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Chapter 24
Phin
After recovering from the gala, we settled into a nice routine. Lizzie would do some work in the morning while I helped around her place. She'd told me she needed to stay on top of her email, so I let her go into her home office and work. Lizzie needed to unplug entirely, but she couldn't do it. While she worked, I took care of the house and her. She'd come out of the office after a couple of hours to a spotless condo and a home-cooked meal. I wasn't afraid to admit I was a modern man and could take care of my woman. Living on the streets and then working for Duke, made me realize what mattered in life. Feeding and taking care of people made me happy.
I enjoyed taking care of her—my girl was messy at home, and she couldn't cook to save her life. This morning she had tried to surprise me by making me toast, but it wasn't a big success. The house smelled of burnt toast most of the morning, but her attempt made me smile.
I worried her chaotic clutter might eventually get on my nerves, but for now, I thought it was a beautiful part of her character. My need for cleanliness was the perfect balance of the best and worst parts of each other. Cleaning up helped calm my anxiety that I felt about possibly leaving at the end of the week.
In the evenings we just stayed in and got to know each other. Lizzie talked fondly of her childhood, and I told her edited versions of mine. I found happy memories from when I was younger and recounted those with a smile on my face. Curled up on the sofa, we'd laugh about stupid stuff, and she cried a little when we talked about her friend who had disappeared. I kissed her tears away and made love to her on the sofa that night. We made love all over the house, and no surface was out of bounds. The kitchen island had been a favorite spot.
The last few days with Lizzie had been some of the best of my life. I think we both did our best to hide our apprehension from each other, knowing it was slowly coming to an end. We couldn't avoid the elephant in the room much longer. For now, I am doing my best not to let my anxiety ruin our time together.
Lizzie
How was it Thursday morning already? I almost cried when I realized how quickly the week has flown. The last few days have been a blur of sex, food, and naps. Other than getting groceries, we'd hardly been out of the house. I wanted to do something special with Phin that didn't involve us being naked.
We'd still not discussed much about his past or our future, but we needed to do it soon. I even managed not to bring up where he lived or his parents, which was increasingly difficult for me. Knowing that Sunday or Monday would be here soon enough, I didn't want to rock our happy love boat. I wanted him to stay after the weekend, but I wasn't sure how to bring it up.
Later that day, lying on the sofa watching another movie, I'd seen a million times, my head was resting on his lap while he played with my hair. This had quickly become one of my favorite things, and he seemed to find it comforting.
"Phin, it makes me happy that you are here. I want to do something special for you because you've taken such good care of me all week." He leaned down and kissed my cheek and continued to play with my hair. "Sunday's will be here soon. I don't want this to end and have to go back to the real world. Have you decided what you will do?"
He stopped playing with my hair, and I could feel the sudden tension in his body. My heart stopped as I realized what I said and that I might have ruined the moment. I'd given myself to him without question, I had tried to let my guard down and trust him. My stomach was tense and felt like it was tied in a million knots. He sat there, giving me no indication of his answer. I swear it seemed like forever before he spoke.
He brushed my cheek with his thumb. "Lizzie, I honestly don't know what I will do. I want to enjoy this time with you. Can we talk about it more on Sunday? I promise we'll figure it out. Now get that look off your face, you can't get rid of me that easily." Both our bodies went slack, and my favorite smile rose across his face. I will take his advice and not worry about it. I believed him when he said we'd figure it out.
My stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension at that moment, and we both laughed. I had to look away. "Sorry, my stomach has got a big mouth." Phin was the first to get up, and he pulled me toward the kitchen.
"Sorry, I am neglecting my duties of feeding you. You'll need your strength for what I have planned for later."
"If this keeps up, I will have to get a whole new wardrobe in a larger size. Phin, you're going to make some woman an amazing husband one day."
He let go of my hand and went to the refrigerator to start cooking. Phin stood gazing at the contents of my now full fridge while he avoided making eye contact with me. My joke about him making a good husband had shaken him. I needed to be more careful around him and not make such declarations. He'd be out of here soon if I kept pushing him.
"Phin, I was kidding about you being a good husband."
He stopped and gave me a weak smile. "I know, Lizzie, I get it."
I knew I needed to leave it now. "Well, what are we eating?"
His look shifted to one I'd learned to love; his sexy dimple was out.
"It's a surprise."
"I hate surprises." I winked at him. "Oh, and no sex until later, we need a break."
"Yeah, whatever you say, Lizzie." He got busy cooking, but his response wasn't fooling me. I smiled and tried to pretend I hadn't ruined our domestic bliss.
Phin, a man of his word, fed me pasta until I was almost in a coma. The tension and weirdness had evaporated. Sitting at the breakfast bar, rubbing my full belly, I felt my eyes getting heavy, and I was having trouble staying awake. Phin had asked me a question, but I couldn't answer it, I was too tired. Without another word, he carried me to the bedroom and put me down so we could get undressed. We quietly stripped off our clothes and got into bed. Phin lay down gently next to me and tucked me into his warm body. As I relaxed in his arms, I couldn't even think about anything but how happy I was at that moment. I cuddled up into his warm body, and before I fell asleep, I whispered, "Don't ever leave Phin."
