Page 71 of The Lair

“You don’t have to accept if you don’t feel comfortable,” he rushes out, and suddenly I understand why he looked so nervous. I would think it’s adorable if I wasn’t on the verge of a mental breakdown myself. “I live alone in a farmhouse just ten minutes away. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. I don’t use nearly half of the space, and we both know you can’t stay in that shithole any longer. The hotel isn’t a long-term option either.”

I work a swallow and beg my poor heart to calm down. “I don’t want to intrude in your personal life or be a bother.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure, Allie.” It makes sense, but it also doesn’t. My head is starting to pound. “You’ll have your own bedroom and bathroom. We’ll share the living room and kitchen, but I’m barely at the house.”

A sudden urge to ask him where he goes and who he spends his free time with assaults me before I remind myself that I have no right to ask.

“Travis…” I shake my head and let out a deep breath that doesn’t calm my nerves at all. “I appreciate how thoughtful you are, but I can’t say yes. It’s too much. I would be in your space all day, then at work too…”

His sigh, unlike mine, sounds more frustrated than nervous or tired. “How many times do I have to tell you? You’re not a bother. I don’t mind being around you, and I sure as fuck would rather have you protected under my roof than living at some goddamn apartment that almost got broken into.”

I focus on thatprotected under my roofas if my life depended on it.

“It’s only temporary,” he adds, “until you find a proper place to live.”

He has a point. He has many points, in fact, but I still can’t say yes. I can’t move in with Travis.

If the ground opened under my feet and swallowed me now, I wouldn’t complain.

“What about rent?” I ask for some dumb reason. I don’t want him to think I’m considering it because I’m not.

Travis crosses his arms over his chest and pins me down with one of his no-bullshit stares. “What about it?”

If this big, dumb idiot tells me I won’t have to pay rent…

“How much would I owe you? Because Iampaying rent in the very hypothetical case that I agree to move in with you temporarily. It’s nonnegotiable.”

He must recognize the determination in my voice because he says, “We’ll agree on something.”

“How much?” I press.

He rattles off an amount that is totally below the average rent price for this area, especially for a farmhouse, but I also recognize this is a battle I won’t win. If I’m stubborn, he’s stubborn times ten.

“What about bills?” I ask next, as if living with Travis didn’t have the potential to become a terrible idea.

“The amount I just told you covers everything.” My ass it covers everything—it’s too low, and he knows it. “Consider it. You don’t have to give me an answer now.”

I shake my head, still unable to believe this is happening.

“I can’t accept, Travis. I’m sorry. I’ll just stay at the hotel until I find an apartment. I really appreciate what you’re trying to do, but?—”

“Allie,” he says in a way he never has before. He sounds tired, defeated, and it makes me stop and watch him more closely. Those eyes matching the green beads around his wrist seem to turn a shade softer when he looks at me. “You can’t live in a hotel forever. You know this.”

There’s no heat in his voice, no other emotion but exhaustion. And just like that, I know what the problem is.

“You don’t have to stay next door anymore,” I tell him, releasing him from his shackles. The smile I give him is meant to make my words sound more convincing. “I’m feeling much better now. You don’t have to keep playing babysitter.”

“You think I’m playing babysitter?”

Long gone is that soft Travis from a second ago, now replaced by his usual gruff self.

I have no clue what his endgame is. This hermit-man who doesn’t evenbefriendhis staff suddenly wants me to move in with him? I don’t get it. And I’m tired of wondering.

“Why?” I ask him, ignoring his question. “Why are you doing this for me? Why are you going out of your way so drastically?”

He lets out a deep sigh, that huge hand moving to the back of his head before his eyes pin me down again.

“Because I want you to be safe at all times, goddammit. If anything happened to you…”

---