“Don’t push your luck.”
His smile is crooked and warm. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The restoration team arrives at 7:43 AM. They’re efficient, professional, and entirely unbothered by the chaos they walk into. Within an hour, industrial fans are humming, dehumidifiers are running, and most of the standing water has been extracted.
Martin, the team leader, corners me by the front desk with a clipboard full of forms.
“The good news is, your floor’s not as bad as it looks. Caught it early. We’ll have the damaged sections replaced within a week.”
“And the bad news?”
“The bathroom’s a total loss. Pipes, walls, fixtures—all of it needs to go. You’re looking at a full rebuild.”
I close my eyes. “How much?”
Martin names a figure that makes my stomach drop.
“I can get you references for contractors,” he continues. “Good people. Fair prices. But you’ll want to move fast—water damage doesn’t wait.”
“No,” I agree numbly. “It doesn’t.”
Mal appears at my elbow. “Put together a list. I’ll make some calls.”
“Mal—”
“You have classes to run.” His voice is gentle but firm. “Let me handle the logistics.”
“I can’t ask you to?—”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” He takes the clipboard from Martin, scanning the forms. “Besides, I have very particular opinions about bathroom tile. This is really just an excuse to impose my taste.”
Despite everything, I feel my lips twitch. “Your taste?”
“Which is impeccable. Obviously.”
Martin looks between us with barely concealed amusement. “I’ll leave you two to it. Call if you need anything.”
He disappears back into the chaos of his team, and I’m left standing in the middle of my disaster area, watching Mal makenotes on a clipboard like this is the most normal thing in the world.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say.
“I know.”
“This is my problem. My studio.”
“Also know that.”
“So why?—”
He looks up. His eyes are warm in the morning light, the red barely visible, and when he smiles, something in my chest expands.
“Because you called me,” he says simply. “And that means something.”
I don’t have a response to that. So I just nod, and go to see what can be salvaged from the storage closet, and try not to think about how much I like having him here.
CHAPTER TWELVE
By noon, the immediate crisis has stabilized. The floors are drying. The bathroom is gutted but contained. The restoration team has finished their first phase and left with promises to return tomorrow.
