Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 784(@200wpm)___ 627(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 784(@200wpm)___ 627(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
“Stop overthinking. You’re putting obstacles in our way that don’t need to be there. We’re in love. We’re happy. We’re committed…” Arik started.
“Our relationship is still very new.” Kellus filled in his own bullet point.
Arik acted as if he hadn’t spoken.
“And it’s time we become unified in our future. I know he’s still texting you. He’s driving by the house at least once every day…”
Kellus furrowed his brow, his surroundings faded away as he focused on those words. “How do you know that?”
Arik only paused to let him ask the question, before he continued. “He’s planning something, Kellus, and if you and your business have the security of my place, then he can’t hurt you anymore,” Arik explained, his tone absurdly reasonable.
“Answer me,” he demanded, not letting him ignore the question.
“I’d prefer not to,” Arik replied sheepishly. “What I’d rather say is that I have to travel, I just do. I can make brief trips, back in a day or two, but those trips will be frequent, maybe as much as a couple of times a week, which will suck for me. I can’t imagine I can sleep without you there. But, if you won’t come with me, I’d feel better knowing you were somewhere safe.”
“I wish you’d tell me what you know,” Kellus said, quietly. Arik had the resources to follow John. Had he done that? Certainly not without telling him. But Arik was that way. It was part of his personality. He didn’t believe in letting fate work itself out.
“He’s obsessed with you right now.”
Kellus nodded, knowing Arik’s words were an understatement. John sent him four or five text messages a day, more than ever before. He ignored them all, never engaging on any level. One thing Arik had taught him in the short time they’d been together was that Kellus had never felt about John the way he did about Arik. Even trying to put the brakes on the fast pace of their relationship truly didn’t seem to matter. Losing Arik would be a pain that lasted his entire lifetime. With John, it seemed like a lifetime of just trying to make him act decent.
“I can show you the area that I think would be perfect for you. If you’ll agree tonight, I’ll have the design department at Layne contact you in the morning. They have some preliminary plans, but I honestly thought you could design something on your own. Either way, we can start renovations right away.”
Kellus stared at him, trying to wrap his head around what Arik had just said. Plans already in the works? Nothing logical came to mind. An inward groan had him rolling his eyes, turning away, taking a step forward in line as they inched closer to their turn. His brain had gone slightly numb.
“What are you thinking?” The gentle timbre of Arik’s voice brought him out of his daze.
“We just started dating…” Kellus replied, not sure what to say.
“You know we belong together. Time won’t change that.” Arik sounded so sure and confident. He wished he could be secure in knowing time wouldn’t change things.
“What if it does, though?” Kellus turned back to Arik, searching his face. “What’s gonna happen if I’m living and working at your place, and this doesn’t work out? Where will that leave me?”
“That’s not gonna happen.”
“You don’t know that. People break up every day.”
“Then I’ll have something legal drawn up that protects you. I’ll cover the cost of moving you out or whatever we decide. You can have that floor if we separate. I don’t care, because it won’t be me that ever ends this between us. I’ll do whatever you need to feel secure because breaking up isn’t going to be an issue we’ll face.”
The line moved up again and he stepped forward. They were next, which saved him from having to respond. Actually, he had answered. Things were moving way too fast. They needed time under their belts. Arik had a reputation of being a player. He most definitely needed to give himself some time to make sure this wasn’t the result of an early mid-life crisis, or perhaps a brain tumor…
That silly thought made Kellus smile. Maybe Arik had developed a rare disease that made him go completely against his personality. That had to be it; otherwise, why in the world would this jet-setting playboy tie himself down with a nobody that had nothing to offer in return?
“I hate when I don’t know what you’re thinking. Why are you smiling?” Arik asked. Kellus’s answer came by way of lifting his hand to Arik’s forehead, feeling for a temperature.
“Hmm… You aren’t sick.”
Arik’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t feel sick…”
Kellus laughed at the panicked look on Arik’s face.
“You two together?” asked the carnie.
“Yes.” Arik handed over the stack of tickets. The guy counted them out and moved aside for them to enter the cart. Once they were strapped in and had moved up a couple of notches, Arik scooted closer, wrapping an arm around the back of his seat. “This is my first time taking a date on a Ferris wheel.”