Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164533 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 823(@200wpm)___ 658(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
It was late in the day, and the three of us had been drinking for a while. I wasn’t sure what number cocktail I was on, but I was tipsy enough that I’d spilled to Maggie and Nuala all that had gone on with Rhys and me since I’d returned to Ireland. Nuala was already privy to some of it, but not everything.
“Wait, so that’s why you never bought the house in the end?” my cousin said like the puzzle pieces were falling into place.
“It would’ve been too insensitive to move in right next door to Rhys. Besides, if I’m going to be one hundred percent independent, I can’t have him that close by. He’s such a giver, and I’d only end up going to him for help with every little problem that crops up. The other week, I taught myself how to unblock my toilet with a video tutorial. I was so proud I fixed the problem all on my own. I also purchased a little home tool kit and can put together flat pack furniture like a pro.”
“You were going to buy the house next to Rhys’?” Maggie asked, seeming caught up on that detail.
“Yes. It’s such a cute place. You’ve probably seen it when you and Shay visit him. It has this adorable butterfly knocker out front, and there’s a small back garden full of native flowers and a little patio for chilling in the evenings. It could’ve been my dream home, but I’m sure there’ll be others.”
“Yeah. There’ll be others,” she agreed, but it seemed like there was something she was withholding.
“Maggie? What is it?”
Her eyes bugged, like she was having some internal panic or argument with herself. “Um, nothing. It’s probably not even—”
“Out with it!” Nuala prodded, giving the red head a drunken elbow in the side. The three of us had gotten close the last few days—I’d even spilled to them all about Jesse, his crimes, and subsequent “suicide”—and Maggie had officially turned our little twosome into a circle of three.
“Well, it’s just that Rhys bought that house himself months ago.”
My eyes flared wide. “He did what?”
She nodded. “He said it was an investment and that he planned to rent it out, but I’m not sure he’s taken on any tenants yet.”
Nuala’s gaze met mine, a slow smile creeping across her face. “Oh, this is too romantic.”
“Don’t get carried away. There’s no evidence it has anything to do with me.” I wagged my finger at her. “It’s probably as Maggie said. He bought the house because it’s a good investment. Or maybe he just wants to be able to pick who his next neighbours will be.”
“Right, then, why hasn’t he taken on any tenants? He bought it months ago,” Nuala argued. “That’s money down the drain. Unless …”
“Unless nothing,” I said, heart fluttering wildly in my chest.
“Unless he bought it for you,” Nuala continued, undeterred, “and is waiting for just the right time when—”
“Please,” I said, growing upset and emotional and all twisted up. “Can we talk about something else? I can’t,” I paused to swipe away some of the wetness beneath my eyes. “I can’t talk about Rhys anymore.”
Nuala’s features softened then, her look apologetic. I returned it with one that said we were fine, and she was forgiven.
Sensing the tension, Maggie quickly changed the subject. “Have I told you Shay’s been training his dog to be the ringbearer at our wedding?”
“Stop! That’s going to be absolutely adorable,” Nuala exclaimed, and Maggie proceeded to show us a few videos of Daniel practicing his ringbearer duties in their garden.
It was a good distraction, but I still couldn’t stop thinking about Rhys buying that house. Like, why? What did it mean? It wasn’t like he was going to give me a house. That was crazy. But maybe … maybe he was holding it for me, waiting for a time when I felt ready to take the step into homeownership and would sell it back to me? That sounded a lot like something that infuriatingly gorgeous, kind, big-hearted man would do, and I felt so completely unworthy I didn’t know how to proceed.
I cried into my pillow that night, and my eyes were so puffy the next morning that I had to wear sunglasses all through breakfast.
The last two days at the resort, I was a little subdued. Even after so many months, I still felt like I was completely in love with Rhys. My feelings for him hadn’t faded.
They’d intensified.
When I got home, I immediately scheduled an emergency session with my new therapist, Anna-Marie. She was in her late forties and had a very relaxed, easy-going nature. She never pushed me too hard but always managed to guide me to conclusions in a gentle, logical, measured fashion.
As soon as my butt hit the cushions, I blurted out everything I’d learned from Maggie about Rhys buying my dream home and not breathing a word about it.