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I smile pleased.
At the end of the day, we're all exhausted. Usually, Earl gives me a ride home, but I turn him down this time and decide to walk instead. The weather is nice and the restaurant isn't too far from the cottage.
As I walk, I suddenly remember the note April handed me, and pull it out, opening it.
Then I stop in step when I see what's written there.
I'm watching you.
Chapter Fourteen
Oliver
Igettothecottage before Delilah today, noting that the lights are still out.
I frown as I get out of the truck. Her shift should be over by now. I know her schedule by heart, having bugged her to give it to me. I told her it was because I needed to know what time I would have dinner each day, but the truth is I just want to know what time she'll be home, so we can have dinner together.
I don't know what that says about our relationship.
I don't let myself think about it beyond the fact that I enjoy her company while I eat.
I let myself in the house and go to the kitchen, spotting that she has some dishes in there. We didn't have breakfast together this morning since I had an early meeting and her shift was early as well. She did have a breakfast wrap delivered to my office again, and looking at the dishes now, I can see that she probably made it before she ran out.
Fuck, she's doing too much work. A less selfish man would cancel our whole breakfast-for-rent deal, but I know she would never go for that, and might even threaten to leave the cottage again.
And now that she's earning money, there's a good chance of that happening.
Especially since the end of the month deadline is fast approaching.
I drop my briefcase on the table and roll up my sleeves, before heading to the sink. It's shameful that I never even considered helping out till now, just letting her take care of both the cooking and the cleaning. Now, I immediately begin taking each dish individually and scrubbing it down, while thinking about where she could be. Maybe I should have picked her up from work today. I've asked Jonah to give her a ride when I can't manage it, but maybe he was too busy today.
Suddenly, I hear hurried footsteps coming up to the entrance and turn in time to see her dash into the house. She doesn't seem to notice my presence at first as she immediately spins around and then bolts the door behind her.
She takes a deep breath also leaning against the door and watching through the peephole.
“Del?”
She yelps and jumps about a foot in the air, but when she spins around to see me standing there, her hand flies to her chest.
“What are you doing here?” she gasps.
I raise an eyebrow. “You forget it’s technically my house.”
“Yes, but..." Her eyes frantically look around as though expecting a ghost to jump out. Then they settle back on me, frowning as she notes the plate in my hands. "What are you doing?"
“I’m doing dishes," I respond.
“Why?”
“Because you need your dishes done."
“Oh.” She doesn’t seem to know what to say to that, and I pause because I can see that in her eyes she’s still rattled about whatever on earth had her dashing in here like hell was on her heels.
“The question is,” I say, dropping the plate and wiping my hands on a rag by the dish rack. “What’s going on with you?”
“Me?” Her eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”
I say nothing because I can tell already she's determined to lie to me about this. Or at least keep this from me.
