Page 185 of Scarred

It’s been a month since the night I told her I loved her. One whole month of waking up next to her. One whole month of late-night talks and family movie nights with Scar snuggled up between us.

Every day I smile, and every day I fall more in love with the woman who saw past all my scars and showed me how to live again.

I turn off onto the private strip of road that sits along the coastal shores before pulling up to the white house on the end that sits further away from the others.

The dark wood on the wrap-around porch gleams in the warm glow of the setting sun. Flowers overflow from the planters hanging over the railings on both levels of the house, giving it a warm, welcoming feel.

“Whose house is this?” She whispers, peering up at the turrets as a smile appears. “It’s beautiful. Scarlett would love this. Looks like a castle in one of her books,” she laughs.

“I thought the same thing when I bought it a couple of months back.”

“What?” Her eyes widen as she turns to me. “This is yours? You bought this house?”

“Not mine,” I say, shaking my head with a grin. “Ours.”

“You…you want me to move in with you?”

“Something like that,” I chuckle, opening the door and walking over to her side. “Let me show you around first, and I’ll explain.”

“O…okay,” she says, stumbling. I can only imagine all the questions going through her mind now as I lead her up the front porch stairs.

Unlocking the door, I hold it open for her as she steps inside.

“Oh my,” she says, putting a hand to her heart. “It’s even better inside. Look at this beam ceiling and this mantle.”

She walks over and runs her hand along the grains of the restored wood that’s been here longer than both of us combined.

“Your brother did an amazing job restoring the place,” I say, watching her eyes whip to mine.

“This is one of Noah’s houses?”

“It is,” I grin. “When I bought the place, he still had a month left of work to be done, so I’ve been going back and forth with him on a few things I wanted to add.”

“Like?”

“You’ll see,” I grin, holding out my hand as we walk through the bottom level. I watch her take in the place, and every part of me knows I made the right decision. She feels it too.

It’s home.

She stops at the back of the house full of windows overlooking the beach and ocean in the distance below, her misty eyes scan the backyard with the pool and outdoor kitchen next to the big grassy area, now fully equipped with a swing set and sandbox.

“One of your additions?” She asks, smiling at the castle tower with a slide.

“That’s one of them,” I smile, taking her hand and showing her the bedrooms and office on this floor before leading her up the wooden staircase.

“I thought this would be a perfect room for Scarlett,” I smile, walking into one of the bedrooms on the opposite side of the master.

“It’s pink,” she grins, walking into the room with the already built-in white bookcases for all her toys and books.

“I took a wild guess that she would want pink walls,” I tease, causing her to laugh.

“She’s going to love it,” she whispers, looking at the window seat that overlooks the water.

Leading her across the bonus room that mirrors the layout of my condo, to the opposite end of the house, I show her the master bedroom.

“Oh, my god,” she whispers. The full wall of windows gives us a stunning view of the ocean. The wooden beams replicate the downstairs design and provide contrast to the white walls. Where the turret rounds, custom bookcases are built in on both sides, forming a cozy nook.

Wrapping my arms around her from behind, I bend down close to her ear. “I thought it would be the perfect spot for you to read or listen to music,” I say softly. “We could get one of the comfy oversized chairs, and we could sit and watch the sunrise.”