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The tidy bookshelves, tiled floors, and bare white walls feel more like a coffin.
Maybe I should hire a professional decorator like Sunny to liven this place up. I keep saying I’ll do it myself, but that’s a long shot. I moved into the condo as is, even after telling Lucy I’d get around to decorating.
In my defense, work took precedence. Plus, homemaking has never been a skill of mine. For me, ‘home’ always meant a rest-stop between trips. A place where I send my certified mail.
I haven’t been in one place for this long since…
Huh.
Probably since I started working with dad.
Just then, my phone buzzes.
I read the sweetest text I’ve ever received in my life.
10:07YAYA: Did you get home safely?
A smile stretches over my face. Talia is at the edge of my vision, staring up at me like she’s surprised by what she’s seeing.
“What?” I ask her.
“Nothing,” she says. The words are muffled by a giant yawn. “Can I have ice cream?”
I check my princess watch and balk. “At this time? Go brush your teeth, Tals. It’s late and you have school tomorrow.”
I hear the pitter-patter of her feet scurrying away, but my eyes are on my phone.
10:08 DARE:Just got in. Talia asked when we can go back to the farmhouse.
I set the phone in my pocket and kick off my shoes, moving through the house like a shadow. I don’t bother turning on the lights in my bedroom and head straight for the closet.
After setting my shoes down neatly and returning my princess watch to the velvet cushion that came with my Rolex, I check my phone again.
Still no message.
Guess it can’t be helped. If Yaya’s still at the farmhouse, she’s having a good time with her friends. Family, really. They’re overtly protective of her.
Especially her brother-in-law.
“I still don’t like you, but my wife thinks we should give you a shot. So that’s enough for me.”
“If you’re giving me a chance, why is your handshake cutting off my blood circulation?”
“I want you to remember this, Sullivan. You can lose this chance as quickly as you got it. My warning still stands.”
By the time he released my hand, I had a Sazuki-sized palm print wrapped around my skin.
I’ll think of it like an autograph.
One more glance at the phone says Yaya’s probably not texting me back tonight.
I remain in my outside clothes just in case she contacts me and wants a ride home. Heading to my office, I almost run over my niece.
She’s standing in the dark like a ghost, glaring at me through a fringe of her long blonde hair.
“Is something wrong, Tals?”
“Do you like that lady?”