Page 89 of Just Breathe

“It’s ok, it’s just a misunderstanding.” I tried to give him a smile to ease his discomfort.

“Alan here says everything looks good. We just have to fix a few things but most of the house is ready to go.” Aiden changed the subject thankfully.

“That’s amazing.” I was excited to see the house.

“Alright kids, I gotta go inspect a slab leak repair. I’ll see you later. Let me know if you need any more help.” He clapped Aiden’s back and nodded at me as he left the house.

I didn’t want to deal with whatever was going on, so I made my way to the kitchen to see what was done. I felt Aiden’s gaze as I left the room and I itched to look at him. Aiden in a tool belt was deadly because he looked so yummy. I realized Nathan hadn’t walked into the house, and I wondered if he just dropped me off, too afraid to stay.

The kitchen was gorgeous. Concrete countertops with white cabinets and dark wood accents decorated the kitchen. The island was missing lights overhead and hardware was also missing from some cabinets, but it looked great.

“We are missing a bunch of little things in here, mostly hardware, and I need to replace that faucet because one guy scratched it while installing it.” Aiden came into the kitchen. “The mudroom tile and paint are on back order. The wallpaper for the half bath came in today. We finished all the bedrooms except one bedroom needs some trim.”

“That sounds great.” I leaned over the sink to see the view. I walked over to the butler’s pantry and walked in. There was so much space and little cubbies for all of my appliances. I was in love. I turned around to walk back out, almost running into Aiden in the doorway. He was such a big guy he almost took up the whole doorway.

I gave him a small smile. “Excuse me,” I said, only glancing at his face, not wanting to make this anymore awkward and I felt the need to protect myself.

He stared at me with an unreadable expression for a few seconds before he moved. I quickly got out of the pantry, making my way to the hallway that led to the master and two bedrooms.

“Everything on this side is ready. I tried to put all the furniture that had labels on it in the right rooms. If anything needs to be moved, just let me know.” Apparently Aiden didn’t get the hint I didn’t want to be around him or that this was feeling awkward.

“Ok,” I replied, not knowing what else to say. Did he expect me to bring up last night? I felt like I was being pushed away and I would not be that girl who held on pleading until the very end.

I quickly looked at the extra bedrooms and the Jack and Jill bathroom they shared. It was a simple design that we wanted to use because we made this house for the family we thought we were going to have. I don’t know if it was the drama of last night, but I was feeling extremely emotional.

I swallowed the need to cry and walked into the master bedroom. Aiden had already set the bed up with the mattress and the end tables. Two chairs were in front of an enormous window that faced the mountains. It was a very spacious room that had more than enough room for me. I walked into the bathroom and it was a dream come true. A soaker tub was up against a window that had a superb view.

I couldn’t wait until I could take a bath and enjoy the view while relaxing. The stand up shower was spacious with a double vanity and two entrances to a closet space. It was everything I wanted and more. I turned around to leave and Aiden was in the doorway again, looking at me with that same expression.

“The house looks great. You’ve done a really great job. Thank you.” I walked to the doorway, ready to leave the room, but he didn’t move. He looked down at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

“Aiden.” Nathan saved the day. “There’s a shipment here for wood, but I think you need to look at it.”

“Fuck,” he grunted, leaving the bathroom and giving me room to breathe. I stayed there for a few minutes, gathering my wits before leaving the bedroom to go get my things. Hopefully, some decorating would clear my thoughts and bring me some peace.

* * *

I spent the rest of the day unpacking my luggage, making my bed, and setting up the other bedrooms. I found my phone and purse in the truck, and I took a few moments to let everyone know I was fine. The guys stayed clear of me, only coming to say goodbye to me around dinner time. There was still no sign of Callum and I couldn’t help but be both grateful and saddened by it. I was exhausted by the end of the day, which led to me falling asleep quickly.

I woke up feeling refreshed and enjoying the beautiful view for awhile. I got ready quickly because at nine I had a ride share coming to pick me up. Apparently, people rent out their cars to people at a cheaper rate than car rentals. I found it last night while I was looking for cars to rent and it would save me some money. I didn’t want to rely on Callum lending me a car, and I needed to get to work tonight.

I went down to the kitchen and made a mental note to either by a coffee machine or a French press. I checked my watch, and I grabbed my purse and walked out the door. A silver SUV was waiting for me outside and I was excited that I could find this for so cheap.

The door opened, and Darcy from the coffee shop got out of the car. “Hey girl!”

“Hey!” I yelled back as I locked the door and walked towards her.

“I’m so glad it’s you that is borrowing the car. I’ve had some crazy people use the car and I’m always nervous to rent it out.” She walked over to me and gave me a hug.

“I didn’t even know this was a thing until it popped up on my Google.” I hugged her back.

“It’s a great way to make extra money and not have to do anything. I love it,” she said, opening the door for me. “You mind dropping me off at the coffee shop?”

“Oh, girl, I’m in desperate need of some caffeine.” I hopped in the driver's seat while she went around to the passenger side. I made my way to the coffee shop as we made small talk about my house, the coffee shop and my job in nursing.

I must admit, Darcy was a cool chick, and she was hilarious. I felt like she might be good friend material.

“You know we should go out to the new club that is in Monroe this weekend. We can have a girls’ night,” Darcy said as I pulled up to the coffee shop.

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