Page 24 of Scorched

Chapter Ten

Myles

I’d started staying over at Cassie’s a lot more.

She kept telling me she liked the company; I offered repeatedly to have her at my apartment, but she always insisted on bringing me back here.

It was fine by me, really. I liked being in the house. It was hers, and it also helped me feel a little closer to Noah.

Cassie was quickly turning out to be the perfect woman. She was a hard worker; she loved being outside on the beach, and she was thinking about buying a little boat with some of her inheritance money. She liked going out dancing as much as she liked staying in to have drinks and watch a movie.

She had a few qualities that reminded me of Sylvia, but she was her own woman. Beautiful, smart, and kind-hearted.

I was pretty sure she was my second shot at falling in love.

I’d cleaned her pool today as my last stop before clocking out. Instead of going back to the shop, or to my apartment, I’d just brought my stuff for the weekend and decided to stay.

And now we sat in deck chairs by the pool. She was back in that polka-dot bikini she’d worn the first day I saw her; I was in my swim trunks. We each had a glass of red wine in hand. The sun was setting, and the temperature was perfect.

I was happy.

Happier than I’d been in a long time.

I heard Cassie shift in her chair and turned my head to look at her. She was sitting up, facing me. “So, Myles.”

“Yes, Cassie?” I sat up, mirroring her businesslike posture and tone. “Do we need to have our quarterly meeting?”

She laughed and shook her head. “No. Well, I mean, I do want to talk to you about something.”

“Sure. What’s up?”

She smiled. “I’ve been thinking.”

“You’re very good at that.”

“Hush!” She laughed again, shaking her head. “Let me talk.”

“Okay, okay. I’m listening.”

“All right. Thank you.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking that this is a pretty big house for one person.”

“Okay.”

“And you live in a pretty small apartment.”

“Are you suggesting we combine forces?”

“Well, I was going to suggest you move in with me.” She reached for her wine, taking a long sip.

I smiled. “Is that right?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know it’s kinda soon, but it’s not a financial thing for either of us. If it sucks, you still have your apartment.”

“That’s true. And if it’s awesome, I can rent out the apartment and put a little more money in my pocket every month. Or help out people who need it.”

She smiled. “That’s what Noah would have done.”

“It is.” I nodded and leaned toward her, clinking our wine glasses together. “I would love to move in with you, Cassie, as long as you’re sure.”

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