Page 79 of Dark Verse

“Nice.”

“And…” I reach out and pull the sliding door open. “If you come out and turn this way, you can see the ocean.”

“Oceanfront property, impressive.”

Giggling, I say, “It’s not exactly oceanfront, but I am high up enough on the hill and on the fourth floor, so I can see the ocean.”

“A beautiful view for a beautiful woman.”

I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. “Stop flirting with me.”

“You can’t make me.” He sticks his tongue out like a kid, and that sends me into a fit of laughter.

“Okay, back to the tour,” I say, stepping back inside and closing the door behind me. I take a slow circle in place to show off the living room.

“Nice big TV,” Knox observes.

Sighing, I admit, “It was an ex’s. He was always buying oversized shit that he couldn’t really afford and then expecting me to bend over backward to accommodate.”

“Idiot.”

“More than you know. His spending habits basically ruined his credit. I told him to sell all the crap that got him in trouble in the first place, and he had the nerve to accuse me of being unsupportive. It didn’t last long after that fight. And he left a bunch of his crap here when he moved out. Eventually I sold it all and used the money to take myself on a much-needed vacation from that whole situation. The only thing that seemed worth keeping was the TV.”

“Where did you take yourself?”

“I spent four glorious days in New Orleans.”

“Oh, Naw Leans,” he stretches the syllables out in a thick New Orleans drawl.

“Have you been?” I ask, moving from the living/dining room to the hallway.

“No, but it’s high on the bucket list.”

I file that information away for later.

“Bathroom. Nothing too fancy there,” I say, showing that space first. “And there is the second bedroom.”

The bedroom is still in a slight state of disarray, so I don’t linger on the floor. Instead, I show off the bookcases and artwork that mostly make up the decor of this room.

“And my bedroom,” I say as I push open the door and flip on the light. Knox is quiet as I take a slow circle of the room.

“I see you’re a maximalist in your decor choices. It’s so colorful.”

“Surprised?”

“Not at all. It’s just confirmation for me. The first time we met, your hair was purple. The second time it was bright pink. I never expected your house to look super traditional.”

“What can I say, I love a wacky throw pillow,” I say, falling onto the top covers of my bed.

I hold up a small blue and white one with swirling patterns across it.

“And a lot of them too. I thought people only had that many pillows on their beds in movies.”

It’s my turn to stick my tongue out, and he laughs.

“It’s a big bed. It feels empty without all the pillows here.”

“I’d love to be in there with you,” Knox says, lifting an eyebrow.