Page 5 of Ravage (The Wellard Asylum #6)

T oday is move-in day, and if I told you that I was excited with the fact that I will finally have a real bed to sleep in, then it would be half of a lie.

My run-in with Kole a few days ago is still eating at me.

I’m not sure I believe that it was a coincidence for him to just save me like that.

The look in his eyes was possessive when I was spun around to face him.

They almost seemed to morph before my eyes each second we stood there in silence.

The maddening shift from possession to lust and then to worry was enough to make my head spin.

The last few days at work have been hectic between nonstop business and Cassie interrogating me at every turn.

She tried to do her own digging, and she found that Kole had another roommate before me.

I swear she missed her calling as a CIA agent.

The roommate was another girl named Bailey, but Cassie couldn’t find any other information on her besides her name.

She has asked me continuously to just move in with her, and I still deny her because I refuse to mooch off of my friend. Even if it's just her couch.

My hand raises up to knock, but before my fist can make contact with the wood, the door swings up on silent hinges.

Kole’s face appears around the side of the door with a warm smile on his face.

I take a moment to scan his appearance while he opens the door further to reveal the modern apartment behind him.

He’s dressed in loose black sweats and a tight grey T-shirt that emphasizes his toned chest beneath it; his feet are bare, and his hair is tousled.

He looks deliciously rumpled, like he just rolled out of bed.

“Ah, Sloane, I was wondering when you’d be coming by.

” He steps aside and waves his arm towards what I assume is the living room.

“Come on in.” My sneakers pad against the light gray carpet as I admire the luxury of the apartment.

The couch alone looks like it could be worth more than my damn car.

An intricate wooden coffee table sits in front of it, and beyond them is a fireplace and the biggest TV I’ve ever seen mounted onto the wall.

“This is the living room; it’s not much, but it serves its purpose.

” My expression must be one of shock because he lets out a chuckle.

So far this apartment is ridiculously clean, almost like it’s a showroom, which boggles my mind for a man in his twenties.

“The kitchen is this way.” He points to his left, and I follow after him with wide eyes; my jaw almost drops to the floor when I see the kitchen.

It’s decorated in white and black with golden accents and is just as clean as the living room—not a speck of dust in sight.

A marble countertop shines in the low light with an island in the middle of the floor that houses the sink.

He strides over to what resembles an industrial-sized fridge and pulls the doors open.

“There’s more than enough room for you to add what you want.

I moved my things to the left side and figured you could use the right.

” I am utterly speechless because I’ve only ever seen a fridge this big in the coffee shop.

“You okay?” He looks at me with concern, and I mutter a quick yes before he ushers me out and into a hallway.

He points out various doors leading to a closet and a half bath for guests.

He waves at his bedroom door but doesn’t open it to show me the inside, which piques my curiosity.

He finally stops at a door at the end of the hall and pushes it open, revealing a room completely different from the rest of the apartment but just as clean.

The carpet is a luscious cream color that matches the metal bedframe and the walls.

The dresser and desk are a beautiful oak that matches the other wood in the house, but beyond that this room is bright and cheery, as opposed to the dark moodiness of the rest of the spaces.

A floral smell wafts through my nostrils the deeper I enter into the room, and I spin around trying to find the source.

“This is your room; I know it’s different than the rest of the apartment, so feel free to redecorate if you’d like too. ”

“No, I love it, thank you.” I say as I shake my head and then beam up at him with a genuine smile that he echoes. I finally spy the fresh bouquet of Peruvian lilies atop the dresser. “These are beautiful, thank you.” I say as I finger a soft petal between my fingers.

“Just a welcome home gift; I’m glad that you like them. Well, I’ll leave you to it then.” He nods before backing out into the hallway. “Do you need help bringing anything up?” He asks with a tilt of his head.

“Oh no, I don’t have very much. I’ll be fine on my own.” I answer, following after him towards the front door.

“Great, then I’m going to head back to bed; I have to work early in the morning. Make sure you lock up when you’re done.” He doesn’t spare me another glance before he disappears through his bedroom door, leaving me to my own devices.

I stand next to the apartment door admiring how beautiful the apartment is and how lucky this break is for me.

Mentally, I scold myself, telling myself to not get too comfortable here.

This is only supposed to be a pit stop until I save up enough for something of my own.

I trek back to the elevator, entering behind another woman who stares at me in shock before the doors close behind us.

Her blonde hair is stick straight, and her blue eyes shine with curiosity and worry.

Her yellow sundress flows around her knees, and she has white wedge sandals strapped to her feet.

She clutches a brown woven tote to her side as her hands wring against the handles.

“Are you moving in with Kole Masterson?” She questions in an alarmed voice.

“Sure am! This place is beautiful.” I answer enthusiastically, which makes the alarm on her face even more prominent. “Is something wrong?” Her face scrunches up at my words, and she shakes her head.

“Um, nope, nothing’s wrong. Just be careful, okay?” Her words should bring me comfort, but they do the complete opposite.

“You can’t just say ‘ be careful ’ and not expect me to worry about that.” A nervous chuckle follows my words.

“Oh goodness, I’m sorry if I worried you!

No, everything is fine. You’re just a young woman moving in with a man, which is different, ya know?

I’m sure everything will be okay. But if you ever need anyone to talk to, my name is Alyssa, and I live in apartment 48.

” She spews out the words so fast that I have a hard time comprehending most of them, but I did manage to catch her name and apartment number at the end of that.

The elevator doors open to the lobby, and she rushes out with a smile and a quick goodbye, leaving me behind to try and decipher what the hell that was all about.

Shaking my head, I walk out to my car and start grabbing the few possessions that I have.

It only takes me three trips until I have everything stacked up in the corner of my new room.

I’m glad that the room is so clean that I don’t have to bother tidying it up before I unpack my things, which is a total win if you ask me.

The first thing I unpack is my new bed set I bought on my lunch break.

It’s a soft white set with pink and red roses all over it with matching throw pillows.

I laid down the soft pink area rug beside the bed and then put away all of my bathroom supplies.

By the time I start unpacking my clothes into the dresser, I’m exhausted.

I decide to forgo unpacking the rest and just lay out my clothes for the next day on top of it before stripping my clothes off and taking a quick shower.

I grab the first oversized sleep tee I can find and throw it over my head and crawl into my new bed.

The mattress is like sleeping on a cloud compared to the hard interior of my car.

I snuggle deep into the soft duvet, and hug a throw pillow to my chest, heaving out a content sigh.

My eyes sweep around the room, admiring the space with a smile on my face and hope in my heart at this new beginning.