Page 37 of Charming But Reckless

Orion shook his head and mumbled, "Like father, like son."

As he passed us, I stopped partway up the stairs holding Sol's hand because even through the limited view of the front door that hung open, I could tell we were stepping into another universe.

It was the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland all in one.

Where we had been living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet and for me to provide a safe environment for my son, Orion had a lavish home big enough to fit way more than I knew what to put in it.

When we made it inside, I noticed how beautifully decorated it was. It was simple and modern, but not the kind of modern that felt uncomfortable. It was the kind that was cozier, if you will.

He had pops of color around the place, a testament to his personality. A few pictures hung on the walls of him and the guys. I even saw some photos of his mom, though they looked more professionally done than candid.

When he noticed me looking at one, he shrugged bashfully. “I don't really have any photos with her anymore. I had to go based off things like newspaper clippings and yearbook photos. The family stuff disappeared after she died.”

I froze, not wanting to tell him that I knew exactly where everything was. Would he be upset with me for holding on to it all this time?

Surely not.

He had to understand that I had no clue where he was. It wouldn't have been possible for me to get it to him.

While I could go ahead and tell him right this minute, it felt like it was too big a secret to unveil the first day we arrived. Plus, I could use it later as a gift or something. Maybe a get out of jail free card.

I didn't think I would need that type of thing, but one never knew. Like I said, he and I didn't know each other well yet. I didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize this new thing we had going on.

Orion set our bags down in the living room and waved his arms around.

"This is our home," he said as if it was not an earth-shattering type of sentence.

Our home.

Home.

Two words, each with powerful meanings.

Ours, which symbolized it was not just his, but mine and Sol's too. It gave us ownership of something we had no stake in, that we had not bought into or furnished or anything.

And then home, well, it meant far more than I could even describe. It was, in my opinion, more than a building. It was a place that felt safe and secure, a place you felt loved.

Sol had always been my home. It's why I packed up everything we had, sold what needed to be sold, and hit the road when he went missing. There was nothing about that place that I needed to keep to feel like it was home.

It's why I didn't need to go back either.

Orion shrugged off the silence that we sent back his way. I think he realized how overwhelmed we felt.

He turned towards the stairs. "You two, follow me. We're going to go up, and I'll show you your rooms."

Apparently, his brownstone was four stories high. The second held the kitchen area and dining room. The third floor was for the master bedroom and a small guest bedroom. The top floor was a surprisingly large open concept space with a small bedroom area off to one side.

He had bookshelves and trinkets lining one wall. The bed looked as if it had been recently purchased. I mean, the tags hanging off it were a clear indicator. I pointed to them and raised a brow his way. Meanwhile, Sol was already off digging into the books and toys across the room.

"When did you have time to buy a bed and set it up?" I half-whispered, half-shouted.

He grinned at me. "It's amazing what you can do when you have an entire team of people wanting to help you. The minute the guys dropped you off and apparently saw the look I gave you; they decided they wanted to help. They told me they would take care of everything.”

“I thought your phone was turned off. That's what Memphis said.”

He rolled his eyes. “Memphis was so bitchy about it. Yes, I turned my phone off to get some privacy so I could focus on Sol. The minute I turned it back on, though, they were up my ass about it. When I confirmed you were coming back with me, they stepped in to get this place ready, came in, cleaned it out, bought food. You know the drill.”

I didn't know the drill.

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