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“We’re not moving in together!” I’m flushed and embarrassed, and Alex, behind me, just smiles his soft smile.
Anna shows us apartment after apartment, all very tiny and all on the expensive side for a single income to keep, although I think I could make it work. When it’s almost 6 PM, we get to the last one, and Anna stalls at the door for a moment, playing with her key bunch around her fingers like a hula-hoop.
“Okay, Mr. Winters, this is it!” She places the keys in his hand. “If our adorable Liv decides on this apartment or another, please let me know.”
“We will, Anna,” he says. “Thank you.”
I watch as Anna leaves, and I’m utterly confused. I then turn my eyes to Alex, and he’s there, smiling like a fox, and I reach out a hand and ask, “What?”
“Close your eyes,” he says as he shoves the keys in the lock. I don’t comply, and he looks at me over his shoulder and says, “Please?”
“Okay!” I seal my eyes behind my palms.
The door opens. I try to peek, but he covers my eyes with his hands.
“Walk ahead, just a little more,” he says in his calmest tone, guiding me from behind inside the apartment. “You can open your eyes now.”
Alex removes his hands from my eyes, and I am finally able to see things for myself.
The apartment is nothing special, but there’s a full candlelit Italian dinner for two on the kitchen table, accompanied by white wine and a ginormous bouquet of roses.
“I feel like someone is trying to charm me into staying here!” I say, leaning over the table.
“It’s close to my house,” he points a thumb toward the window. “Plus, I got a good price on it for you.”
He takes the bottle of wine from the ice and prepares to open it while I take a seat. I don’t have my mind made up yet, but that’s no reason to waste good food.
“And your money has nothing to do with it?” I ask with an eyebrow raised.
Alex pops the bottle open and pours down two glasses, “No. Although… I’m willing to pay the deposit, and you pay me back at your own pace.”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” I take on the antipasto platter as an appetizer.
“Well…” he places my glass in front of me and takes a seat himself. “I need to do something to make up for my sister’s behavior.”
I smile, but the truth is that I’m sad inside. It’s been barely twenty-four hours since I last saw her, and I already miss Bella deeply.
But I’m not going to let it show right now. Today it’s a makeshift joyous occasion, and Alex is being a supportive cinnamon bun just like I expected him to be.
This man is exceeding everything I hoped for him. Now it’s only a matter of time for me to decide if I’m ready or not to be his girlfriend.
Chapter Sixteen
ALEX
ThisThursdaythere’sgoingto be a reception on the factory floor to celebrate the release of the magazine article about me.
As is often the case with events centered around me, I’m not excited at all about this. However, now that Bella and Liv are fighting, I’m managing to get even less interested in my own magazine debut.
The day before it, I’m talking with Liv.
How’s it going in your new place?
I text her, tapping my fingers quickly on the side of my phone while I wait for her reply. She had decided on the last one, which I was very happy about since it’s so close to me.
It’s nice!
The neighborhood is very quiet.
