Page 96 of Vain
“Alright.” He tugs me into his arms and kisses my forehead. “Call me if you need anything. And if for any reason you can’t reach me, call Kellen, now that he’s got his number in your phone.”
“Still salty about that huh?”
“He has far too many embarrassing photos of me. I don’t trust the fucker not to send them to you the next time I piss him off.”
“Ohh, good to know. I can’t wait.”
“Brat.” He kisses me again before leaving.
I take a deep cleansing breath, walk over to the window, and gaze out. Everything is so quiet and peaceful here. It feels like I’ve fallen into some alternate reality.
Pulling myself away from the window, I tug a hoodie from my bag and slip it on over my head like a safety blanket before heading out to find Tom. He’s on the balcony, where he has a grill set up. The smell of beef cooking makes my stomach growl in anticipation.
“Take a seat. These won’t be long.”
“Can I help you with anything?”
“Nah, one of my friend’s wives bought some sides up earlier, ready for when you got here. I’ve just gotta grab them. You want a drink while I’m in there? I haven’t got wine or anything, but I have beer, milk, Dr. Pepper, and water.”
“I’ll have a beer, thanks.” I don’t drink often, but I like to indulge once in a while.
I lean my elbows on the table and breathe in the cool crisp air, smelling lavender on the breeze. If I have any problems sleeping tonight, I’ll just open the window. That smell will put me right out.
“Here you go.” I jump when Tom hands me a beer, not hearing him come back. He’s gone again moments later before returning with two plates piled high with baked potatoes, sour cream, cheese, and some kind of pasta salad.
“Oh, this looks delicious.”
“Good. I was worried you might only eat rabbit food.”
I laugh. “I have a chef who makes the most caloric food because he doesn’t believe in diet shit. His words, not mine. I don’t complain because the man is a god in the kitchen. It just means I have to work out like the devil’s chasing me.”
Now it’s his turn to laugh as he grabs the steaks from the grill and adds one to my plate before putting one on his own. “Dig in.”
I don’t hesitate to do just that. The food is rich and comforting and the steak is cooked to perfection.
“I wanted to talk to you about something. Get a feel for ya, you know?”
“Okay,” I say, placing my knife and fork on my plate and sipping my beer.
“I want to know what your intentions are with that boy.”
I choke on my mouthful of beer but thankfully I don’t spray it everywhere. “Okay, wow.” I take a deep breath and decide to lay my cards on the table. “I love him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“Aiden has Tempest in his veins. How’s that gonna work with you up in Hollywood?”
“My home is wherever Aiden is,” I tell him softly, and it’s true. He might not have asked me to move to Tempest with him, but when he does, my answer will be yes.
“You’d pack up your life and move here to be with him?”
“In a heartbeat.”
He grins widely at my answer. “In that case, I have a proposal for you.”
After a shower, I change into one of Aiden’s shirts and crawl into bed. Half an hour ago, he texted me to tell me he would be another hour or so yet. I thought I’d settle down for the evening and read, but try as I might, my brain won’t stop going a million miles a minute.
I take a quick look at the time and contemplate whether it’s too late to call. In the end, I figure they won’t answer if they’re asleep. I hit call and wait. After a couple of rings, Marley answers.
“You weren’t sleeping, were you?”
