Page 33 of Spiralling Skywards
“And if not, if that’s not what you want, ever. Well then, I think this place would be a great investment anyway.”
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe. I managed to swallow, but that was just about it.
“I’m not asking you to move in with me. Not yet. It’s too soon. We need to talk to your brother and to make it official. We need to spend some time getting to know each other better. There are a few other things we need to discuss, but, I’m gonna buy this house. I’m gonna buy it, and when and if the time is right, if things work out between me and you, we will turn it into a home . . . Or, I’ll just sell it and make a massive profit.”
His eyes scanned the room while we stood in silence. They finally landed back on me, and I watched his Adam’s apple move in the middle of his throat as he swallowed. He stepped towards me and grabbed hold of the scarf of his that I was wearing, using it to pull me against him
“What d’ya think, Sarah Carter? Am I imagining what’s going on between us or is it real and I’m one of the luckiest blokes around?”
I remained unmoving, except for the pads of my thumbs that brushed over my fingertips in a continuous motion. I looked up into his light blue eyes and with fear, excitement and exhilaration causing my heart to beat hard in my chest, I replied.
“I . . . yes. One day at a time, but I’m in. I’m all in.”
He picked me up and sat me on the worktop so he could stand between my legs.
“Fuck, Sarah, I want you so bad.”
“I know, and I’m sorry I made you wait,”
“Mademe wait? As in, that’s what youweredoing, in the past, but now you’renotin the present making me wait?”
“I think the answer to that is yes. I think, but I have no clue really if what you just said made any sense. Am I making sense?”
“No clue, but I heard a yes, and that’s good enough for me, pretty girl.”
He lifted me down off the work top and led me out of the house, pulling his phone from his pocket as we walked back to the car he’d purchased that week from the Jaguar dealership I worked at.
I got in and left him standing outside talking on his phone. He’d left his scarf around my neck and I breathed in deeply as I wrapped it around my face and nose. Both my head and my heart were pounding, and I tried to calm myself as I observed him pacing in front of the car while he spoke. He ended his call and then stood and stared back at the house for a few long minutes. Was he already regretting what he’d asked me?
He climbed in and started the car. I was expecting silence, instead he said, “I’ve made an offer, the agent will get back to me as soon as he hears from the bank, which probably won’t be till Monday. In the meantime, I have a little surprise for you.”
I wasn’t actually sure if my heart, or my head for that matter, could take any more surprises, but I still asked, “A little surprise? As opposed to a surprise that’s the size of a house?”
I noticed him flinch slightly. He tilted his head to the side, which I’d learnt in the short time we’d known each other meant he was thinking about how to word something.
“If I say anything, it’s not gonna be a surprise, so I’ll say nothing, and that way, it’ll still be a surprise.”
Again, he wasn’t making much sense, so I sat back in my seat and remained silent, too scared to even ask any more questions. Lost in my own thoughts over what he’d just admitted to feeling for me and where he saw our relationship going, I was surprised when ten minutes later we turned into the estate I lived on.
“We going to mine?”
Liam swung the car into a parking spot in front of the mews apartments opposite my house.
“You’ll get in trouble parking here, they’re designated spots.” I warned him.
“No worries, I’ve got it covered.”
He grabbed my hand, led me to a communal doorway, and tapped in a number on the entry pad.
I remained silent, again, too afraid to ask what he was up to.
We walked up a flight of stairs and then along a quiet hallway, passing doors on either side, stopping when we reached the door at the very end and couldn’t walk any farther. Liam pulled out a key and let himself in. I remained outside as he flicked on the lights.
“C’mon, Sares, why you standing there?”
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Get in here, and I’ll tell ya. Why you whispering?”
