Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I stood and carried my cup to the sink. I looked out on the yard, already envisioning what it would look like in a few weeks with some hard work. I’d heard Chase talking to Dom about the deck he wanted to build and the plans to do so. It would look amazing and be a fun place to hang out. A great one to relax on.
A wonderful place to spend downtime with Chase.
If he wanted me to.
That was the question that plagued me.
Because I wanted him to want that as much as I did.
But if all I could have was a great roommate and a friend, I would take that too.
Because when it came to Chase, I would take whatever he offered.
He came home around four, looking tired. He walked in and stopped, looking around in amazement.
“Wow, Hannah, the place looks so great.”
I smiled at him from the sofa. I had arranged the furniture and added a rug I had already. It went well with his sofa. I added the chairs and tables, plus put together the TV stand and managed to get his TV on top. The room looked inviting, and once I hung some pictures and blinds, it would be a cozy place. I kept it minimal, not wanting to overpower him with toss cushions and knickknacks. He looked at the keys in his hand, then the table in the hall. “Is the bowl for these or decoration?” he asked.
I laughed. “Whatever you want it to be. It’s your bowl.”
He picked it up, studying it. “Really?”
“It was in the cupboard.”
His face cleared. “Right. Charly gave it to me for Christmas. I thought it was for salad.”
“No. Decoration.”
“Makes more sense,” he mused, turning the beautiful wooden bowl in his hands. “With the hole in it and everything. I thought maybe she got it on sale, and I didn’t want to ask.”
I began to laugh, and he grinned at me, looking more like Chase than he did last night.
“Working today?”
“Yeah. I had some stuff at work I wanted to do. Retooling some leather and I needed the quiet.”
“You were gone early,” I said lightly. “I wasn’t sure.”
He sat down and pulled off his beanie. His hair stuck up everywhere, and I had to bite back my grin. “I guess I should have left a note or something. I’m not used to roommate etiquette. Brett and I would just come and go. If we wanted information, we’d call.”
“I didn’t want to bother.”
He frowned, running his hand over his head. “I need a shower.” He stood, heading to the door, pausing. He turned and met my gaze. “You could never be a bother, Hannah. Ever.”
Then he disappeared.
It was like that for the next week. Moments of politeness. Long periods of him being absent. I had no idea if that was normal. He’d kept close the first week, but maybe that was the anomaly and his being gone was the usual. If he was there, we’d eat dinner together. He told me amusing stories about the garage. Tuesday, he had a new bed delivered for his room, and he’d asked advice on where to put it. It was a king-sized mattress with a nice, heavy headboard that curved, made of black metal with brushed nickel accents. I suggested the spot, and he instructed the delivery men to situate it there.
They left, and he rubbed his chin. “I should have bought a new dresser,” he surmised. “That one is kinda old.”
“But it’s solid wood. Holds a lot,” I pointed out. “We could strip it and paint it black and add knobs to match the headboard. Same with your side table. It would look awesome with the blue-gray walls.”
He swallowed. “If you have time.”
“Of course I do. We can go get the stuff on the weekend if you want.” I looked around. “Do you want help making the bed?”
He paused, then chuckled. “I guess my sheets won’t fit.”
I had to laugh. “You had a double, and now you bought a king? No, they won’t.”
He shrugged. “I’ll just make do for a couple of days. No biggie. I’ll get some.”
“There’s a big warehouse sale this weekend in Toronto. I’m going to pick up a few things with my mom. Tell me what you like, and I’ll find you a set. It’s cheaper there and has a bigger selection.” I offered, hoping he’d say he would come with me.
“You can pick it. I trust you.”
“You have plans this weekend?” I asked lightly, feeling an odd frisson of hurt in my chest.
“Picking out shingles and wood for the deck with Dom and Stefano,” he replied.
“Oh, cool.” My chest felt better with his words.
“Dom and I are going to go to a place he likes later. It’s about an hour away.”
My heart sank. He wouldn’t be around at all. “Well, have fun.”