Once we’re back in the car, we pull out of the driveway and drive. We don’t even have a destination, at least I don’t think we do, but Harley is in control, and I’m just along for the ride.
We drive for just under twenty minutes before we pull up to a brick house. It’s beautiful. The door, as well as the windows and shutters,are all black, accentuating the washed-out red brick. There is a small walkway with three steps leading to the door. There is one large oriel window in the front, which allows you to see right into the living room of the house.
I turn to look at Harley, who is watching me closely. “What is this?” I ask him, my eyebrows pulled together in question.
“I started looking while you were in the shower.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I’d like to think it's some form of fate, but I requested a tour and the realtor is going to head over soon.”
My heart swells. “Can we look around outside while we wait?”
Excitement spreads across Harley’s face. “Yes! Nobody has lived here in about three months.”
I get out of the car and walk up the steps, Harley following suit by my side. It seemed smaller from the car, but walking up to it, it feels so much larger. The detail in the door gives a minimalist yet vintage vibe.
“The only thing that it looks like we’d have to do is replace the flooring downstairs, and look at repairing the fireplace chimney, if we wanted to use it.”
“I’ve missed a fireplace!” I half yell in excitement, not regretting the ache that spreads down my back. I turn to him, finally ripping my eyes from the house, and meet his eyes.
“I was hoping you might like it, but we can keep looking too,” he says as I rush into his arms. He hugs me tightly, resting his head on top of mine. “Most people don’t find their dream home the first time, and the pictures were okay, but you may not even like the inside.”
Just as he kisses my lips, a black Traverse pulls up behind Harley’s car and an older woman with blonde curly hair jumps out. “Hi! I’m Janine Kincaid, and I can take you in. You must be Harley?” Her eyes land on him. She sends out her hand and Harley shakes it.
“Yes, and this is my girlfriend, Ember,” He says, gesturing to me.
“Beautiful, shall we go in?” she asks, dangling a key. “I’ll let you guys browse at your leisure, and if you have any questions, just holler!”
I take the key from her, grinning at Harley. “Thank you,” I tell her before we walk up to the door. I slide the key in and turn it.
When the lock clicks, I twist the doorknob and push in. When we step inside, I take in the small entry, a flight of stairs to the left before the living room. To the left, we see the oriel window, and the far wall is brick, but it’s been painted matte black, a dark wood shelf above it. The fireplace sticks out from the wall, leaving a little nook, which is lined with the same wood shelves in the corner. Walking further into the room, I see the open dining room, with a short hanging chandelier.
The walls are lined entirely with windows. Turning into the kitchen, the counters are dark butcher block, with black cabinets and a butcher block island with black hardware. The kitchen sink is a deep white cast-iron apron sink. The kitchen faces a window, where I can see a pergola over a beautiful brick slab. The white subway tiles go up the wall, and the white paint accentuates the black cabinets above. And possibly my favorite part is the black and white tiled flooring.
“We can get some curtains for all the windows, so you feel more comfortable,” Harley says, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.
“It’s okay, I’m not scared of who’s watching anymore,” I tell him with a smile playing on my lips.
He squeezes me tightly. “You’re so fucking strong, Ember. I love you.” He plants a kiss on my cheek before leading me by my hand to the staircase we saw when we entered the house.
It’s safe to say, this house is everything I’ve ever wanted in a home. It’s not mine, but it feels like it was made for me. “Let’s put in an offer,” I tell Harley.
The house isn’t far from town, or from Atlas’s house. There are four bedrooms, and a small converted section of the garage that could be another room. I assume Harley can make it his man cave, so he can have space for himself when he gets sick of me. I smile to myself. The last forty-eight hours have been absolute hell, but I can feel the life I always wanted for myself in my grasp. None of it would have been possible without my dark knight in shining armour.
You cliché bitch.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
HARLEY
It’s beena little over three weeks since the attack, and Ember’s bruises are fading daily. I don’t think she has noticed, but as the marks fade, her light gets brighter. We put in an offer on the house, and it was accepted within a couple of days. The older couple that owned the house even came out to meet Ember and me, to be sure we were a good fit.
“We just want the house to be filled with another life of love,” Mrs. Maitland had told us, patting Ember’s hand. I don’t think Ember stopped smiling the entire time we walked through the house with them.
The husband gave me random pointers for the house.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t fix up the chimney. It needs some brickwork, and I just don’t have it in me to work like I used to,” Mr. Maitland apologizesagain.
“Hey, it’s no problem, we’ll get it fixed up and running in no time.” I give him a smile. “She’s already got a small honey-do list going for me.” Ember whips her head around, giving me a teasing mean mug.
“Hey, happy wife, happy life.” Mr. Maitland laughs to himself.
