a firm grip on them.

“Stop it! Okay, okay, I’ll talk.”

“Wow, that was easy,” he says.

“I’m just really ticklish.”

Alex continues to massage my feet, making them feel so much better. But seeing him reminds me that what I want with Ryan can’t happen. It reminds me that Alex wants me to break Ryan’s heart.

I let out a long sigh as it sinks in.

“I can’t do this,” I say. “I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to remind me that I can. I just need to keep myself protected so I don’t get hurt, too. It’s exactly what my grandmother said.”

“She sounds like a wise woman.”

“She is.”

“And what are your plans for her? Are you going to move her back into that hole in the wall you call home? The doctors told me she’ll be released to go home soon. Have you thought about that?”

I sit up and pull my feet underneath me.

“No. I’ve been pushing it off. We probably need to move. The stairs aren’t safe for her anymore. But where am I supposed to find a place when I don’t have a job?”

“How about here?”

“What?”

“Move in here. There’s more than enough space, and she’ll be treated like a queen. I’ll pay for a staff of people to come in and care for her, give her physical therapy, cook for her, and do whatever she needs. This way, you don’t have to worry so much about her.”

I open my mouth to tell him no, but the offer does make sense other than it would put me too far from the city to be able to get to work easily. But do I want to live there? With Alex? I’m not even sure which version of him is real.

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