Page 79 of His Property

“What did she say?” I ask, my eyes narrowing.

Gabi shrugs. “The typical Cora manipulative bullshit. She spent a good part of the time insulting me, then she went down to the basement to get something. She was pissed when she found out you threw all her shit away.”

“You let her go down to the basement?” My stomach drops thinking about my mother seeing what I’ve turned it into.

Gabi’s eyes narrow. “Obviously, I didn’t give her permission, but I couldn’t exactly stop her.”

I roll my neck and blow out a breath.

“You should move out too, Victor. We stayed here way longer than we should have anyway.”

“It’s our home.”

Gabi frowns but doesn’t argue. I consider grilling her about what all Cora said and what she was here to get, but I drop it. We’re both emotionally spent, and the day isn’t over yet. I have more repairing to do.

“I’m tired,” Gabi says. “Can I lay down in your room for a bit? The movers already took my bed.”

I nod and fight the urge to argue about her moving. It breaks me to know she wants to, but I understand it. I’d feel the same.

I help Gabi inside and up to my room, and when I come downstairs, Mae is hovering near the door. We lock eyes, and she gives me a small smile.

“I guess you were right,” she says as I walk up to her. “You didn’t need my help.”

“I’m glad you were here anyway.”

Her eyes flicker with something, and I get the urge to kiss her. It’s always there, anytime I’m within a couple feet of Mae.

I dip my eyes to her hands fiddling in front of her.

“Why?” she asks.

It takes me a moment to realize she’s asking why I’m glad she was here, and I consider it. The simple answer is that I miss her. I’ve fought the feeling, I’ve convinced myself it wasn’t there, but I’ve been in a constant bad mood since the day I fucked everything up between us, and it’s a relief just to see her face. To feel her touch, feel the compassion and understanding that radiates off her. She’s… warm. As corny as that sounds.

“Because I like it when you’re around,” I say at last. “And you already know my past. It made it easier to tell Gabi.”

She looks down at the floor and nods. “I’m glad my presence made it easier.”

I stare at her lips and move a few inches closer to her. She looks up into my eyes, and her irises swirl with something that looks a hell of a lot like want.

How could shepossiblywant me?

“I’m sorry, Mae.” I hesitantly reach out my hand and caress her cheek. “I should have never said what I said to you. You were right, I was pushing you away.”

She leans into my touch and inches closer to me. “I know you were… It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t.” I move my hands to her shoulders and squeeze while I lower my gaze to her chest.

“Okay, it isn’t.”

I move my gaze back to her eyes. “Let me make it up to you.”

She sways like I have some sort of spell on her, and my head spins. I can see the effect I have on her, and it confuses the shit out of me. It scares me, even. The more I get to know Mae, the more afraid I am of hurting her. The more afraid I am of losing her. The more afraid I am of loving her.

I’m falling for her. Way too fucking hard.

But I can’t help it. I tried to stay away. I tried to kick her out of my life. Maybe it would be for the best, but I’m tired of tossing and turning at night, being in a shitty mood every day, and fighting driving to her house, watching her until I couldn’t resist it anymore.

I want her. I want her so damn badly.

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