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"Thanks. That's really nice of you, Oliver," I said, and I meant it. I was surprised at how heartfelt his words were and how much they really did mean to me. "I guess we can have a conversation or something in the coming weeks while I try to figure it out."
"Sure," he said. "Whenever you're ready." He smiled. "And didn't you say you had a date tonight or something?"
I stared at him and rolled my eyes. "Well, I've got to download the apps and start swiping first.” Part of me wanted to set up a date for the night just to show him that I had options.
He started laughing then. "Oh, Rosalie, you make me laugh."
"Well, at least I'm making someone laugh," I said and then looked away from him because the intensity in his gaze was starting to make me feel nervous. The last thing I needed was to feel close to him again. I didn’t want us to start bonding and enjoying each other's company. I didn’t need to fall for this man yet again.
Chapter5
Rosalie
“Welcome to my casa.” Oliver opened the front door to the apartment. “Or rather, our casa.”
“Thanks.” I stepped inside and looked around in awe. I was taken aback by how large it was. Immediately to the right was a large open-plan kitchen. I dropped my bags on the ground and walked over to the giant marble island. “Wow, this is lush.” I looked behind me at the stainless steel french doors of the fridge, the top-of-the-line oven range, and the twenty-four-bottle herb-and-spice rack attached to the wall. “Wow.” I saw Oliver grinning at me, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t believe my brother and his best friend had such a nice place. I turned around and walked into the living room. A huge plush white sectional was pushed up against an exposed brick wall. On the other side was a huge TV mounted on the wall with speakers on either side. I walked past the couch toward the sliding doors, opened them, and stepped out onto a balcony. My jaw dropped as I looked over at Central Park. “Did you or my brother win the lottery and not tell me?” I turned to look back at Oliver, and he just laughed. He joined me on the balcony and stared out at the view.
“I forgot how beautiful the view was.” He stepped forward. “I don’t get to spend much time out here.”
“Too busy on dates?” I asked him, wanting to know more about his love life.
“Too busy at work.” He chuckled and pressed his lips together as I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not saying I don’t date...I’m not a monk.”
“So no girlfriend?” I asked casually, pretending I didn’t care about the answer.
“Who wants to know?” He peered into my eyes, and I blushed as I turned around and walked back into the apartment.
“Where’s the restroom, please?” I looked around and saw several doors, but I had no idea which one to go into.
“You can use the one on the far left.” He nodded, and I smiled my thanks as I made my way to the door. I opened it, stepped in, and closed it behind me quickly. I gazed around, my jaw dropping as I noticed the pedestal bathtub, separate shower, toilet, and bidet. “A frigging bidet...what is this place?” I mumbled under my breath as I walked toward the sink to wash my hands. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and made some faces at myself. I was feeling out of my element and totally overwhelmed. This apartment was amazing, Oliver was acting friendly and nice, and I had no idea how I was going to keep him at a distance. We’d already fallen into our old pattern, and it was so comfortable. He was teasing and slightly condescending, and I was bratty and grateful. I didn’t want that to be our dynamic anymore. I was no longer teenage Rosalie, the impressionable kid who just wanted to be loved. I was adult Rosalie now, the woman who demanded respect as an equal. Just because I was trying to find my way in life didn’t mean I needed to be treated like a little child.
“You’ve got this, Rosalie. Believe in yourself.” I pointed at my reflection and squared my shoulders. I could feel a rumbling in my stomach, and my head was starting to hurt. I was beginning to feel anxious and overwhelmed, and it had nothing to do with Oliver. I was out of my comfort zone. I missed my bedroom at home, I missed Alice, I missed my parents, I missed the world I knew. I was able to navigate that world easily. And while it wasn’t exciting, it was comfortable. “I wanna go home.” I pressed my lips together, and I could feel my eyes welling up. I wanted my mom to put her arms around me and tell me everything was going to be okay. I took a couple of deep breaths and shook my hands out. I pulled my lip gloss out of my handbag, reapplied it, and smiled at my reflection. I walked over to the toilet, flushed it, and then counted to five before leaving the bathroom.
Oliver was in the kitchen, standing in front of the fridge, and he turned to look at me as I walked toward him. “You want anything?” he asked, holding up a beer, and I shook my head. “You okay?” He frowned as he opened his beer and came toward me.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You look a little low.” He took a sip of his beer. “You sure everything is okay?”
“I’m good. Maybe a little tired, I guess.” I shrugged and looked away from him.
“It’s more than that.” He walked closer to me, and I felt him stopping in front of me. “Rosalie, what’s wrong?” The softness of his voice made my heart jump, and then I felt his fingers on my face, lifting my chin up so I looked into his eyes.
“Nothing,” I said quickly, blinking rapidly.
“Don’t lie to me,” he said. His eyes looked super blue in the light, and I swallowed hard at the intensity of the gaze. “We may not have seen each other in years, but I still know your every expression and emotion.”
“No, you don’t,” I said quickly, feeling embarrassed that he could read me so easily.
“You forget I’ve known you since you were little, Rosalie. What is it? You can tell me.”
“I just feel like I made a mistake moving here,” I admitted. “I don’t know the city. I have no friends here. No job. No prospects. No money. I feel out of my—”
“Rosalie, you do not have no friends here.” He shook his head, frowning. “I’m your friend. Foster is your—”
“Foster is my brother, and you’re his best friend.” I sighed. “It’s not the same.” He pressed his lips together at my words and dropped his fingers from my face.
"Rosalie, I'm more than just your brother's best friend. I'm your friend as well," he said earnestly, and I could hear the hurt in his voice.
