ADRIANA
I get home at seven.
Well. Notmyhome. Lochlan's penthouse. But the word slipped into my head without permission, and I keep flipping it around to see how it feels.
Real enough for me to think it, I guess.
I decided to keep my own place for the time being. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it, if I’ll sell or rent it. I have to move the rest of my things here, too. I dragged my feet for a while, keeping only what I needed with me.
Maybe it’s time to really open up to this new life. I’ve been flipping that around, too.
I stopped by the hospital on the way here to see Dad. There's been no change with his condition. He’s still stable, still on all the machines while we all wait for what is starting to feel like a miracle. But I still hold onto the hope that he knows I’m with him. I sat next to his bed for twenty minutes, held his hand, and told him about the Harrington-Cole deal that averted total disaster for Castellano Shipping. And us. He didn't respond. He hasn’t so far.
But I keep going. Keep talking. Because the alternative is accepting that he might never wake up, and I'm not ready forthat.
I’d love for him to sit right up in the bed and tell me what a stupid idea the Harrington-Cole deal was, that he’d have never gone down that path. My God, I would love to hear him berate me. It would be like the sweetest music.
I leave the hospital, my heart deflated as it always is when I walk out because I never really know if it’ll be for the last time.
I take the elevator up to the penthouse. The door slides open. Lochlan is on the couch with Reaper, watching something on television. His arm is flung over his head, the muscles in his bicep popping. I sweep my tongue over my lips before I realize it. When I walk in, Reaper launches off the couch and barrels toward me, jarring me from my pointed stare.
"Whatever, dude," Lochlan calls after him. "I was petting you for an hour."
I drop my bag and crouch down to greet him. He presses his head against my chest and I smile, stroking him. “Maybe he just needs a woman’s touch,” I say lightly.
Lochlan’s eyebrows fly up, a sexy grin lifting his lips. “I didn’t realize that was on offer.”
Heat creeps up the sides of my neck. “Well, for him, it is.” I straighten up and smooth down the front of my skirt. “How was your day? I mean, other than the endless stream of texts you so masterfully crafted.”
He snickers and grabs the remote. “Pretty quiet. Yours?”
“Long.” I kick off my heels and step closer to the couch. “I stopped by the hospital on the way back. Just to check on Dad.”
His expression softens. “How is he?”
I sink down next to him, my shoulders slumping forward as I catch my face with my hands. “The same. Always the same.” I peek at him through my fingers. “The doctors keep saying stable like it's good news. But stable just means nothing's changing. Nothing's getting better.”
“Yeah, but it also means nothing's getting worse.”
“I know. I just...” I trail off, a deep sigh heaving my chest. “Ikeep waiting for him to open his eyes, to tell me I'm doing it all wrong, and to let me know what to do next.”
Lochlan reclines back against the couch, his t-shirt stretching over his chest.
I bite down on my lip. I shouldn’t be looking. I shouldn’t even be thinking about his perfect pecs.
“Not wrong. Just different. And different is good.” He flashes a smile full of encouragement.
“Now tell me what you did today besides stuff yourself full of carbonara.”
“Oh my God, it wassogood,” I say, pushing my hair back. “But I totally needed a siesta midday. Luckily, I got my big tasks out of the way before lunchtime.”
“Tell me about the big tasks.”
“Well, I outlined terms of a new vendor contract, talked a nervous client off a ledge, and only threatened to fire one person. It was productive.”
“You exercised restraint. Good for you.”
I shrug. “I guess I'm growing as a person.”
