Rafe enters the trailer and bends downs, greeting me with a kiss, much like he always does. “Afternoon, baby,” he says before turning towards the water cooler and pouring a cup as I admire his strong, firm backside.
We’ve settled into a daily routine, and I love every second of it. I love how easy and natural everything about this feels. Him. Us. And, finally, me. Our relationship is strong and equal even if we haven’t labeled it or had a serious conversation about the future or what we want. What we have is enough for now.
I can’t ignore the parallels between the two situations, but I also know there is truly no comparison. While Rafe is technically my boss, he never treats me as such. Instead, he treats me like an equal. He doesn’t stifle me. On the contrary, he encourages me, enables me, and empowers me to find my freedom even if means finding employment away from him. Hell, he’s even encouraged me to try applying to art galleries around the city to make use of my degree. His suggestions of expanding my job search were surprising, yet the idea of leaving Philadelphia and him behind isn’t exactly one I want to entertain.
We spend our days together—and our weekends at his place—but during the week, he stays with me in the guestroom. I know we’re both probably playing with fire, and at first, I was terrified to let him in the house for fear of what Adrian would do if he found out. Rafe, however, insisted he wasn’t worried, and it didn’t take long for him to break down my defenses. Being with him is worth it.
“Hey, can we talk?” he asks? rolling the chair across my desk out towards me. He looks unsure of himself.
I frown. Closing the folder, I cross my arms and look at him.
“Brie, the past two months have been the most incredible of my life. It’s been an unexpected whirlwind, and since the moment I met you, it feels like I’ve barely had any time to myself.”
My eyes widen, and tears well up. Holy crap. Is he about to break up with me? My heart starts to crack, and then he must notice the look on my face, because he’s up in a flash and kneeling before me.
He takes my hand. “No. God, no. Fuck. Jesus Christ, that came out all wrong. Let me amend that. I haven’t wanted any time to myself, even if it means staying in that bastard’s house and wanting to break every fucking piece of furniture and goddamned self-portrait on his wall.”
Before he can continue, I interrupt him and throw myself at him, my arms flinging around his neck and squeezing tight. Then I pull back and shove his shoulders. He laughs as he sits back.
“You ass! I thought you were about to break up with me!”
His eyes soften. “That’ll never happen, Brie. For as long as you want me, I’m yours.”
Tears fill my eyes, and I know that it’s time to truly move on. It’s unfair to him to keep him in this limbo, to expect him to sleep in Adrian’s house night after night.
“Are you sure, Rafe?” I ask, needing to know he’s one hundred percent into this.
A small smile crosses his lips. “Brie, I was sure weeks ago, but I didn’t want to push you.” He pauses and runs a hand through his mussed hair. “We both know he’s going to be back soon, and I just think it’d be easier if you’re already gone. We spend nearly all of our time together anyway. So, even if it’s just temporary until you get back on your feet, move in with me. Please.”
The last word is nearly pleading, and it drowns out any protest. I jump into his lap, then wrap my legs around his waist and press a hard kiss to his lips before pulling back. “Yes, of course! Absolutely!”
His smile widens, and it melts my heart. How could I have waited this long?
“And thank you. I appreciate you being patient with me.”
“Baby, I will wait for you for as long I need to. But thank fuck you said yes.”
I drop my legs, and he swats my ass.
“Now, go pack. You’re not spending another night in that house. Tonight, you’re in my bed, and we can test that patience of mine,” he tells me, giving me a wink just before he leaves the trailer.
I fall back into my desk chair and spin it around in excitement. Finally. Everything’s looking up. The chain holding me to this place is finally gone, and the thought of never having to step foot on this property again fills my heart with excitement. Suddenly, I can’t get out of here quick enough. I turn the voicemail on and log off my computer before racing up to the house to pack what few of my belongings I have left.
A small trickle of worry seeps in as I realize that this is finally it. What will Adrian do when he discovers I’m gone? Will he truly let me go as he said he would? Or will he try to track me down?
Does it even matter? I’ll never know what he wanted with me or why things changed so drastically.
And finally, I can’t find it in me to even care.
Adrian and I are the past. I’m looking forward to my future.
It doesn’t take me long to pack the stuff I actually own—which isn’t much. As I glance at my keys, I wish I hadn’t let Adrian talk me into trading in my car. I wonder what happened to the old pile of junk, and without thinking, my legs drift down the hall.
As I enter Adrian’s office, I’m not quite sure what I’m looking for or where to even find it—whatever it may be. I know that it’s wishful thinking, but perhaps he still has the title to my car and there’s some way I can get it back.
I lose track of time while searching through his desk, and I almost give up when I find nothing of importance. Letting out a deep sigh of disappointment, I glance around the room one last time. My eyes fall on an old edition of a Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The binding is faded, and I assume that it must be outdated. But still, it caught my eye for some reason. Pushing back from the desk, I walk towards the bookshelf. The closer I get, I see that, while it’s worn, it’s not dusty and looks as if it’s been frequently used.