Page 35 of Chasing After You

“So, uh… What number should I use to contact you? You called and texted from so many different ones, so I’m not sure… I mean, obviously you already have my number.”

I let out a small sigh of relief. “I did use my personal number at the start. I’m guessing you probably have it blocked. Can I?” I pointed at the phone. Josh’s lips tilted up slightly. Nodding, he unlocked his phone and slid it back towards me, the contacts app already open.

I found the list of blocked callers, cringing at the number of them. I would bet that at least half of the numbers, if not more, were mine. Scrolling through the list, I found the one I was looking for, unblocked it, and updated the contact as “Dori” with a heart emoji. Pleased, I slid the phone back across the table.

It was time for the next order of business. If Josh refused to move in with me, there was no way in hell I would be letting him stay at his friends’ house any longer. He needed to go back to his apartment, where he’d be alone and back under my surveillance.

“So,” I tried to speak casually. “I guess you can go back to your apartment now that you know I’m not planning on killing you? It’ll probably be nice to be back in your own bed finally.”

He looked at me curiously, but shrugged and replied, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I wasn’t even thinking about that.” He laughed softly. “But no more stalking, promise?”

“Promise,” I lied.

Josh believed me, or, at least, was trying to.

That much was evident in the way he smiled, all soft and hesitant, like his heart had already started opening to me even if his mind hadn’t caught up.

He looked tired. Beautiful, but so incredibly tired.

I wanted to reach across the table, press my palm against his cheek, and say something gentle—reassure him, tell him I would never stop loving him, no matter how long it took him to trust me again. But I knew if I touched him now, I might end up scaring him away. I needed to be careful. He needed to remain oblivious for now.

Instead, I leaned back in my chair and offered a genuine smile.

“So,” he said again, clearly searching for something lighter. “What do you… do now?”

It was such an ordinary question that it caught me off guard. I wasn’t much for small talk, but I’d indulge him the best I could.

“What do I do?” I echoed, amused. “For work, you mean?”

Josh nodded, looking shy. “Yeah. I mean, you said you’d move here and take care of everything… so I just wondered. Most people can’t just randomly move places.”

“I don’t work,” I said plainly.

His brows furrowed a bit. “You don’t?”

“I don’t need to,” I continued. “Trust fund. Inheritance. Estate payouts. All that boring old money shit. I got Victoria’sfashion investments. Long story short, I took everything, thanks to a few legal technicalities. I live off it. Quite comfortably, too.”

“Oh.” He didn’t sound judgmental, more like he couldn’t comprehend what I was saying.

“I did go to college, though,” I added. “Philosophy and art. Just for the experience.”

“Just for the experience..? You didn’t need a degree? Or have something you wanted to work towards?”

I shook my head. “I just needed something to fill the time.”

He looked away at that.

A long, slow silence crept in, but I didn’t rush to fill it. I wanted him to sit in the idea of it—me, floating through years of life with nothing tethering me to the ground except the thought of him.

When he looked back at me, his voice was quieter. “Do you have… friends?”

It was a strange question, and it made me huff out a laugh.

“No,” I said. “Not really.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t need anyone else. Because no one else is you.”