AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was distracted the last time I was here, so I let my eyes roam all around. The space is clean, masculine, if a little sterile. I don’t imagine he spends a lot of time here. It barely looks lived in.
“The room is right down here.”
I follow him through the condo, taking a step forward when he opens the first door in the hallway.
My jaw nearly hits the ground, eyes narrowing as I glare at him.
“Really?”
He shrugs.
“It’s empty.” I look back to the room. Literally the only thing in there are curtains hanging on the wall. There isn’t a spare box, or castaway furniture.
“There isn’t even a bed.”
Did I mention the living room had theater seating, so not even a couch to sleep on?
“There’s only one bed in the condo,” he says, his mouth twitching, threatening to smile. “Make yourself comfortable.”
I’m glaring at his back as he walks away.Chapter 35Flynn
If Remington only knew how much her stubborn resiliency turned me on, she might tone it down a couple of notches.
She hasn’t spoken a word to me since she arrived. She hasn’t opened the door to that fucking room except to grab her things from Ignacio when he arrived a couple of hours ago.
The condo feels like a torture chamber with her so close yet closed off from the world.
When the Thai takeout is delivered, I use it as my opportunity to see her face. After re-plating the food, I walk it down the hall, forced to use the tip of my shoe to knock with my hands full. Bringing her dinner isn’t a big deal, but I’m not going to eat alone either.
“Remington. My hands are full. Open the door.”
No sound comes from the room, but I know she’s in there. We’re too high up for her to escape through a window, and since I’ve been hovering all damn day, I know she hasn’t managed to sneak out.
“Remington,” I repeat, smiling when I hear a huff from the other side. She doesn’t open the door. “I brought dinner.”
Silence.
I rest my head against the door.
“It’s going to get cold.”
“I’m not hungry.”
This stubborn girl.
“Liar.”
“I’m not.”
“It’s Thai.”
I smile when she groans, knowing she loves any type of Asian cuisine. In New York, I swear she ate her weight in the stuff at least twice a week.
The door opens, but she walks away as soon as it swings wide. I grin, even though she’s not happy about being here. I take solace knowing she’s near, knowing she could walk out of here at any time but she’s stayed. Keeping her here long term is going to be the problem, but I’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Without a word, she props herself against the wall, head hung low over her cell phone.
I place a plate of food by her hip and mirror her position on the other side of the room. Her back has to be killing her, but knowing Remi like I do, she isn’t going to complain.
I thought for sure the unfurnished room would at least force her to settle in the living room, but her stubborn streak is a mile wide. I’ve seen hints in her behavior since we reconnected that she’s happy to see me, that she wants to be in my arms, but I hurt her. I dismissed her like everyone else in her life has, and I have my work cut out for me to come back from that. It’s a good thing I’m determined because letting her get away again isn’t an option.
“Wren told me your phone was disconnected.” Add that lie to the long list of things I want to beat his ass over.
“It’s a prepaid phone,” she responds, surprising me that she’s actually going to talk.
I keep my plate of food in my lap, the smell of it threatening to make my stomach growl, but she hasn’t touched hers, so mine will just get cold as well.
“What are you doing?” I place the plate on the floor beside me, taking some of the temptation away. She didn’t come out of the room, so I haven’t eaten all day either, waiting for her to poke her hungry little head out.
“Filling out employment applications. It sucks on the phone, but I left my laptop behind.”
She left more than that behind. All of her belongings filled a small suitcase and a single duffel bag. She’d mentioned before that if she left, she wasn’t going to be able to take much. Her parents used that to keep her in place for so long.
“I could buy another. It would definitely make things easier, but I’m on limited funds these days.”
I nod in understanding even though she isn’t looking in my direction. I hate being in the room and not having her attention.
“I’m proud of you.”
She huffs, her eyes staying on that stupid phone as her fingers work over the small screen.
