Page 32 of The Keeper

“Perfect. What’s the asking price?”

Victoria

Reality was an illusion.

Reality didn’t exist.

Reality was meant for anyone else but me.

I lived in a perpetual state of disenchantment. Sure, I functioned like a normal adult. I went to work. Went out with friends. Went on dates. To the outside world, I was normal. Or at least whatever definition of that word fit the situation.

Yet here I stood, on the front lawn of my family’s neglected home in England, feeling anything but normal and living in the complete opposite realm of what others considered reality.

The man I’d had a mind-blowing one night stand with was locked in a heated discussion over buying Briarcliff Cottage. Not only were worlds colliding, various versions of my existence and sensibilities were also on a collision course.

This wasn’t going to happen.

I couldn’t let this happen.

“Enough,” I croaked, my voice unwilling to cooperate. I swallowed, took a deep breath and tried again. “Enough. All of you. Enough.”

Three sets of eyes settled on me. Only the clear blue ones mattered. They examined me with guarded curiosity, seeing more of me than I deemed comfortable. Those eyes pierced me to my core, stripping away all the barricades I’d crafted with care. Those eyes would unravel me. That man would be my undoing.

“Ms. Chase, this is becoming tiresome,” Ben expressed, glancing at his watch. “I’ve come here on a Sunday for what? Utter nonsense?”

“Do not speak to her like that,” Xavier threatened in his low, sultry timbre. Anger and elegance all rolled into one.

“I’m sorry you both had to come out here for nothing,” I said as calmly as possible. “I realize this isn’t typical and seeing as my family dropped this in my lap without much thought, it’s also become a huge waste of everyone’s time and effort. I’m not accepting the offer. I’m not signing any agreement. There’s nothing more to say.”

Ben departed in a huff, muttering to himself. Natalie turned to me, placing a sympathetic hand on my arm.

“If you change your mind or if anything comes up, please call.”

As if on cue, light rain started to fall as she walked back to her car. I made no effort to move. This whole trip has been one colossal clusterfuck. Getting caught in the rain felt like the perfect ending.

Xavier took my hand without saying a word and led me to the house. The front door was unlocked. Next thing I knew, we were inside. He shut the door with a hollow click and stood in front of me.

“Fuck,” I murmured, leaning my head back. “I don’t want to be in here.”

“We’ll just wait until the rain passes.”

He sounded so unaffected, so unbothered. Like any normal person would be. This was the most natural thing in the world. We needed to get out of the rain. He didn’t know what this place was or why it rips me to shreds from the inside out.

Sheets of rain pummeled the windows in waves, its rhythm reminiscent of the tide teasing the shoreline. The wind joined with gleeful gusts. It slammed the rain against the house harder, almost saying you can’t leave yet, I have plans for you.

I looked at Xavier. Big mistake. He gazed at me with the whole world in his eyes. The sight of him filled me, soothing every broken part I kept hidden.

“Why are you here?” I asked, sitting on the staircase.

“I could ask you the same question.”

“Pretty sure you can figure that one out on your own.”

He nodded. “I live just up the road.”

I wet my lips, dropped the envelope and rubbed my temples. “Of course you do.”

He remained expressionless as he lowered himself next to me. His close proximity set off a chain reaction I should have expected.

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