Page 23 of Fourth Wall

“This one is for Kins,” he responded before disappearing into the hallway. I didn’t know how I moved because my feet felt stuck in concrete bricks.

The next room with an adjoining bathroom in the middle was painted light blue. A small mural with ocean waves on it decorated one wall. A small twin bed and the same organizational unit were in the corner.

“I know Kelsie likes ocean stuff, so I wanted to do this one with waves. I didn’t know what toys she liked, so I thought we could just bring hers from your house here.”

“Christian.” I must have said his name ten thousand times, but my thoughts swirled in my head, and I couldn’t figure out which one I wanted to say first.

“Come on. There’s no need to say anything just yet. The tour isn’t even over.”

This time, I grabbed his hand, surprising him. He looked down at us with our fingers intertwined before slowly looking back up at me and locking his eyes with mine. They were filled with a momentary pause before he casually shook his head and guided me down the hallway.

“I know these rooms are kinda far away, so I outfitted both of them with cameras so you can watch the girls…” He opened the door on the left side of the hallway.

As the door swung open, I stepped into a room that emanated a warm and cozy atmosphere, perfectly feminine. The walls were adorned in soft, earthy tones, creating a soothing ambience that instantly put me at ease. The space was expertly organized,with clever storage solutions discreetly integrated throughout the room. A comfortable bed with a plush duvet dominated the center, inviting me to sink into its embrace after a long day. The room's charm was accentuated by delicate touches—a string of fairy lights twinkling softly above the bed, a collection of scented candles casting a subtle fragrance into the air. It was a space designed with care.

“Christian,” I repeated yet again, unable to string together a proper sentence.

“It’s no big deal.” He stood in the hallway as I stepped into the room. I looked back at him, where he leaned on the doorframe with one hand at the top. He stared into the room from there.

“When did you do this?” I asked him, the shock still visible all over my face.

“I was working on it yesterday and had a crew come in overnight and this morning."

"But I cannot afford this." I looked down as I nervously rubbed my hands together. There was no way that this place was anywhere in my budget.

“Just give me what you can pay for each month.” I tilted my head to the side because I didn’t like that plan. “Stop overthinking. I can literally see your brain working from over here. I had already built this house for myself. There are plenty of rooms.”

“The mortgage must be so expensive, though.” He laughed again and leaned farther into the room with his hands still on the top of the doorframe.

“Nah. It pays to work with the Mafia, firecracker. I bought this house in cash.” His smile was so beautiful. The way his thick lips tugged to the sides as his mouth turned. He had two little dimples that I just noticed too, which only accentuated the genuineness of it. “Whatever you want to contribute, we will use to pay the bills or something.”

At this point, it wasn’t like I could even say no to him anyway. He had decorated the whole house for the girls. I just needed to move their stuff in, and it was ready to go. This was the best option since they were coming in the next forty-eight hours. Plus, as I walked to the window at the back of my bedroom, I noticed a pool in the back that already had a fence around it.

“The girls will love the pool, too,” I said aloud. Then I did something quite out of the ordinary for us. Aside from the one time that I was obliterated from my beer and woke up snuggled next to him, Christian and I rarely, if ever, had any physical contact. It was just something we never did. We usually were too much at each other’s throats with our words rather than focusing on physical touch.

So, when I went over to him and reached out to give him a hug, I wasn’t surprised when he stood there completely frozen in the frame of the door.

I was quite surprised when I pulled him tighter into me and leaned my head against the crook of his shoulder. Even more so when I realized that my head fit perfectly in this little crook, like when our hands intertwined.

“Thank you for everything. I don’t know how to repay you.” I squeezed around his waist a little tighter.

I was surprised when he wrapped his arms around mine. Mostly, I was surprised by the way his thick muscles tightened around my waist. I guess I never paid close enough attention to how strong he was. He was built like a football player with his really broad chest, thick neck, and bulging arm muscles. There was a reason Julian used him as his personal bodyguard. When he pulled me in tight, I immediately inhaled his crisp pine scent, and in his arms, I felt safe. It was weird. I shouldn’t be here.

I pulled away quickly before resorting to the joking tone that I tended to use when I was really uncomfortable with a situation. “Where are you staying?” When he pulled back, the way his facecurled in confusion only perpetuated my own unknowing with this situation.

“It’s across the hall.” He gestured right across to where his door was.

“Can I see it?” He stepped aside to allow me to pass and open the door to his room. From the center of my room, I could see right into his. Mental note to always remember to shut the door when changing.

Unlike the feminine accents in my room, his room was the opposite. It was painted a dark green color with dark wooden accents. But the oddest thing was above his bed...?

I walked over to inspect it and looked at the ceiling. “Do you have a TV mounted on your ceiling?” I tilted my head in confusion but also to get a better look at it.

“Something like that, firecracker.” He laughed from where he was now propped in his doorframe. What the fuck was it with him and doorframes. “There is just one thing…”

I walked to the bathroom while he trailed off and suddenly realized there was a door on the other side of the bathroom.

“Is this an adjoining bathroom?!” I all but shrieked. “CHRISTIAN!” I screamed and heard him chuckle as he walked to the bathroom I stood in.

---