Page 54 of Show Me How to Heal
Damn it, I’d hoped Zayne would tell me I couldn’t bring a dog to work for health reasons so I could finally stop obsessing over the thought. Instead, he’d even told me where to start looking for a dog.
And I couldn’t deny I wanted one. I was sick of being lonely all the time. I wanted someone who forced me to go out, even if it wasn’t on long walks; short walks would also help. A responsibility. Another reason to get better and to get out of bed.
“Maybe,” I said noncommittally. “I’ll think about it.”
About this and about the fact that we’d been boyfriends for a week, and I still wasn’t any closer to telling him about my past. About all the shit that was still hanging over my head.
Somehow, the media had figured out I wasn’t in Germany anymore. Which was bad. It was one step closer to them figuring out where I’d run to. If that happened, there’d be no way to hide everything from Zayne or the town. A mob of journalists and paparazzi would definitely catch attention in a town like Juniper Creek.
“I could come with you,” Zayne offered, crossing the distance between us and stepping between my legs while I sat on my stool. With me sitting, he was actually taller than I was, so I had to look up to meet his eyes, the dark orbs radiating kindness. “If you’d like that.”
I wasn’t even sure if I should do this, but…
“Yeah, I think I’d really like that,” I said. “We could make a date out of it? Like… a real date? Going out for dinner.”
“Hey, we’ve already been to Addy’s!” Zayne protested, but his lips curled in a teasing smile.
“But it wasn’t an official date. So… do you want to go on a date with me?”
“Yes.” Zayne smiled at me, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on my mouth. “But just for the record, we’re already a couple.”
“Date nights are a thing for couples, too,” I said. At least I thought so. My teammates had certainly taken their girlfriends, fiancées, and wives on dates. Just because Zayne was a man didn’t mean there was a difference.
“You’re right.” Zayne let out a yawn. “I’m about ready… do you want to go home with me, or… I could go home with you for a change?”
I bit my lip, my conscience flaring up. Yeah, he knew I didn’t hurt for money, but he didn’t know the rest. Didn’t know about the cabin. If I brought him home, he’d ask questions. Questions I needed to answer but still didn’t know how.
“I’ll come home with you… maybe we could shower together?” I thought back to our first night together, the following morning, me gently washing Zayne, and him doing the same for me.
“I’d like that. But… today is not hair wash day, okay? No getting my hair wet… however… I have a lot of ideas of what we could do in the shower instead.”
I stretched my neck, catching his lips in a passionate, bruising kiss.
“I’m not even going to ask about the hair-washing-thing, but I’m completely on board with everything else you have planned.”
REPORTS ABOUT LUKAS RICHTER POSSIBLY STAYING IN FRANCE HAVE INCREASED – FANS POST PICTURES OF SOMEONE RESEMBLING HIM!
Chapter 14
Zayne
It’d taken a week until we had the time to drive to Compton Bridge. The drive itself only took half an hour, but since we planned on having lunch in town and doing a bit of window shopping, we’d had to plan ahead to make enough time.
Things were going crazy.
With only four weeks left until the grand opening, the tension in me was rising once again. There was so much left to do.
Luke was a godsend. He’d taken over the shop and all the packaging stuff of my online orders so I could focus on making the soaps, solid shampoos, deodorant, and all the other things I wanted to try. My production had almost doubled since I didn’t have to do so many things at the same time.
My social media channels were more popular than ever. If my YouTube channel continued growing at this rate, I might hit one million subscribers soon, thanks to some kind of TikTok-guru who’d told his followers he watched my videos to relax, andbam!Within two days, I’d gained a hundred thousand followers on YouTube alone. This was what going viral meant. It was crazy but also a lot of fun.
“Soo… would you prefer a big or a small dog?” I asked. Luke had picked me up in his old, beat-up truck.
“I don’t really know,” Luke said with a shrug, his eyes never leaving the road. “I think I pictured myself with a bigger dog, but I’m not against getting a smaller one. What about you?”
I raised my brows. “We’re looking for a dog for you,” I reminded him. “Not for me.”
“Sure, but….” Luke trailed off, a blush creeping up his neck and coloring his cheeks. “We’re a couple, right? I can’t get a dog you’d hate.”
