Page 137 of All I Ask
The wood is a dark gray stain and the walls are painted a light cream color. Everything has been cleaned and the house looks exactly as I’d dreamed it in my head. “This is beautiful,” I say as my hand touches the doorframe.
“I remembered you said something about cream walls so I went with it. Everly picked the exact shade.”
I smile. “She did great. When did you do all this?”
He walks forward as if the small distance was too much. “We’ve been working on it the last few weeks, but we really got busy three days ago.”
“When you knew I was leaving?”
“I wanted you to see it before you go.”
I close the distance and lean up, kissing his lips. “I’m glad I did because the last time we were here…”
“Freaking scary.”
I laugh once and rest my head on his chest. “I’ll remember it always.”
“Oh, me too, it frequents my nightmares. Come on, there’s more to see.”
My eyes widen in shock. “More?”
“We’ve been really busy.”
He walks me through the kitchen, explaining some of the work he wants to do to bring it up to a more modern look. “Do you think that’ll be good?”
“Me?” I ask. He wants my opinion?
“Well, I fully intend for you to live here at some point.”
I’m never getting on that plane. I can’t do it. “Don’t say things like that, please. Not tonight.”
“Why not tonight?”
I sigh and start to pace. “I’m having a hard-enough time even thinking about leaving tomorrow, the idea of knowing that this”—I throw my hands up, waving them around at his gorgeous house—“is what I’m walking away from…I can’t do it.”
“So you love the house and not me?” His voice is full of humor.
“It’s a toss-up.”
Derek wraps his arms around my waist, bringing his lips to mine. “I’ve got one more thing to show you.”
“I’d rather us do this,” I say as I pull his face back to mine. I kiss him, wanting to pour every emotion I can into it. I want him to feel how much I love him and don’t want to leave.
“Baby, I plan to do that in about ten minutes, first let me show you what else we did.”
I pout, lip jutting out, and he chuckles.
We walk toward the other end of the house and I’m seriously impressed. I can’t imagine how they got all the dolls out, let alone had time to scrub, paint, and refinish the trim. There’s a set of double doors with glass planes. Derek pushes them open, his arm extended for me to enter.
“What is this room?”
He walks to the corner and turns the lamp on.
Then, I don’t have to ask.
I don’t breathe.
I don’t move for fear that this will all disappear.
