Page 69 of Lexi Lets Go

"I’ve been looking at property around the Mystic Falls area. I hope that isn't too presumptuous," he said, sounding a bit uneasy.

She held his hand as he discussed the properties.

"One’s a farmhouse. It would need some major renovations and we could convert the barn to a recording studio. The other is a couple of acres we could build on, make it whatever we want."

"You're serious about this?" She asked. She had dreamed about this. Things were still so new with them, but in a way, it felt like they had been together for years. Their comfort level and level of commitment was not something that grew in a mere two weeks, but here they were. This was crazy.

"I think I am," he said, his fingers lightly grazing over her knuckles.

"This is crazy," she said plainly.

Liam nodded his head and gave her a soft smile. "If it is too fast, we can wait, but I hope you won't mind me being around a lot. I have no desire to go back to the city and spend time away from you."

"Now that I can easily agree to.” She would easily agree to the rest, but it all just felt so quick. But if he wanted to be here, who was she to say he didn't belong here?

Since her time in New York, she had been thinking. She liked her job at the inn, but it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't her life's work, and she was tired. The thought of touring the world with Liam but having Mystic Falls as their home base was an amazing idea. She had worked her ass off taking care of her and Josh for almost twenty years. She had been in survival mode for so long she didn't even know how to be any other way.

When Liam had asked her what she would do, she wasn't lying when she said she would rest then see the world. Resting shouldn't be a privilege. Resting should be a part of life, but the hand that Lexi had been dealt just didn't allow for it.

She should have hobbies and friends and passions, all she had was the inn. She, of course, had her brother, but he was making his life his own, and it was time Lexi did the same.

Maybe it was time to take some time off. Learn what it’s like to be cared for by another person, build a relationship with her brother as an equal and not a caregiver, and rest. She had been fighting burnout for most of her life. If she gave into it one inch, it would pull her down, but maybe she should let it. All Liam wanted to do was shut the world out and relax for a while... Maybe they could do that together.

"So, I told you when I started at the inn, right?"

"Yeah, when you were in high school."

"Yeah, I've been there for going on twenty years. I'm only thirty-three and I’ve never taken a single vacation day until the past week. "

He nodded slowly, his eyebrows tight with concern. The gut instinct to stop and not say this was strong. Her gut reaction to buckle down and do what needed to be done washed over her, but it was time. She was ready to be done.

"Part of me is thinking about taking a leave of absence from work for a while. A very long while. I hadn't allowed myself to think about it, but if you are thinking about relocating here, maybe I could."

"I would love nothing more than to be the reason you finally get to rest. I want to take care of you. I want to live a quiet life with you here in the Mystic Falls and have you on the road when I’m touring. We can travel, and this time, see more than just the inside of a hotel room. You have become my muse. The more time I spend with you, the more music I feel. I won’t stop working, but if you want to take some time to figure out who you are and what your life looks like out of survival mode, let me help you."

She released a shaky breath. It was a scary thing to want, but she was ready. It felt anti-feminist to want to quit her job and be taken care of by this man, but she had worked her whole life. It was time for rest, and he could help. There had to be more to life than just working yourself to the bone, giving everything you have to merely surviving.

"We don't have to decide anything today, or even this week. Just let me stay here for a few days and we'll figure it out."

"Wouldn't you rather stay at the inn? It's much nicer than this place."

"I’ll stay anywhere you’re staying. At some point, I’ll take you home and show you where I lived. In fact, my nephew’s fifth birthday is next week, and I didn’t think I would be able to go, but it’s looking like I can now. Would you go with me?”

She nodded quickly.

“Now when you see my mom's house, just know that's not how I grew up. I bought her a fancy house as soon as I could.”

“If it is okay with you,” he continued. “I can get a keyboard set up and find a little corner to work on my music. Staying at a small inn isn't ideal for an artist who likes to write music at three in the morning."

"That is a valid point, there may be some complaints.”

"So, I'm here. We can look at the property or the farmhouse. We can do whatever you want. Work at the inn if it fulfills you, quit if it doesn't. Sleep for days and I’ll wake you up for food and orgasms as needed.”

"You joke, but you have no idea how good that last one sounds," she said with a chuckle.

He gripped her hand with a bit more pressure. "Then it's not a joke, Lexi. Burnout is a real thing. It can take time to recover from. Let me take care of you. It is okay to let go, to let others take care of you."

At the utterance of those words, big fat tears slid down her cheeks. Letting go sounded so good.

---