Page 23 of Imogen

I pull the wet material away from my body. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not. Go grab a T-shirt from my wardrobe. Mum left some stain remover in the cupboard above the washing machine. If you rub some of that on it and soak it when you get home, it should be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you.”

I make my way down the hall, noticing the personal touches someone has made. On the wall running along the short hallway are pictures. Some are group photos with his family, and some are from the office. All are memories of milestones or events, and I can’t help but stop at the one of me with the men who work for my dad. I’m the only female in it and I’m knelt down with two Rottweilers on either side of me. They were my dad’s best friend’s dogs—Harris.

The bathroom is at the end of the hall and the door to Ben’s bedroom is to the right of it. I step inside, mesmerised by the décor. To the right is a corner wardrobe and drawers. The entire wall behind them has mouldings, giving the dark charcoal grey walls character. His upholstered bed frame is in a lighter shade of grey. He has a dark bedsheet on, but the throw at the bottom is white, crossing over the corner of the bed.

He has a desk in the far-left corner that runs along the wall before stopping at the window. Everything is simple and tidy yet looks elegant and beautiful.

Not wanting to come across as creepy, I quickly move to the wardrobe, pulling open the door. I unbutton my blouse before sliding it off. Not wanting to risk getting the sauce on anything else, I fold it up so it’s covered and place it on his drawers. I reach for one of his black T-shirts, tugging it over my head. I’m immediately surrounded by his scent, which is a mix of spice and earthy woods. There’s also a hint of lavender softener.

I grab my blouse off the drawers and make my way back to the living room. Ben is nowhere to be seen, so I head into the kitchen, panicking a little. He shouldn’t be on his feet.

“What are you doing up?”

He holds up a tube and a tub. “Grabbing these.”

“Ben, I could have done that. You shouldn’t be on your feet.”

“I needed to get up anyway. I didn’t realise how late it had gotten so I’m going to hit the sack.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, searching for any clue that he is lying to make me feel better.

“Positive,” he assures me, taking my blouse from me. “You have to leave this to soak for twenty minutes before you put it into the wash. As a son who grew up being fed dishes with sauces, it’s a lifesaver. You have no idea how many shirts I went through when I moved out before my mum finally shared her wisdom.”

I watch him scrub the gel onto the shirt as I reply. “She didn’t give it to you in preparation?”

He laughs as he sprinkles some powder on top of the stain. “No. She did everything in her power to get me to move back home. I’ll never admit it to her, but I nearly broke after my favourite Tee got ruined.”

I laugh because that describes Maria perfectly. She’s a cunning woman who loves her children. “When did she break?”

“I invited her to dinner and I was doing it all wrong. The minute I splashed sauce on my shirt and went to throw it in the bin, she got up, yelling at me in Italian. By the end of the night, I had a list of home life hacks, recipes, and she had purchased every cleaning product I would ever need.”

“Wait a second… does that mean you didn’t cook at the office Christmas party?”

“Oh no, I did. Mum just needed to see that she needed to let go. And I needed to learn you will always need your mother.”

He hands me my shirt. “Thank you,” I reply. “I wish I came to that revelation when I moved out. I only moved next door but I missed my parents terribly. Mum had to get me to adjust to the new living arrangements by not visiting me at home. I couldn’t even visit her at their home. We had to meet up in a new setting. So I guess it was reversed for me. I was the one who needed to let go.”

“What did your mum need to learn?”

I laugh because I know it’s going to sound ridiculous. “That she couldn’t call me up for a vote anymore. It was no longer two against two. It was two against one, since I didn’t live there anymore. Luckily, whenever there’s something my dad and brother don’t want to watch, me and Mum will arrange to watch it together. I guess we’re both lucky to have parents who love us.”

His gaze softens, and I swear his eyes drift down to my lips. “Yeah.”

I clear my throat. “Well, um, I’d better go. I have some work I need to do before tomorrow.”

I walk back to the living room, collecting my bag from the sofa. “Will you tell your boss I said thank you for the gifts?”

“I will.”

As we reach the door, he pulls it open. “You should try to talk him into giving you a copy of the game so we can pair up.”

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